Connecting Kies on PC with Galaxy Note 2 - Kies via WiFi - solved: Symantec firewall issue

[4fool]

Got my new Note 2! Got it connected to my PC (Windows 7 Pro x64) via USB and synced up Outlook Contacts, Tasks, Calendar. Great.

Excited about getting work done on the go with my Note 2, tried to set up WiFi connectivity with my laptop and the Note 2. Figured out that I have to use Kies via WiFi in the Settings menu, and also run the Kies application on my PC at the same time. Kinda painful - if only I could have the beauty and simplicity of old Nokia phones with Nokia PCSuite!

The Note 2 was simply not finding the PC on the same WiFi router. After much web searching and learning about numerous frustrated Kies users due to connectivity problems, guessed that the issue must be with my Symantec Endpoint Manager. Disabled it, and it worked! Device found the PC and connected successfully.

I have now created a firewall rule to allow all traffic between my PC and the MAC address of the Note 2. Initially enabled traffic only for the Kies processes/applications, but that didn't work. Had to enable traffic for all applications.

Hope this helps someone else struggling with this.

First step - temporarily disable the firewall software on your PC and see if you are able to connect. Then figure out how to set up a firewall rule to only allow the device (identified by its MAC address) to get through. Strangely, I had to be connected to my company VPN in order to be able to set up the firewall rule - otherwise SEP does not allow Network Threat Protection settings to be changed.

Finally synced via WiFi, but very disappointed with the sync results - duplicate tasks, and many issues. Subject on another post!

 

[SAngeli]

Hi and thanks a lot for your post.
Yes, I agree with you: Nokia Suite does a lovely job and it is painless: but, we have to stick with Android which is not so bad.

I have an issue with Kies via Wi-Fi I fail to solve. Reading your post I wanted to ask you for help.

I will receive, in few weeks, my first Android smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S4 mini). I wish to avoid using a USB cable but need to have the proper hardware requirements handy for Wi-Fi Sync.
My network topology is:
Main ADSL router, a switch connected to this router, a PC hardconnected to the switch. The router releases dynamic and static IP.
I wish to provide my phone Internet connectivity and be able to sync with my MS Outlook 2010 from my PC to the smartphone via Kies.

To do so I have in mind to purchase an Access Point and connect it to the same switch my PC is connected. Both devices will end up being in the same LAN and same Gateway. This way I will be able to ping and see each other.

Ths is the part I do not understand. Samsung reports: "Kies via Wi-Fi allows you to sync your PC wirelessly with your device provided they are both on the same Wi-Fi network".
What does "...they are both on the same Wi-Fi network".

Does it mean I have to purchase also an additiona Wi-Fi adapter USB adapter for the PC and connect to the Access Point? I really hope not as do not wish to have two network interfaces in my PC.
Does it mean that as long as the Access Point allows devices in Wi-Fi to see the rest of the LAN (my PC included), Kies will be able to discover the PC?

My goal is to reach this topology:
main ADSL router ---> switch.
switch ---> PC (via hardcable) with static IP 192.168.0.20
switch ---> Access Point (via hardcable) with IP from 192.168.0.30 to 192.168.0.40
Galaxy S4 mini ---> Access Point (via Wi-Fi) with static IP 192.168.0.31

Can you please advise? Several users on the Internet still do not know which way around. Me included.

Thank you a lot

 

[4fool]

Hi, I haven't tried this, but my assumption would be that the term "same WiFi network" is really meaning on the same local network. All that WiFi does is to enable a device to talk to the router without a wire.
I would move forward with the assumption that the PC and the phone just have to be on the same network to find each other, and see if it works. I don't see why it shouldn't.

I have since changed my notebook computer, and no longer have Kies on my machine, but if you are not getting anywhere and need me to test things out, let me know, and I'll try.

Btw, after fighting it, I have finally accepted the cloud/server based way of doing things. I realized that with a smart phone it is nearly impossible to keep Google out of getting into your life. So I have decided to move forward with server/cloud based sync of my phone and notebook computer. Only, I don't plan on using Google for it. I am considering signing up for an Exchange based email service (possibly Office 365), and am planning on using Touchdown with it. Not happy with the stock calendar on the Note 2. Also, the stock email does not seem to implement IMAP IDLE (for immediate receipt of IMAP email). Exchange seems to be the best for keeping everything in sync and keeping syncs fast with ActiveSync.

