The Bluetooth technical specification is described by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.1 standard. Bluetooth devices are capable of handling voice, music, videos, and data.
Figure 1 shows common Bluetooth characteristics.
The distance of a Bluetooth PAN is limited by the amount of power used by the devices in the PAN. Bluetooth devices are broken into three classifications, as shown in Figure 2. The most common Bluetooth network is Class 2, which has a range of approximately 33 ft (10 m).
Four specifications of Bluetooth technology, as shown in Figure 3, define the standards for data transfer rates. Each subsequent version offers enhanced capabilities. For instance, Version 1 is older technology with limited capabilities, and Version 4 features more advanced capabilities.
Security measures are included in the Bluetooth standard. The first time that a Bluetooth device connects, the device is authenticated using a PIN. Bluetooth supports both 128-bit encryption and PIN authentication.
Bluetooth Installation and Configuration
Windows activates connections to Bluetooth devices by default. If the connection is not active, look for a switch on the front face or on the side of the laptop to enable the connection. If a laptop does not feature Bluetooth technology, you can purchase USB Bluetooth adapters that plug in to a USB port.
Before installing and configuring a device, make sure that Bluetooth is enabled in the BIOS.
Turn on the device and make it discoverable to Windows. Check the device documentation to learn how to make the device discoverable. Use the Bluetooth Wizard to search and discover Bluetooth devices that are in Discoverable mode.
To discover a Bluetooth device in Windows 7, follow these steps:
Step 1. Click Start > Control Panel > Devices and Printers > Add a device.
Step 2. Select the discovered device and click Next.
Step 3. Enter the pairing code provided by Windows 7 into the Bluetooth device.
Step 4. When the device has been successfully added, click Close.
In Windows Vista, follow these steps:
Step 1. Click Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Set up a Bluetooth enabled device > Device > Add.
Step 2. If prompted, click Continue. The Add Bluetooth Device Wizard starts.
Step 3. Click My device is set up and ready to be found > Next.
Step 4. Select the discovered device and click Next.
Step 5. If prompted, enter a passkey and click Finish.
In Windows XP, follow these steps:
Step 1. Click Start > Control Panel > Bluetooth Devices > Device > Add.
Step 2. The Add Bluetooth Device Wizard starts.
Step 3. Click My device is set up and ready to be found > Next.
Step 4. Select the discovered device and click Next.
Step 5. If prompted, enter a passkey and click Next.
Step 6. Click Finish.