Bluetooth is a useful and free wireless technology for connecting devices together.Bluetooth allows you to connect devices without using wires or cables
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows devices such as mobile phones, keyboards, mice, headsets and speakers to interact with each other over short distances without cables.
In this article we will explain how to find out if your PC has Bluetooth, how to enable it and how to use it to connect to another device. We will also show how to install and set up a Bluetooth adapter on an older PC.
What is Bluetooth?In essence, Bluetooth is a wireless technology that connects electronic devices together using radio waves instead of cables. This might sound like Wifi but it is different. Bluetooth is good at connecting devices that have no need to be part of a particular network - such as a wireless mouse or headset for a mobile phone.
Bluetooth is suited to short-range communication (ie, just over a few feet). It is quicker and easier to set up than Wifi, which makes it ideal for hooking up just two devices together, and it also draws less power - prolonging the life of battery-powered gadgets such as mice and smartphones.
To find out if your PC has Bluetooth, in Windows 7 and Vista click the Start button, type device manager into the empty box and press Enter. XP users should click Start followed by Run, then type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
When Device Manager launches, look for an item called Bluetooth Radios in the list of devices - if it's there, your PC should be equipped for Bluetooth communications. If it's not, and you would like to add Bluetooth functionality, adapters are cheap to buy - one that slots into a USB port will cost less than 10.
Bluetooth remains a widespread and useful technology. If your PC doesn't have built-in Bluetooth, adapters are cheap to buy and easy to fit. So, if you own a Bluetooth smartphone you fancy pairing with your PC to exchange files, for example - give it a go.
Installing a Bluetooth adapters
Windows 7 and Vista should recognise a Bluetooth adapter when one is plugged in, installing the driver software automatically. Windows 7 places the settings in Control Panel under Hardware and Sound, inside Devices and Printers.
Bluetooth adapters installed on Windows Vista are also found in the Control Panel, under Hardware and Sound and inside Bluetooth Devices.
Windows XP usually requires the disc that's included with adapter, like this Mini from Belkin. Pop the disc in the drive and then follow the instructions to set it up.
Pairing Bluetooth devicesWhen two Bluetooth devices are connected they are 'paired'. You can pair many devices for different reasons. Some mobile phones, for example, can be paired with a PC to share photos and other content.
Refer to the manual that came with your phone to find out how to enable Bluetooth (most leave it off by default to save battery life). Also check to see if there is a 'visibility' option and ensure it's set to 'on'.
Back at the PC, if you are using XP, click Start, choose Control Panel and double-click the Bluetooth icon. If this is the first time Bluetooth has been used, the configuration setup wizard will start - follow it and accept all the defaults. At the end, click Skip and then Finish.
XP creates a shortcut on the Windows Desktop called My Bluetooth Places. Double-click to open it and choose Add a Bluetooth Device from the Task List on the left. When the wizard appears, click Next and when the phone is found, click on its icon and click Next again.
When the phone asks to add the PC to your devices, click Yes and tap in the passcode displayed on the PC's screen. The phone and PC will be paired.
Windows 7 users should click Start followed by Control Panel, then Hardware and Sound and finally Add a Bluetooth Device. After a moment, Windows should find the phone - click its icon to select it and click Next.
If you are using Vista, click Start followed by Control Panel, choose Hardware and Sound followed by Add a Wireless Device: the device should appear in a new window. Click its icon to select it and click Next.
Windows 7 and Vista will then either display a passcode that must be typed into the phone or ask you to choose a pairing option; if it's the latter, choose 'Create a pairing code for me'.
Windows will display a numeric code and at the same time the phone will ask if the PC should be added to its list of devices - choose Yes. Type the code into the phone. After a moment the devices will be 'paired' so they can talk to each other.
Click Close and go back to Control Panel, open the Hardware and Sound heading and choose Devices and Printers (Windows 7) or Bluetooth Devices (Vista) and the phone will be listed there.
Bluetooth servicesSitting on top of the basic Bluetooth wireless-communications specification are a set of 'services' that vary from device to device - a keyboard doesn't need the same services as a headset, for example.
To find out which services your Bluetooth device uses, roll the mouse pointer over the Notification Area at the bottom right of the Taskbar and find the Bluetooth icon. If you can't see it, click the Show hidden icons arrow to reveal it.
Double-click the icon and in Windows 7 and Vista the device will appear in a new window - right-click it and choose Properties. When the dialogue box opens, click the Services tab to see what the device can do.
In XP double-click the icon in the Notification Area and when the window opens, click 'View my Bluetooth services' in the task list on the left.
Some services let you transfer photos and videos to the PC, while others swap contact information - for example, our phone can be used as a remote control for iTunes.
Tags:Bluetooth adapters , usb bluetooth adapters
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