Guide to Devicescape

Windows Mobile version 2.0.51

What is Devicescape?

Devicescape automates the process of connecting to WiFi, especially at hotspot networks with web browser-based login pages. On many hotspot networks, these pages ask users for their username and passwords. On others, they may ask for acceptance of "terms and conditions", or entry of an email address, or checking a box and hitting "ok". In any event, they all require the use of a browser and some work on the part of the user before a connection to the Internet can be made.

Devicescape also streamlines the process of using completely open networks by searching for open networks and testing that a valid Internet connection is available. This avoids the manual process of selecting and testing networks one by one.

Devicescape makes it a much simpler process to get connected: working in the background to connect you automatically without any involvement at all!

Devicescape installed on a Windows Mobile smartphone.

Installation

Devicescape can be installed from your PC or directly on the phone. To install from your PC go to http://www.devicescape.com/pub/download.do. You can download an installer package which will walk you through the process, or you can download a CAB file which you need to save onto your device and then click to install.

To install directly on your phone, open a browser at www.devicescape.com then select the "download" button and follow the instructions. Once installed, Devicescape will start. When you reboot your phone, Devicescape will be started automatically.

The Main Screen

The main application screen shows the status of your connection to the Internet and allows you to control your connection to networks.

"Online" shows that you have a valid Internet connection. This can be via your phone’s cellular data plan, via Activesync, or via WiFi.

"Offline" shows that you have no active Internet connection.

If you are associated to a WiFi network, its name (SSID) will be shown below the Online indicator. You will see status messages as you interact with the network (eg "login successful" or "login failed").

"Sign-up to add more Wi-Fi": creates an on-line account (see Signing up for more and the Web Manager).

"Enter account information": allows you to enter credentials for a WiFi network (see Getting Started at a Hotspot).

"Try more networks": asks Devicescape to search for other networks and attempt to login to them.

The softkeys are "Login" and "Menu":

"Login" is used to connect to the current network. If you are associated to a WiFi network, Devicescape will attempt to log you in. If you are connected via other means, Devicescape will validate the connection and then sync up your network information (this is useful when you are making changes with the Web Manager, and happens automatically from time to time).

"Menu" allows you to configure Settings, logout from a WiFi network, and exit the application.

Understanding Networks

Devicescape is capable of automatically connecting you to many different types of WiFi networks. These include open networks, secure networks, and hotspot networks.

Open networks are unsecured networks which connect directly to the Internet. These types of networks are often operated by small retail establishments for the use of customers, but could also be personal home networks which have been left unsecured. Devicescape connects to Open networks by default, but this functionality can be disabled in Settings if you’re worried about potential abuse.

Secure networks are protected by keys (eg WEP or WPA) which need to be entered on your device before it can associate with the network. Devicescape is capable of setting up your device automatically with the networks and security keys you use (see the Web Manager).

Hotspot networks are free or commercial networks which need you to respond to a "login page" before you are allowed access to the Internet. Some hotspots may need a simple "click through" while others need you to enter your account information. Devicescape knows many free "click through" networks and can automatically connect you to them without any effort on your part. For others, Devicescape needs to know your account information: this can be provided on the device or with the Web Manager, and thereafter Devicescape will connect you automatically.

Getting Started At A Hotspot

In this example, we assume Devicescape has been recently installed and the user wishes to connect at a commercial hotspot for which he/she has account credentials (normally a username and password). These will be entered directly on the device. An alternative method involves first creating an on-line account and then using the web manager to enter account information.

To begin, use Windows Mobile's connection manager to switch on WiFi and then find and associate (or "connect") with the Wi-Fi hotspot network. Here we are using the hotspot "AcmeWifi":

Start or switch to Devicescape. Once the device has associated with AcmeWifi, the network name will be shown and you will be prompted to "Enter account information". You may also be prompted to "Try more networks" which you can use to check for additional networks.

Select "Enter account information" and the credential entry screen will be shown:

Enter your credentials and select "Ok". Devicescape will then log you into this network ("Connecting...") and indicate success ("Online"). You may also hear a "door knocking" sound to tell you a WiFi connection is live:

You may see other messages if the login fails.

At this point in time Devicescape now knows your account information for this network. Provided that WiFi is switched on, Devicescape will now automatically associate you to this network and log you in. This applies to any roaming partnerships: Devicescape will make the initial association even if you don't know the name of the network partners, and then log you in too!

Note: if you wish to disable automated login, deselect "auto login" on the Settings menu, and then select "Login" to connect manually.

Logging Out

On some networks it can be important to Logout, especially if you are roaming. In this case, you should select "Logout" from the Menu on the Devicescape application.

Using Devicescape

Once Devicescape is setup, you can leave it running. Depending on battery life and your preferences, you can simply switch WiFi on and off as you wish. Provided that you have enabled automated logins on the Settings menu, Devicescape will happily run in the background, testing networks and making connections as it can. Otherwise, you need to return to the application and press "Login" to make connections.

Devicescape knows about many free hotspots that normally require you to accept terms and conditions or hassle with various buttons to get access. You can now access those automatically without any interaction. Here we show a sample hotspot called "AcmeClickThru":

If you have enabled open network connections on the Settings menu, then Devicescape will scan for and connect to any unknown, unsecure networks.

Devicescape will play a "door knock" sound to let you know it has established a WiFi connection (you can disable this on the Settings menu).

If you have other networks you use that Devicescape doesn't yet support, you can request they be added. You can also sign up for an on-line account to enable additional features.

Status and Error Messages

Occasionally you will receive error messages from the application:

No credentials: you have no account information that works with the network

Login failed: you have incorrect credentials or they are no longer valid

If the network is able to send messages, you will also see a popup message with more information.

