WeSync

Top Frequently Asked Questions

Please check out the WeSync Quick Start Guide, Release Notes, and User Guides and the online WeSync Support pages for answers to any other questions you may have about how to:

Create your WeSync User Account

Download and Install WeSync

Publish, Share and Subscribe to resources

Set up Communities

Use the WeSync applications on you handheld & desktop

Trouble-shoot problems

1. Do all WeSync™ users need their own Accounts?

2. How do I set up WeSync for someone else or a group?

3. I share a PC with other people, how do we use WeSync?

4. Can I use WeSync if I don't have a handheld?

5. Can I synchronize to my WeSync Account from more than one computer?

6. Can WeSync be used through a firewall or proxy server?

7. Why do I get a 'user name & password don't match an account' error when I sync?

8. How do I share my calendars & contact lists after I've installed and synced to the WeSync Server™?

9. I created calendar for someone else, why don't I get this person's events after we've both synced?

10. Can we use WeSync to share resources locally on our PC without syncing through the Web?

11. How does WeSync work with 3rd party PIMs (Microsoft® Outlook, etc.)?

12. Is WeSync compatible with other handheld calendar & contacts applications
(DateBk3™, ActionNames™, etc.)?

13. How do WeSync Refresh™ for Wireless and Handheld Modems work?

14. How is my information kept private & secure?

1. Do all WeSync users need their own Accounts?

Yes - each user running WeSync must have their own, unique WeSync™ User Account.

This is because the synchronization of shared resources occurs between each person's WeSync User Account.

Important
WeSync only supports one Palm OS™ compatible device and associated WeSync Desktop Viewer 'User' profile per WeSync User Account. Syncing more than one Palm OS device or 'User' profile to the same Account may result in data loss or corruption.

2. How do I set up WeSync for someone else or a group?

First Steps
Before proceeding, be sure the following steps have been completed:

Every handheld user has performed at least one HotSync with each computer they will use to sync with the WeSync Server.

Each person has installed WeSync on their respective handhelds and/or desktops.

If you do not use a handheld and share a computer with others:
Each person must have a unique WeSync Desktop Viewer User Profile.

Launch the WeSync Desktop Viewer

Select 'Edit Users' from the 'Edit' menu

Click 'New'

Enter a User name

Note: This does not create a WeSync User Account.

Every user has created their own WeSync User Account.
(Click here to create new Accounts without having to run the WeSync Installer.)

Important: Each person must have their own, separate WeSync Account.

You have created a Community (see the WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 6-7)

How to Set Up WeSync for Handheld Users

Use the WeSync applications on each person's handheld to 'Publish' their calendars & contact categories. Then, perform a 'HotSync + Sync to the WeSync Server' operation (WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 4)

Invite each person to join the Community (WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 7)

Tip:

You can accept the invitations for these people by using your email address when sending the invitation. Then, after clicking on the 'Join Community' URL link in the invitation emails you receive, login with that person's unique WeSync User Name and Password (WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 10 - #1 & 2b).

'Share' their now published calendars and contact categories with the Community and, as needed, 'Subscribe' each person to the others' resources when they are also shared (WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 7). Sync again to get these subscribed resources.

How to Set Up WeSync for Desktop Only Users

Use each person's WeSync Desktop Viewer application to 'Publish' their calendars & contact categories. Then, perform a 'Sync to the WeSync Server' (WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 18-19).

Invite each person to join the Community (WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 20)

Tip:

'Share' their now published calendars and contact categories with the Community and, as needed, 'Subscribe' each person to the others' resources when they are also shared. (WeSync Quick Start Guide, pg. 20). Sync again to get these subscribed resources.

3. I share a PC with other people, how do we use WeSync?

WeSync supports multiple user synchronization to the same desktop by recognizing each Palm Desktop Software™ user profiles, as follows; please also see the WeSync Quick Start Guide for more information.

Each WeSync user needs to first set up a unique WeSync Account.

Point your browser the Create a New Account link and complete the registration form

Install the WeSync software to each handheld
The WeSync Setup program will prompt you to install the WeSync handheld applications for each user with an existing Palm 'User Profile'. To add new users to the system after WeSync has been installed:

Place the new user's handheld in the cradle and perform a HotSync operation

Launch the Palm™ Install Tool:
Start > Programs > Palm Desktop > Install Tool

Choose the desired User Name from the pulldown list, then click 'Add'

Select & 'Open' the wsCalendars and/or wsContacts .prc files, then click 'Done'

Complete a HotSync® operation to install the WeSync apps on the handheld

HotSync again and 'Synchronize with the WeSync Server'.
When prompted, enter the WeSync User Name and Password for this user

4. Can I use WeSync if I don't have a handheld?

Absolutely!

In fact, there are a variety of settings where groups of people with & without handhelds are using WeSync™ to share and work with each other's calendars. The most common scenario is where a central administrator without a handheld views and edits the calendars of one or more handheld users. Some examples are executive teams, groups of professionals (consultants, doctors, lawyers, etc.) working out of multiple locations, and traveling system engineers, sales reps, and trainers.

