Bluetooth Personal Area Networks

A personal area network, or PAN, is a collection of communication technology devices within the range of one person. When communication between these devices is wireless, the acronym becomes WPAN, or wireless personal area network. In reality, and for all practical purposes, most personal area networks are wireless. For our purposes, this article will consider personal area networks as being wireless.

As opposed to Local Area Networks and Wide Area Networks, the personal area network operates in a relatively short range, usually up to a maximum of thirty feet. The most common method of connection is through Bluetooth wireless technology. Bluetooth technology holds several key advantages over Wi-Fi in ease of use, as it is not necessary to configure each component and requires considerably less power to operate.

Unlike infrared networks, Bluetooth also doesn?t require objects to be in alignment in order to communicate. The huge practical advantage to the end user is the ability to transmit both voice and data between devices without the use of wires or USB cabling.

A Bluetooth enabled wireless personal network, also known as a piconet, can wirelessly connect a minimum of two and a maximum of eight devices. In a piconet, one device acts as the master device to connect with up to seven active devices. Data is communicated from the master device to another (slave) device. The role of master device rapidly switches to any device in the PAN which is in the process of data transfer.

A Bluetooth device has the ability to seek out and communicate with any compatible device within the immediate area.

Probably the earliest and most common example of a Bluetooth personal area network is the use of a wireless headset and cellular phone. Another popular use is that of the wireless mouse and keyboard. However, the potential for convenience and productivity of a wireless personal network extend well beyond early uses. Data can easily be synchronized and transmitted wirelessly between PDA, personal computer and cellular phone. Bluetooth wireless printers and fax machines are a great convenience to laptop users. Photos from digital cameras and cell phones can be downloaded. Wireless headphones paired with portable music devices make music enjoyment hassle free. The list goes on, and is limited only by the creativity of the user and limitations of the physical devices. As personal area network technology improves, one can expect the use and capability of wireless personal devices to expand well into the future.

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Bluetooth Headset Basics Revealed

What is a Bluetooth headset? You've certainly seen them, those things connected to people's ears that make them look like they just walked out of a Star Trek convention. At first glance, it almost looks like a giant bug has attached itself to the side of the person's face, causing a moment of alarm as one prepares either to help the poor victim or run for cover. Other times, people walk down the street, apparently talking to themselves in either calm or vigorous tones. It isn't until a quick turn of the head reveals a Bluetooth headset.

A Bluetooth headset is an odd name for what this little gizmo is and does. First of all, it's usually not blue, it doesn't have anything to do with teeth, and it isn't really a headset: it fits around the outside of your ear like sleek CD player headphone earpieces. With a Bluetooth headset, nothing gets draped around the neck or over the head.

A Bluetooth headset, in English, is a wireless device that connects one to mobile phones, PCs, laptops, digital cameras, printers and even video game consoles. It has global range capabilities and a short-range radio frequency. The distance a Bluetooth headset can pick up frequencies is determined by the power of the transceiver microchip inside, and most headsets can pick up anything as long as the other party or object is in range. The Bluetooth headset device also uses a radio communications system, and as long as the signal can be picked up, so can you. Be advised however, that in order to make a Bluetooth headset work, you need to meet certain specifications, and your Bluetooth headset must be compatible with that of the person or device with which you wish to communicate. Make sense?

One of the most positive aspects of Bluetooth headset capability is that it allows hands-free use. Especially with new laws on the books regarding people driving with cell phones, a Bluetooth headset offers a safe alternative, and yet allows necessary communication between parties or hardware. Believe it or not, a Bluetooth headset can also communicate with a PC mouse, printers and keyboards. A Bluetooth headset also allows users to transfer data from the headset to a destination such as a palm pilot as well. The younger groups will appreciate the fact that a Bluetooth headset can control gaming consoles such as Playstation 3, Nintendo, and new Wii technologies.

Bluetooth technology isn't limited to the Bluetooth headset. It's also found in just about any newer types of electronic and computer equipment being manufactured today. Even Wi-Fi uses the same frequency as a Bluetooth headset, while Bluetooth technology is more user friendly. First designed in 1994 by two Swedes, the original company now has thousands of companies worldwide. Major global companies such as Intel, Nokia, Sony and IBM have all taken advantage of boom in Bluetooth technology and developed products and services to support it. So, a Bluetooth headset is much more than a cute little mobile phone that fits over your ear. A Bluetooth headset is riding the crest of the wave into the future.

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Bluetooth Wireless Barcode Scanners

Bluetooth Wireless Barcode scanners are fast gathering popularity in the retail and service related industries. Many companies have adopted using Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners and found them to be an integrated part of their business operations

Wireless barcode scanners using Bluetooth technology provided wireless coverage and lower cost per barcode scanner compared with wireless 802.11b barcode scanners.

Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners are light and portable thus allowing the operator to move easily from place to place.

