Anybody with experience on Bluetooth hardware? (News about range boost!)

[WoundedWallet]

What are the leading companies?

How well is it working right now?

What do you recommend for a 100' network?

Thanks,
WW

 

[WoundedWallet]

thump!

 

[Eug]

Bluetooth only has a range of a few metres. It's meant for stuff like syncing laptops or transmitting info to your cell phone etx.

 

[WoundedWallet]

Darn... someone had told me to look into it to connect my "hood". And he is supposed to be a radio frequency expert....

Oh well, thanks Eug for straighten me up.

 

[Eug]

He's probably thinking about 802.11b wireless LAN hardware. It can easily handle the bandwidth of a cable modem. It has a range up to about 50-100 metres. Dell is already selling hardware for that, but I think I might go for an Apple iBook with Airport instead. The stuff is made by companies like Aeronet and Lucent.

I had avoided buying this stuff until recently because 1) I was broke and 2) The PC stuff was priced for corporations not home users. That's now changed.

If this if for your house, you can also go for HomePNA 2.0. It's about the same same speed as wireless LAN, and runs over your phone lines.

 

[WoundedWallet]

Phone lines won't work for me. But I'm looking into the wirelss LANs.

The prices have come down as you say. Now I just wonder how well they work and whether there is a standard to follow.

 

[striker99]

Here's a good article on Bluetooth : http://www.8wire.com/article_render/?aid=1412. personally I don't think the technology is there yet. An article on 802.11b http://www.8wire.com/article_render/?aid=1418. in terms of vendors, they're all coming down in prices. Lucent has a good solution.

 

[WoundedWallet]

Thanks striker99 for the article. It's a good place to start learning about Bluetooth. But the article on 802.11b is the icing on the cake.

I think that for the foreseeable(?) future bluetooth won't provide the bandwidth for a network, so 802.11b is where I want to focus right now.

Just for the record tough:
"The maximum range(of Bluetooth) is 10 meters, but it can be extended to 100 meters by increasing the power."

So maybe someday we will have a purpletooth or something like that

 

[R0b0tN1k]

Bluetooth was never meant for networking PC's. It's being called Personal Area Networking for wireless connectivity between devices such as phones, PDA's, etc. I wouldn't want to use it for anything else, really.

 

[WoundedWallet]

It appears that BlueTooth will indeed be the standard for local wireless anything. I just read about an improvement on BlueTooth's reach to near 150 feet and using less power than 802.11, here at the Register.

So if I start planning right now, maybe by this time next year the whole thing will be feasible AND G.Lite will be operative in my area.

8 people could easily share a 8Mbps line for $20 each. I could even star a business installing Neighborhood Wireless Networks

Boy, I love to dream.

 

[WoundedWallet]

hmpff!! I am not the first one to think of that...

This saticle is about free wireless internet for everyone.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41042-2000Dec7.html

I'm alaways coming up with ideas that someone already had....

Someday!

PS.
OPS! wrong thread! I bet you guys have no idea of what I'm talking about, hehe.

Well if anybody cares here is the thread I thought I was in. http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=27&threadid=287598 I need t go sleep.

 

[Eug]

As far as I'm concerned, waiting for Bluetooth is a waste of time.

802.11b wireless is ALREADY a standard, apparently works well, has a better range, and is already being used by several companies and home users. The fact that 802.11b has already got its foot in the door and works means a big blow for Bluetooth as it stands now, since in any of these places introducing Bluetooth would mean both wouldn't work properly. They use the same 2.4 GHz frequency.

Personally, I'm buying a 802.11b setup this winter.

As for setting up a wireless network for your neighbours. That is gonna be more of hassle than it's worth IMHO, unless you're in a residence or something and you're all within 30 feet of each other.

 

[WoundedWallet]

You may be right about having a standard already here and working.

But I'm waiting for a real fast line(8Mbps) as well, so it makes sense to keep my eye on both fronts.

About my neighborhood, I'm in some sort of an island with neighbors all around, with the furthest being less than 100 feet. I think I got a chance.

 

[R0b0tN1k]

Let me say this again...Bluetooth is not meant for PC networking. It's all so hype-driven right now...don't expect what they say.

 

[WoundedWallet]

Fine, fine.... I don't want to get you upset!

Besides with the Linksys coming out a $200 for the antenna, I have this feeling that I may end up sharing my existing line as it is, and not wait for anything else.

 

[cavingjan]

I hope the isolation of signals is goign to be sufficient. I remember when I first got X10 I loved it until my lights would go on and off at random times. Turns out a neighbor also had X10 and he was the one turning my lights on and off. Haven't had a problem since I moved into the house but I suspect that every once in a while my neighbor accidently trips it with a remote from his house. I'd hate to see a PDA try to sync itself with the wrong computer (in a dorm would be the biggest problem area)

 

[Eug]

<< But I'm waiting for a real fast line(8Mbps) as well, so it makes sense to keep my eye on both fronts.

Besides with the Linksys coming out a $200 for the antenna, I have this feeling that I may end up sharing my existing line as it is, and not wait for anything else. >>

I dunno what you're worried about. Max speed (theoretical) for 802.11b LAN is already 11 Mbps and the hardware is already in stores.

As for it working... Never tried it on a PC, but on a Mac it worked fine 50 feet away. Didn't try it any further. The Mac stuff is made by Lucent by the way. They all follow the 802.11b standard. Lucent stuff should work with 3com which should work with Linksys. In fact, somebody on another forum bought an Apple Airport to use with his PCs, simply because at the time the Airport was cheaper. (You just need a Mac to configure it, since the software is Mac based.)

Ie. There's nothing to wait for, for your needs. You could buy the stuff today.

Now, I still don't necessarily think your idea is gonna work perfectly. If you have a neighbour 100 feet away through several walls, my guess is his/her bandwidth is really going to suffer, if s/he has any connection at all.

{Edit}

Oh yeah, just hope too that none of your neighbours use 2.4 GHz cordless phones. In fact, microwave ovens (when running) are even supposed to wreak havoc with the signal.