I found sending SMS messages via Kies Air to be cumbersome. So I am left with no longer needing a direct phone to PC sync. Unless you have very strict privacy requirements and not using a server/cloud based solution, I would suggest that you try it out - works much better. Much more convenient - take Google Drive for example. Outlook.com might be a good free option to try out. I am trying to not get too caught up with Google.

 

[SAngeli]

Hi,
thank you for your kind reply and more for offering to test things for me, if needed.
Today, I received a reply for Samsung Technical Support and at the same time a replies from another forum.
They all confirmed me that there is no need to install an additional Wi-Fi adapter on the PC; wired cable connection is sufficient. This has been tested.

So, concluding this post for those who wish to sync a Smartphone with Kies via Wi-Fi this is what you need to know:
both the Smartphone and the PC running Kies must be in the same LAN. You need to make sure that both devices can see each other (try to ping each other as a test). Same works for Kies Air.

This demystify the "same Wi-Fi network" which is wrong, is incorrectly reported and created all this confusion. It should say ?same network? without the ?Wi-Fi? word.

When you setup Kies via Wi-Fi you will have to enter the IP Address of the device.
So, make sure you assign from the Access Point a Static IP to the Smartphone.

Obviously, when you have to update the firmware of the Smartphone or perform the first initial sync I would highly recommend using a USB cable.
I am glad I received proper support to solve this issue. I hope this info will be valuable to those who encounter my same problem.

You also mentioned seeking for a cloud/server based solution, which is what I hear most frequently.
I wish to look into this hoping to find some reasonable solutions.
This I would assume would also imply that on the PC side I have to connect to the Exchange Server and don?t have any more a ?.pst? file. Correct?

Summing up I would need:
1. An exchange server solution
2. Outlook installed on the PC with Exchange server setup
3. Touchdown or a similar solution installed only on the Android Phone.

Is this correct?
If you have any other suggestions to cloud/server providers and Android sync apps please post them here.

Thank you and take care,
Spiro

 

[4fool]

Great! Very nice of you to post back to the thread with detailed information for others to follow.

This I would assume would also imply that on the PC side I have to connect to the Exchange Server and don?t have any more a ?.pst? file. Correct?

That is correct. You will still have a local .pst file for local things, but the Exchange folders will sync to a different set of files (.ost, I think). But all that should not matter. It should work smoothly. But naturally, to have your artifacts (Contacts, Tasks) synced you should keep them on the Exchange account.

Summing up I would need:
1. An exchange server solution
2. Outlook installed on the PC with Exchange server setup
3. Touchdown or a similar solution installed only on the Android Phone.

Is this correct?
If you have any other suggestions to cloud/server providers and Android sync apps please post them here.

Correct, but note that Exchange is only one of the options for email. You could well use GMail or any other IMAP provider for email. However after doing a good bit of research I feel that Exchange is the better solution, though it may be a bit more pricey. A good free option is Outlook.com - which is a slimmed down Exchange Server behind the scenes (I am told - not confirmed); so it may be a good free solution.

I am currently using Fastmail.fm for email - they provide a good IMAP service. There are other good email services, but they don't all provide Contacts, Tasks, Calendar. You may have to get separate services and apps for these. To avoid all that, and get everything in one place, right now I am considering getting an Office365 subscription (or a single Exchange Online subscription).

For Contacts and Tasks, and Calendar, you can use Google/Gmail Contacts, Tasks and Calendar, rather than Exchange. Google contacts, calendar and tasks will sync seamlessly with the stock apps on the Note 2. I don't quite like the stock Calendar app (which also includes Tasks).

Rather than use Google's services, you can also use Microsoft's services for email, calendar, tasks and contacts, but I don't yet know how well they integrate with the stock apps - i.e. Calendar, Contacts.

Touchdown is one of the options. There are others Android clients for exchange:
Enhanced Email
Emoze
Windroid

 

[SAngeli]

Thank you very much for your explanations.
I will look into what you posted and see what could work for me.

One comment on Outlook 365: I tested it for 1 month when it was first released and it is quite slow using it over the Internet. Yes, I have not tested directly client/server but via the Web with the Web browser.

Thanks,
Spiro