Palm OS users looking for a way to add Wi-Fi support to their handhelds now have one more option. Larry Garfield looks at SanDisk's new Wi-Fi card for the Zire 71.
Although many computer users today have Wi-Fi networks at work or at home, few models of Palm OS handheld support it. Although nearly all have an expansion slot, Wi-Fi cards available so far haven't worked on them due to power constraints. SanDisk has now released a new SDIO card that is low-power enough to work on the palmOne Zire 71.
 | The SanDisk Wi-Fi Connect card brings Wi-Fi to the Zire 71
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The card itself is about twice the length of a normal SD card, so sticks out from the handheld quite a ways, but feels sturdy enough under light pressure. The card has a small green light on the front to indicate that it has an active connection.
One would expect such a card to be entirely plug-and-play. Unfortunately it wasn't quite so. The first install of the drivers were not able to pick up our access point. A reinstall fixed that, however. After HotSyncing the driver to the device and running the on-device installer, the handheld had to reboot. The Network preferences panel must then be set to use the new "W LAN" connection.
The driver includes a separate Wi-Fi Utility program to scan for nearby networks. After the reinstall, picking up an access point was difficulty-free and connecting took only about three seconds. The card supports both 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption, and both worked as advertised. The configuration screen supports both Hex and plaintext key input, which makes entering the proper key far easier. The Utility also includes a status screen that shows current signal strength, making it useful for war-walking.
Once active, the connection was stable and reliable. Browsing the web via Palm Web Pro and playing with e-mail via VersaMail without difficulty, and other network-using program ran fine as well. The speed was acceptable, and we were able to get a usable signal from anywhere in our office, including through multiple walls and from two floors away.
The only other problem was on connecting. When a program tries to use a network connection before one is established, or when the card is first inserted, the OS attempts to start up the most recently used network connection. In most cases, that failed for us except when we made the connection through the Wi-Fi Utility program. Attempting a second time often worked, however. We're not sure what the problem is, but it does mean that we spent a lot of time in the Wi-Fi Utility when we didn't want to.
The card is compatible with Windows Mobile devices with SDIO card slots, and with the palmOne Zire 71. According to SanDisk, it is not compatible with the Tungsten line because the SDIO slots in the Tungsten line are not rated for the power draw of the card, meaning that use of the card could damage the device.
Availability
The SanDisk Wi-Fi Connect SD card is available now for $99 USD. It is compatible with Windows Mobile handhelds and the palmOne Zire 71 only.
Conclusion
For Zire 71 users looking for a quick way to add Wi-Fi to their handheld arsenal, the SanDisk Wi-Fi Connect card is a decent option. Once working, it provides a stable and reliable connection, just as one would expect, for a reasonable price. The only caveat is that "once working" part, as we found the driver to be a bit persnickety about installing and making the initial connection to an access point. Once that was sorted out, there were no problems. SanDisk needs to sort it out as well so that it doesn't happen, but otherwise the card works as advertised, just as it should.
- What's positive: Stable connection, good WEP support, good range
- What's negative: Driver install and connection initiation shaky
Overall: 
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