To Use WeSync without a handheld, select the Desktop Only install option. You can then use the WeSync Desktop Viewer to share & synchronize calendars with other WeSync users through the web-based WeSync Server. See the WeSync Desktop Only Quick Start Guide for more information.

Notes:

The Palm Desktop Software™ needs to be installed before WeSync. The Palm Desktop Software is available free from Palm's Downloads page and - like WeSync - can be installed successfully without a handheld.

WeSync requires a handheld in order to synchronize with other calendar applications, such as Palm Desktop, Microsoft® Outlook, etc.

5. Can I synchronize to my WeSync Account from more than one computer?

You can install WeSync™ on your computer at work, at home, on the laptop you travel with, or even on a friend's or colleague's PC, allowing you to synchronize your shared resources to your handheld or WeSync Desktop any time you wish.

Note
If you already have WeSync on your handheld, we recommend that you select the WeSync Desktop Only option when you install WeSync on an additional computer. Though this option won't prompt you to install the handheld apps, the WeSync HotSync conduits will be installed, allowing you to sync your handheld to this system.

6. Can WeSync be used through a firewall or proxy server?

Synchronization with the WeSync™ Server will work with most firewall / proxy server configurations that allow standard HTTP communications over port 80. WeSync also recognizes 'authentication' requests that require you to enter a user name, password, & network domain in order to access the Internet.

However, there may be some set ups that WeSync does not yet accommodate. If your firewall / proxy server is set to allow HTTP over port 80 in both directions, and you're still having difficulties syncing with the WeSync Server, setting a Proxy Exception may help. If this doesn't resolve the problem, or you're going through a firewall, please email WeSync Support so we can investigate further.

This exception will only allow you to bypass your proxy server for communicating with the WeSync Server and does not open any additional ports on your firewall or proxy server. However, because setting the exception also means your interactions with the WeSync web site cannot be monitored, we recommend you check with your IS / IT staff to ensure it's OK to use the exception.

Note that we have found most IS / IT staffs will OK this proxy exception if you inform them ahead of time and explain that it's being used strictly during the sync process to exchange your personal calendar and contact information with other WeSync users.

Setting a Proxy Exception
This only applies to users accessing the Internet through a proxy server (or a firewall with proxy server capabilities).

Launch the 'Internet Options' application from your Windows Control Panel (Start > Settings > 'Control Panel')

Note that this application was named 'Internet' in earlier versions of Windows.

Click the 'Connections' tab at the top of the 'Internet Properties' dialog window

Click the 'LAN Settings' button at the bottom of the window

Note that the 'LAN Settings' are part of the 'Connections' dialog in earlier versions of Windows

Under the 'Proxy server' section, check the 'Use proxy server' box (if it's not already selected), then click the 'Advanced' button

Under 'Exceptions', enter "*wesync*" (without the quotes) in the 'Do not use proxy server for addresses beginning with' box

Click 'OK' to close each of the dialog windows

7. Why do I get a 'user name & password don't match any account' error when I sync?

This error indicates you either entered an invalid WeSync™ User Name & Password the first time you synced to the WeSync Server -OR- you access the Internet through a firewall / proxy server that is not allowing communications with the WeSync Server.

If you entered a valid User Name & Password and your firewall / proxy server is set to allow HTTP over port 80 in both directions, setting a Proxy Exception (see #4 above) may help if you're behind a proxy server. If this doesn't resolve the problem, or you're going through a firewall, please email WeSync Support so we can investigate further.

8. How do I share calendars & contact lists after I've installed and synced to the WeSync Server?

Follow these 5 simple steps to share your Calendar and Contact List resources with other WeSync users. Click any of the Step links below for more detailed instructions. We also recommend you check out the WeSync Quick Start Guide.

Resource Creator
Step 1:	Publish Your Resources Use the WeSync applications on your handheld and desktop to designate the resources you wish to upload to the WeSync Server.
Step 2:	Create A Community / Invite People to Join Log in to your personal WeSync Home page where you can set up private communities for each of the groups of people you wish to share resources with.
Step 3:	Share Your Published Resources Within each community, select the calendars and contacts from your list of published resources that you want to share with that group. Every subsequent sync you then do updates these resources so their subscribers will get the latest info when they sync.

Resource Subscriber
Step 1:	Join the Community Pointing your browser to the appropriate link - for Existing User or New User - in your WeSync Community Invitation email and logging in with your unique WeSync User Name & Password will take you directly to the community page.
Step 2:	Subscribe to the Shared Resources Within each community you belong to, check the Subscribe box for the resources you want and sync to download them to WeSync on your desktop and handheld. Now, every time you sync you'll get the latest updates.

