WMWifiRouter adds Wi-Fi Connection Sharing to Windows Mobile

2008-01-09T20:59:11Z

Windows Mobile users looking to turn their mobile phone into an Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) device need not rely on ICS any more. WMWifiRouter is a piece of amazing freeware software that turns your Windows Mobile phone into a Wi-Fi router, giving any Wi-Fi device access to your cellphone plan's data network. This is similar in concept to the popular Treo DUN (Dial Up Networking) hackjob application, which lets you share you data connection over Bluetooth. Alas, Sprint decided to disable DUN, which required Treo fans to perform the aforementioned hack job. ICS comes with Windows Mobile, but AFAIK it requires a Bluetooth-enabled laptop or a Bluetooth dongle attached to a laptop. The beauty of WMWifiRouter is that your cell phone is a standard Wi-Fi router that ANYONE can use without the Bluetooth requirement.

Simply install WMWifiRouter on your Windows Mobile phone, run the application, and it automatically sets up an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network called WMWifiRouter. Then from any of your other wireless devices, i.e. laptop you can connect to the Internet. Ironically, Lisa Rotella, my IT support technician was installing WMWifiRouter on Rich Tehrani's new Verizon XV6800 Windows Mobile behind me when I read about WMWifiRouter on the Internet.

Rich is excited to be able to use his XV6800 Windows Mobile to provide Internet access to his Nokia N800 Internet Tablet (WiFi only, no EVDO) for a "usable" web surfing experience. What's wrong with this picture? Rich is using the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet to browse the Internet when his Windows Mobile device has a browser on it! Rich and I agreed that the larger screen of the Nokia Internet Tablet, 800x480 resolution, and superb font rendering for the small screen were better than Windows Mobile. Microsoft need to take heed of both Rich's and my thoughts and offer a mobile device with a larger screen and better web usability. Supposedly Windows Mobile 7 will copy the iPhone's multi-touch technology to offer gesture surfing and navigation, which should improve usability. We shall see.

In any event, head on over to http://www.jongma.org/WMWifiRouter/ to download this cool app!

Update:
Read somewhere that Verizon removes ICS from its PDA phones which this software requires. Bummer. Might explain why Lisa isn't able to get this to work so far on Rich's Verizon phone. Stay tuned...

Update 2:
Lisa found ~~another firmware~~ a standalone ICS installer to load on Rich's XV6800 that enabled ICS. Will post the link to the ~~firmware~~ ICS installer once she sends it to me. WMWifiRouter is now working on Rich's XV6800. Here's the download link:
forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=1791921&postcount=684

Comment from Chainfire on 2008-01-09

2008-01-10T00:32:17Z

I just wanted to let you know that we are still looking into the ICS issue. It won't be long 'til we have a fully functional ICS installer and instructions, stay tuned :)

Comment from Rakesh | Mobile Phone on 2008-01-11

2008-01-11T12:37:38Z

great i really appreciate this one
but can you explain in detail all the advantages and disadvantages if any

Comment from Juan Alvarez on 2008-04-02

2008-04-02T23:39:24Z

Excellent improvement. I have been looking for a variant of this: I want a WiFi WM5 or WM6 to share internet over bluetooth or USB.

Have you heard of it?

And, WMWifiRouter is no longer free :(
...

Comment from David on 2008-04-17

2008-04-18T00:33:55Z

Sure, its called PDANet. junefabrics.com

Comment from jwendolo on 2008-09-23

2008-09-23T16:00:47Z

The link for the ICS software doesn't contain a link for the ZIP file it references - do you have a working link or a copy of the zip file? Thanks

Comment from Tommo on 2010-01-07

2010-01-08T02:14:11Z

Damn thing killed my phone which now won't connect to the interenet to do anything BUT share connection. it cant use the net itself now!