Bluetooth discussion - Bluetooth comm between laptops in public

Author

Bluetooth comm between laptops in public

Lord Possum

2006-01-22, 5:48 pm

Is there such a thing? Am new to this Bluetooth concept and don't know
what all is available. Ideally, I want two laptops with Bluetooth USB
plug-ins able to recognize each other as, say ... a new drive letter,
or at least each "seeing" the same 'shared' folder. This would be
great for sharing files while in close proximity to one another; maybe
50 feet?

Adrian Hoe

2006-01-24, 5:48 am

I wouldn't use bluetooth for this purpose. The wireless LAN can be more
secured and faster in this case.
--
Adrian Hoe
http://adrianhoe.net/

Peter Wilkins

2006-03-10, 5:48 pm

Lord Possum wrote:
> Is there such a thing? Am new to this Bluetooth concept and don't know
> what all is available. Ideally, I want two laptops with Bluetooth USB
> plug-ins able to recognize each other as, say ... a new drive letter,
> or at least each "seeing" the same 'shared' folder. This would be
> great for sharing files while in close proximity to one another; maybe
> 50 feet?
>
I don't know, but I would like to do it too. I've asked the question
several times in other newsgroups, but have had no reply.

My laptop computer has in-built bluetooth which works OK with my MS
Bluetooth mouse.

My desktop computer has a bluetooth dongle which came with my MS
Bluetooth mouse, and works with it too.

So both my laptop and desktop have Bluetooth capability.
Wouldn't it be nice if I could interconnect them to transfer info
using Bluetooth? Unfortunately, neither computers bluetooths can see
the other: they just look for "devices" and don't see the other as a
"device".

Is there any way I can do this?

--
Regards,
Peter Wilkins

Henryk Plötz

2006-03-10, 11:48 pm

Moin,

Am Sat, 11 Mar 2006 07:15:19 +1100 schrieb Peter Wilkins:

> So both my laptop and desktop have Bluetooth capability.
> Wouldn't it be nice if I could interconnect them to transfer info
> using Bluetooth? Unfortunately, neither computers bluetooths can see=20
> the other: they just look for "devices" and don't see the other as a=20
> "device".

Sure. There is Bluetooth protocol called BNEP (Bluetooth Network
Encapsulation Protocol) which will can make it look as though both
computers were in the same LAN. You could then use any tools that you
would use if they were really connected to a physical LAN. (Which is
then called PAN for Personal Area Network.)

> Is there any way I can do this?

Whether you can do this and how you should do this depends entirely on
your software. For example with Linux this is easily set up, see the
howto at http://bluez.sourceforge.net/contrib/HOWTO-PAN