9. I created a calendar for someone else, why don't I get this person's events after we've both synced?

To get others' calendars and contact lists, these people first need to publish, sync and then share their resources to a community you both belong to - just as you have to publish, sync and share your resources for them.

Once you've each completed this publishing & sharing, everyone simply goes to the community via their respective WeSync Home pages, subscribes to the desired resources, and syncs. Every subsequent sync you each do will update the shared resources so both the publishers and the subscribers will get the latest info they next time they sync.

10. Can we use WeSync to share resources locally on our PC without using the web?

No. The basic WeSync™ product & service is specifically designed so you can share resources with others any time you want to, from practically anywhere in the world, simply by synchronizing with the Internet-based WeSync Server.

11. How does WeSync work with desktop PIMs (Microsoft Outlook, etc.)?

WeSync™ is designed to co-exist with whatever desktop Personal Information Manager (PIM) - such as Microsoft® Outlook - that you currently use and sync with your handheld.

When you HotSync, the Palm and PIM synchronization utility conduits - such as PocketMirror™, - sync data as they normally do, updating the calendar & contact information between your handheld and your desktop PIM.

Then, reading the now current handheld Date Book and Address Book databases, WeSync's HotSync and Web Synchronization conduits run last, executing a sync between the WeSync applications on your handheld, the WeSync Desktop Viewer, and the WeSync Server. The result is that the schedules and contact lists you share with co-workers, colleagues, family, and friends get updated through the private communities you've set up and joined via the web-based WeSync service.

Important
Because the conduits that synchronize your handheld and desktop PIM run before the WeSync conduits do, any changes that are made externally to your personal calendar - either by you in the WeSync Desktop Viewer or by community subscribers - will get updated in your desktop PIM the next time you HotSync.

* What is a PIM?
PIM stands for Personal Information Manager, a general term used to refer to both handheld devices, such as Palm Organizers and PocketPCs - often also referred to as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) - and to applications on your desktop computer or, more recently, on the web. PIM devices and applications allow you to manage personal information such as your schedule / calendar, contacts / address book, to do lists, and memos / notes.

12. Is WeSync compatible with other handheld calendar & contacts applications (DateBk3, ActionNames, etc.)?

Since WeSync, like DateBk3™ and ActionNames™, uses the built-in handheld Date Book and Address Book databases, the entries & changes you make from within each application will appear and behave in the others as you would normally expect.

Please see the WeSync Release Notes for current information about using WeSync with other applications. And while testing for compatibility with 3rd party applications is always on-going, we welcome hearing about any issues you might encounter when using WeSync with these applications, so please don't hesitate to email your questions, comments and feedback to support@wesync.com.

13. How does WeSync Refresh for Wireless and Handheld Modems work?

Whenever you publish or subscribe to a new calendar via a standard 'cradle sync', you can then use WeSync's Wireless Refresh™ or Modem Refresh™ feature to sync event changes on any of your shared calendars directly with the web-based WeSync Server - all without being tied to your desktop. See the WeSync Refresh section (pg. 8) of the WeSync Release Notes for detailed usage instructions.

Currently supported WeSync Refresh devices are:

Palm VII™ Connected Organizer

PalmModem® and Palm V™ Modem®

Handspring™ Modem

OmniSky™ Minstrel™ V Wireless Modem

For detailed usage instructions, please see the WeSync Wireless Refresh section of the WeSync Release Notes (pg. 8).

14. How is my information kept private and secure?

WeSync.com™ keeps your personal information, and the resources you use WeSync™ to share with others, private & secure as follows:

WeSync.com Privacy Policy
WeSync.com takes honoring and protecting the privacy & security of both your personal Account information and the data you store on the web-based WeSync Server very seriously.

The short version is that we will never divulge or allow 3rd Party access to any of your personal information or data for any purpose without your express prior consent, unless we are, in good faith, required to by law.

Please see the WeSync.com Privacy Policy for the full details, and don't hesitate to email info@wesync.com if you have any questions or comments.

Your WeSync User Account
A private, username & password-protected WeSync User Account and associated My WeSync Home Page is automatically created when you register to get WeSync. Only you have access to the information in this account and to the resources that you publish to the WeSync Server for the purpose of sharing with others.

WeSync Communities
You control which groups of people have access to which shared resources through the communities you create through your WeSync User Account (My WeSync Home). As the community creator, you are the default Administrator. The Administrator determines who is invited to join of the community and therefore have access to the resources that you and the other community members share through this community. The Administrator can also assign Administrative rights to other members and remove members and resources they no longer wish to have in the community.

WeSync Calendars & Contact Lists

All WeSync™ users can designate the calendars & contact lists they wish to share with others as Read/Write or Read Only resources. Read Only Calendars can also be made Private, which causes all synced event descriptions to appear to subscribers as **PRIVATE**.

Individual events and contacts (Address Book entries) that you have marked as 'Private' do not get passed on when you sync. This means that subscribers to your personal calendar, or any other calendars you publish, will not see these 'Private' events or contact entries.