It also makes it easy to scan huge, bulky and immoveable items as the operator can scan easily without moving the large items.

They are two types of barcode scanners available. One used CCD based technology, the other is laser-based technology. CCD-based barcode scanners uses optical cameras to capture barcode images and then translate that to barcode information. One major disadvantage of CCD barcode scanners is that the scanning distance is shorter. CCD barcode scanners is used mostly in fixed or static barcode scanners where distance is not a problem.

Laser barcode scanners uses a laser to capture barcode information. As such, they have a longer scanning distance and also can scan curved surface. Most Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners are laser-based.

The price of Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners have rapidly dropped over the years and nowadays you can get a pretty good one for a few hundred dollars. Therefore it is a good investment to get these for your business.

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A Simple Guide to Wireless Networking

 

Most folks want that laptop for work, school, or college. Most laptops these days are Wi-Fi enabled. That means that they have the wireless hardware and software built into the computer. To the average consumer, wireless is a form of magic. You turn it on and it works, right? Not always. Understanding the basics to wireless will help avoid frustration and headaches.

First, before we get into the basics of wireless networking, I have a few opinions to express.

It seems that everybody wants to go wireless with their laptops and desktop PC?s. Wireless for laptops makes sense, since they get moved around between work and home and points in between. You can always connect using the Wi-Fi network at work or steal bandwidth from someone else. There are hotspots all over. There are ethical questions involved with ?borrowing? your neighbor?s signal. Let your conscience be your guide.

Wireless for desktops is an open subject. Since most of us usually set our desktops up on our home or office workstations, they tend not to move around. The only benefit of having a wireless desktop is that you don?t have the expense and trouble of running Ethernet cable around your house. If you are not a DYI?er, an Ethernet cable installation is an extra outlay. If you?re lucky, your present PC is only a few feet away from your Broadband Modem. I personally prefer to have all my stationary PC?s hooked up with Cat 5 Ethernet cables. That way I don?t load up the wireless bandwidth on the router. We?ll talk more on bandwidth later.

There are hardware requirements to wireless networking. These are the things you need to communicate.

At home you need:

• (1) a Broadband internet connection (Cable or DSL modem),
• (2) a router to broadcast the wireless signal,
• (3) a wireless enabled computer.

You cannot set up a wireless network using a Dial-Up connection. Period.

I recommend that you power off your Broadband Modem and any existing computer systems before you begin the installation of the wireless router. The computing equipment will start to negotiate with your router automatically on start up. This will get you on the network without confusion.

The router and existing PC?s should not need any further configuration. The default or current settings should work. Your PC should already be set to DHCP in your Network Connections TCP/IP properties window. If it weren?t you would not have been able to connect to your ISP. This is a default setting of your PC.

The Broadband internet connection gear should already be present. That?s the Cable or DSL Modem that your Internet Service Provider installed when you got their service. It?s connected to the Cable or DSL filter connection coming from your wall. The Modem has two connectors as a rule. One for the Cable or DSL data into the Modem, and one RJ45 connector you probably have connected to the computer you have in service now.

You?ll need to unplug the Ethernet cable between the computer and the Modem. Reconnect that cable to your wireless router. It goes into a RJ45 connector usually labeled ?WAN? for Wide Area Network. The only other connection you will need to make is to connect another Ethernet cable between from one of the wired ports on the back of the router to your PC. There are usually 4 of them. Any one will do to reconnect your existing PC so it?s on the network. The existing PC will get it?s internet connection through this port. Your router?s default settings should allow you to start connecting to your Wi-Fi enabled computers.

If all the cables are correctly placed, you should now be able to get on the Internet from you existing computers and your wireless computers.

Some quick notes of interest:

• (A) Your Wi-Fi router is transmitting and receiving in the 2.4MHZ range. So are your Wi-Fi enabled computers. This is the same frequency range of a number of cordless telephones. You may have interference on your cordless phones once the Wi-Fi network is installed. If this occurs you?ll need to get 5.8 MHZ phones or put up with the noise.
• (B) One of the most common questions I get is ?I bought a wireless laptop and I can?t get on the internet. Why not?? If your wireless router is installed properly, then your wireless laptop may need configuration. Go to your Network Places or Network Neighborhood for a wizard to help you set up your computer for wireless.
• (C) Bandwidth is the volume of traffic you can sustain through your network. The more devices using the Wi-Fi network, the slower the network uploads/downloads will be.

Remember, your wireless network works a lot like your cordless phone system. You need a transmitter/receiver at each end. Think of the router as the base station and the wireless PC as the handset. You can?t talk on your cordless phone if the base station is unplugged. So without a wireless router in service, you can?t communicate with the Internet. Hotspots are just spillover signal from someone?s wireless router.

Randolph M. Wells
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator
IT Training and Certification Consultant
IT Project Management Specialist