--=20
Henryk Pl=F6tz
Gr=FC=DFe aus Berlin
~~~~~~~ Un-CDs, nein danke! http://www.heise.de/ct/cd-register/ ~~~~~~~
~ Help Microsoft fight software piracy: Give Linux to a friend today! ~

Peter Wilkins

2006-03-11, 5:48 am

Henryk Plötz wrote:
> Moin,
>
> Am Sat, 11 Mar 2006 07:15:19 +1100 schrieb Peter Wilkins:
>
>
> Sure. There is Bluetooth protocol called BNEP (Bluetooth Network
> Encapsulation Protocol) which will can make it look as though both
> computers were in the same LAN. You could then use any tools that you
> would use if they were really connected to a physical LAN. (Which is
> then called PAN for Personal Area Network.)
>
>
> Whether you can do this and how you should do this depends entirely on
> your software. For example with Linux this is easily set up, see the
> howto at http://bluez.sourceforge.net/contrib/HOWTO-PAN
>
Thanks for that info.
Unfortunately I'm on WinXPPro. My son keeps telling me I should switch
to Linux, but I'm too old a dog to learn enough new tricks to make that
sort of a change.
I wonder if there is a way of doing it with Windoze?

--
Regards,
Peter Wilkins

qwerty

2006-03-11, 5:48 am

"Peter Wilkins" < wilkinsp_nospam@ozem
ail.com.au> wrote in message
news:4412550a$0$3265
7$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
> Henryk Plötz wrote:
> Thanks for that info.
> Unfortunately I'm on WinXPPro. My son keeps telling me I should switch to
> Linux, but I'm too old a dog to learn enough new tricks to make that sort
> of a change.
> I wonder if there is a way of doing it with Windoze?

Well a quick Google for "Bluetooth transfer data Windows XP" turned up this:

"Bluetooth File Transfer with Windows XP"

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wir...nxpunwired.html

"How to install and configure Bluetooth devices in Windows XP Service Pack
2"

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/883259#5

Peter Wilkins

2006-03-11, 5:48 am

qwerty wrote:
>
> Well a quick Google for "Bluetooth transfer data Windows XP" turned up this:
>
> "Bluetooth File Transfer with Windows XP"
>
> http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wir...nxpunwired.html
>
> "How to install and configure Bluetooth devices in Windows XP Service Pack
> 2"
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/883259#5
>
>
Thanks for that, but I'd been there and done that. Although both my
computers can see my Bluetooth mouse, I can't get them to see each
other. Back to the drawing board and try again, I guess: I must be
doing something wrong.

--
Regards,
Peter Wilkins

Henryk Plötz

2006-03-11, 11:48 pm

Moin,

Am Sat, 11 Mar 2006 18:41:17 +1100 schrieb Peter Wilkins:

> Thanks for that, but I'd been there and done that. Although both my=20
> computers can see my Bluetooth mouse, I can't get them to see each=20
> other. Back to the drawing board and try again, I guess: I must be=20
> doing something wrong.

Yes, the Microsoft Bluetooth stack is a bit peculiar in this case. If
you want to simply use the file transfer function (outside of MS-land
known as OBEX Push) you must first right click on the Bluetooth icon
(in the system tray, next to the clock) on the receiving computer and
select "Receive file" (or whatever it is in you language). Then you
should be able to use the "Send file" function of that icon on the
other computer.

Or like qwerty said, the more general solution that establishes a full
personal area network, as described on:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/883259#5
(Previously I wasn't aware that the Microsoft stack had that built in.)

I won't have access to a windows installation with the Microsoft stack
until monday, so I'm afraid I can't give more hints on the built-in PAN
support right now.

--=20
Henryk Pl=F6tz
Gr=FC=DFe aus Berlin
~~~~~~~ Un-CDs, nein danke! http://www.heise.de/ct/cd-register/ ~~~~~~~
~ Help Microsoft fight software piracy: Give Linux to a friend today! ~

Peter Wilkins

2006-03-12, 11:48 pm

Henryk Plötz wrote:
> Moin,
>
> Am Sat, 11 Mar 2006 18:41:17 +1100 schrieb Peter Wilkins:
>
>
> Yes, the Microsoft Bluetooth stack is a bit peculiar in this case. If
> you want to simply use the file transfer function (outside of MS-land
> known as OBEX Push) you must first right click on the Bluetooth icon
> (in the system tray, next to the clock) on the receiving computer and
> select "Receive file" (or whatever it is in you language). Then you
> should be able to use the "Send file" function of that icon on the
> other computer.
>
> Or like qwerty said, the more general solution that establishes a full
> personal area network, as described on:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/883259#5
> (Previously I wasn't aware that the Microsoft stack had that built in.)
>
> I won't have access to a windows installation with the Microsoft stack
> until monday, so I'm afraid I can't give more hints on the built-in PAN
> support right now.
>
Thanks for that Henryk, sounds like the right way to go.
I'm away from my desktop for a few days so can't try it out immediately,
but will do so when I get back home.

--
Regards,
Peter Wilkins

Peter Pan

2006-05-16, 5:48 pm

Peter Wilkins wrote:
> Henryk Plötz wrote:
> Thanks for that info.
> Unfortunately I'm on WinXPPro. My son keeps telling me I should
> switch to Linux, but I'm too old a dog to learn enough new tricks to
> make that sort of a change.
> I wonder if there is a way of doing it with Windoze?

Sure.. They make a thing called a Bluetooth Access Point (same name is used
for a WiFi access point).

I currently have a wireless network with a Linksys WRT54G Wap/Router, and
added an Anycom Bluetooth AP (plugs into the routers ethernet plugs) to give
me a combo of both WAP and Bluetooth.. Why? Notebooks are all built in WiFi,
but my PDA has Bluetooth. The WAN works fine (printers/shared files/intenet
access/etc) with the notebooks, and this seemed like an easy way to add BT
capabilty to the system for PDA without using one of those USB dongles and
leaving a laptop on.

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