What is Bluetooth?

What is Bluetooth ?

Bluetooth is a radio frequency based cable replacement technology. It is designed to be an inexpensive wireless personal networking system for all classes of portable devices such as laptops, PDA`s (Personal digital assistants), mobile phones and headsets. Bluetooth can also replace cabling in a more static environment i.e. between desktop computers and printers. A device has to be Bluetooth enabled (i.e. contain a Bluetooth chip) to be able to use a Bluetooth connection.


Where Did Bluetooth Come From?


Bluetooth was first developed in Sweden, by Ericsson in 1994. The name comes from King Harald "bluetooth" Blatand who ruled part of Scandinavia in 960AD. He helped unite his part of the world, as the developers and promoters of Bluetooth hope Bluetooth technology will unite the mobile world.


What is the Range of Bluetooth?


Bluetooth devices can be in 3 different power classes:

Class 3 : The lowest power, the max. range of this is 10m (30 feet)
Class 2 : Max range is about 50m (150ft)
Class 1 : Max range is about 100m (300ft)


These ranges can be affected by environmental conditions i.e. furniture, walls, people so ranges can easily be reduced. Bluetooth is not a line of sight connection so it can be used through walls and floors.


What is the Speed of Bluetooth?


Bluetooth is faster than an ISDN connection but slower than a IR (infra red) connection used on a laptop - a normal Bluetooth connection is about the same speed as a home broadband connection.


How Secure is Blutooth?


It is a common misconception that all Bluetooth devices can connect to any other device and browse the information on it. This cannot be done without the user setting the device to do so. Bluetooth security has various levels of authentication including pin code entry and up to 128-bit encryption.


Why Won't My ABC Connect to My XYZ?


Bluetooth consists of a number of different profiles, which allow different devices to communicate and exchange files, audio etc. Each device needs to have a specific profile to allow communication with another device with that profile e.g. a mobile phone needs the headset profile to be able to use a Bluetooth headset.