For questions and support, check the on-line forums and other resources.

Settings

The settings page allows you to configure Devicescape functionality:

Connect to any open network: when enabled, Devicescape will automatically scan for new unsecured networks, associate with them, and test whether they offer a valid Internet connection. You should disable this feature if you want to control this process manually.

Play sound: when enabled, Devicescape will play a "door knock" sound whenever a valid WiFi connection is available. This sound does not play for other types of connection.

Login automatically: when enabled, Devicescape will try to login automatically to every network, otherwise you need to select the "Login" menu item. You should disable auto login if you want to control the process manually (eg if you are roaming).

The settings page also shows you the version of Devicescape you are using, and a unique identifier for your device (the UUID) which you may need if you contact support. "Copy UUID" places the UUID into the clipboard in case you later wish to paste it into a message.

Signing Up for More

While Devicescape can be thought of as a standalone client application, additional functionality is available with an on-line account and the Web Manager:

You can download software for other devices, such as Macs and PCs.
You can manage all the devices in one account.
You can use your PC to search for new networks and manage your devices, which may be more convenient.
You can create secure personal networks and automatically setup your device to work with them without having to enter network names and keys on the device.
You can share your personal networks with friends.
Enter your email address to receive news and offers from the team (we won't share your details with anyone).

Click on "Signup to add more Wi-Fi":

A browser window opens and allows you to create a new account. Or, if you already have a Devicescape account, you can select "Click here if you already have an account" and add this new device.

Once you have created an account, the device is registered:

Switch back to Devicescape. After a short while the "Signup" option disappears to show that you've registered the device.

At any point in the future you can go to http://my.devicescape.com to login to your on-line account and use the Web Manager.

The Web Manager

While you can add credentials for many networks on the device, Devicescape has a web-based management system which makes it much easier and provides additional functionality, particularly on a larger screen device like a PC. Once you have registered your device and created an account (see Signing up for more) you can access the manager at http://my.devicescape.com.

Find Hotspot: allows you to search the entire database of supported hotspots. You can select those for which you have credentials and add them to your account.

See Login History: allows you to see your login activity for all the devices registered with your account.

Add Hotspot Account: allows you to add credentials for a hotspot network to your account.

Add Home Network: allows you to add your own personal networks (eg home network). You can add as many as you like. Once setup, any devices in your account will be configured to access these personal networks. This makes changing security keys or adding a new device very easy.

Add Friend's Network: allows you to send an email message via Devicescape which invites the recipient to use Devicescape in order to easily share his/her personal networks with you.

Share Home Network: allows you to share your personal networks with your friends. You can invite friends to become Devicescape members. If they do so, any devices in their account will automatically be configured to access the personal networks you have chosen to share. This is useful to allow friends to connect to your network more easily, without the risk of disclosing your security keys.

Manage Networks: allows you to configure the hotspot and personal networks in your account. You can change passwords and delete hotspots. You can edit security keys, share, unshare, and delete personal networks.

Manage Devices: allows you to configure the devices in your account. You will see all of the devices registered into your account. You can rename then to give them useful familiar names. You can delete them from your account if, for example, you will no longer own the device. You can mark them as "lost" if you lose the device and want to prevent login to your networks. And, you can "suspend" them to temporarily prevent login.

Manage Profile: allows you to configure various account settings such as your email address, timezone, and interest in messages from Devicescape.

Requesting New Networks

A unique feature of Devicescape is the capability for users to influence the networks which are supported. If you need support for a new network which is not in the list, you can capture the information and send it into us with a web-based form. This is often easiest to do on a PC or Mac, as the procedure involves saving various HTML login pages and attaching them to the web form. The good news is that once we receive the correct information we can generally add support quite quickly. And, once it's added by one Devicescape user, it's available for all!

Find the web form at https://my.devicescape.com/member/new-service.do.

Getting Support

Devicescape support is forum based. You can interact with the Devicescape team and the Devicescape community at http://forum.devicescape.com.

There is also a developer program which allows developers to create modified and enhanced versions of Devicescape at http://developer.devicescape.com.

To keep up with the latest happenings, you can read the Devicescape blog at http://blog.devicescape.com.

Requirements and Limitations of the Windows Mobile Client

Devicescape is available for several other platforms, including Windows XP and Vista, Mac OSX, Nokia S60 smartphones, Nokia Web tablets, and the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. You can download these at the Devicescape website.

Compared to these platforms, the Windows Mobile Client has the following limitations and peculiarities.

Launches from Reboot into the Foreground:
After a reboot, Devicescape loads and launches into the foreground, requiring the user to switch away from the application. We hope to address this annoyance in a future release. To disable auto-loading, delete the Devicescape shortcut from the \Windows\Start Menu folder.

Shutdown by the OS:
Windows Mobile will shutdown applications automatically when system resources are required for new applications. This tends to impact Devicescape as it runs in the background and becomes a target for the "last used" application. The user needs to restart Devicescape in order to login to new networks. We hope to address this annoyance in a future release.

Error Prone Credential Entry:
While it can be very convenient to enter credentials on the device, there are some issues associated with this capability. Some networks need specially formatted usernames and the Devicescape client is incapability of easily identifying these. If you experience errors logging into networks immediately after entering credentials on a device, we recommend creating an on-line account and examining and/or re-entering the credentials via the Manage Networks page of the Web Manager.

Installation:
Devicescape can be installed on your main memory or a storage card. Devicescape works with Windows Mobile 5 and later, on Standard (non-touchscreen) and Professional (touchscreen variants). Devicescape does not support Windows CE, not earlier versions of Windows Mobile. Devicescape requires .NET compact framework to be installed (this is included on WM6 and later).

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