6.6 Bluetooth LAN

Like Wi-Fi access points, Bluetooth access points are increasingly popular. Using a Bluetooth access point is similar to using a Wi-Fi access point connect the access point to a wired network and you can wirelessly connect your Bluetooth devices to the Internet.

6.6.1 Using a Bluetooth Access Point

In following steps, I illustrate the use of a Bluetooth access point by using the Bluetake BT300 Bluetooth Access Point (AP).

6.6.1.1 Connecting to the Bluetooth access point

To connect to the access point, follow these steps:

1. First, connect your Bluetooth access point to your router/hub (you can also connect it directly to your ADSL/DSL/cable modem). Power up your Bluetooth access point, go to My Bluetooth Places, and search for the Bluetooth access point.

2. When the access point is found, right-click on the icon and select Discover Available Services, as shown in Figure 6-54.

   Figure 6-54. Discovering the services that the Bluetooth access point provides

   

3. The Bluetooth access point supports the LAN access using PPP service. Right-click on the LAN Access icon and select Connect to Network Access Point, as shown in Figure 6-55.

Figure 6-55. Connecting to the Bluetooth access point

By default, the Bluetooth access point has a static IP address of 1.1.1.1. You can configure it to obtain its address from a DHCP server. I discuss this in more detail in Section 6.6.1.2.

4. You should then see a dialog prompting you to enter your username and password. Simply leave these boxes empty and click on Connect, as shown in Figure 6-56.

Figure 6-56. Click on Connect to log on to the Bluetooth access point

You should now be able to connect to the Internet.

6.6.1.2 Configuring the Bluetooth access point

By default, the connection to the Bluetooth access point is set at 115200 bps. You should set it to the maximum of 921600 bps. To do so, right-click on My Network Places and select Properties. Then, right-click on BluetoothNullConnection and select Properties. Under the General tab, click on the Configure... button. This is shown in Figure 6-57.

Figure 6-57. Changing the maximum transfer speed of the Bluetooth access point

One problem that you need to look out for is when you connect the Bluetooth access point to a router. You need to assign an IP address to the access point before you can connect to it using the Internet. To do so, once you are connected to the access point, use a web browser and configure the access point (see Figure 6-58) using the URL http://1.1.1.1:5000. The default username and password for the Bluetake access point are BT and access_point, respectively. Check the documentation that comes with your Bluetooth access point.

Figure 6-58. Configuring the Bluetake access point

Click on the Configuration link to configure the access point.

For those using an ADSL/DSL modem, choose the PPPoE option (see Figure 6-59). For cable modem users, choose DHCP. (If you are not sure whether your Internet connection uses DHCP or PPPoE, contact your ISP.) There are also three security options available levels 1 to 3. For security level 3, you need to supply a PIN code. You can also optionally enable data encryption. But doing so will effectively reduce the data transfer rate.

Figure 6-59. Configuring the network type and security for the access point

If you use security level 3, you will be prompted to enter the PIN code when your computer connects to the access point (shown in Figure 6-60).

Figure 6-60. Prompt from the access point when security level 3 is selected

Click on the prompt and enter the PIN code, as shown in Figure 6-61.

Figure 6-61. Entering a PIN code to connect to the Bluetooth access point

You can now test your connection by using a web browser and see whether it can connect to a web site.

Testing the Connection

I tested the connection using my two USB Bluetooth adapters a Class 1 Bluetake USB adapter and a Class 3 Billionton USB adapter. Performance was comparable between the two except that the Class 1 Bluetake Bluetooth adapter is able to operate at a longer distance. I was able to surf the Web comfortably without any noticeable difference. One thing I gathered is that Bluetooth works best if there is a lot of free space for the radio waves to reach you. I tried locating the AP in a closed room (with concrete walls) and accessing the network two rooms away, and the signal dropped to a rather weak level. I did, however, maintain the connection, although it was slow. With Bluetooth, you can connect up to seven devices to the AP, a number that should be sufficient for most home use. Using Bluetooth for LAN communications is useful for small devices (such as Palm and Pocket PC) because Bluetooth generally uses less power than 802.11b.