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Aleks

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#415 13-Aug-2003 07:10
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Ok, I'm debating between setting up a home network with either Bluetooth or Wifi. I have 2 PC's on 2 different floors (not a huge house so distance shouldn't be an issue with either) as well as my Ipaq h5455 w/ bluetooth and Wifi.

My main concern is speed. I have Cable internet access. My ISP promises me 3.1 Mbps of speed, which is like ~400KBPS. Where I'm not sure is that I've been finding conflicting information regarding the speed of bluetooth. I've seen some places that say 721kbps while others say 721KBPS... which is it? As if it is 721KBPS then it will definately work with my Cable Internet, however if its 721kbps then it's not worth it.

I would prefer to go with Bluetooth as its cheaper to set up, and I get way better battery life on my PDA when using Bluetooth over Wifi.

So could anyone help me, is it bit or byte?

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freitasm
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  #1040 13-Aug-2003 08:22
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It's 721kbps. But this is the maximum speed, not the actual result. Well, same with wi-fi - the actual is sometimes lower, but will be higher than this.

You might want to have a look on this BT300 Bluetooth Access Point if you want to use BT as a network. Of course you can do the same using dongles, but you'll need a PC always on.




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Aleks

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  #1055 14-Aug-2003 01:48
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well, I guess if its 721kbps, its not really worth it as I wouldn't be able to fully utilize my cable modem.

Thanks a lot for the quick answer though!

waclark
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  #1103 20-Aug-2003 07:43
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In general WiFi is going to be better for general web surfing or gaming on the Internet. On the other hand, Bluetooth should be more than adequate for your PDA. No it won't be as fast as WiFi but as you found it won't suck up the battery either. If you're building a network and making a choice between a WiFi access point and a BT access point then definitely go with WiFi. Even though the distances between the computers doesn't seem that far I think you'll find that WiFi is going to give you better performance when the PCs are on different floors. Bluetooth may not even work! You're PDA, by the way, it only rated for 10m for Bluetooth which basically means you need to be in the same room as the Wireless AP. For WiFi you can go a bit further.

Cheers
TC



Pootle
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  #1112 21-Aug-2003 19:36
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I did some measurements on using a bluetooth access point to a broadband connection (although not as broad as yours - only a standard 0.5mbps ADSL line)

For PC use bluetooth made only a slight difference to general web browsign / downloading generally less than 5% slower.

For PocletPC PDA use Bluetooth was much slower than using a USB actvesync connection - the PDA's I tried (iAPQ 3870 & LOOX 600) both seem to use the CPU to run the bluetooth stack; however given what you can do on a PDA sized screen, performance was quite OK for normal use. And the lower power consumption of Bluetooth is a big advantage on a PDA.

freitasm
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  #1113 21-Aug-2003 19:42
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I agree with your points Pootle. That's what I have at home too: cable modem, sharing through a Bluetooth access point to a H3970 and to my laptop.

I feel the performance on the laptop is much better, but I'd say it's more because it's a Pentium III.

In any case I think Bluetooth is very ok for the kind of browsing I do when away from my desk at home.




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sanka32
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  #1114 21-Aug-2003 23:16
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>> You're PDA, by the way, it only rated for 10m for Bluetooth

Does this mean that even if you are using a 100m Bluetooth dongle on your PC, the range will still be limited to 10m because of the PDA's Bluetooth component??
Or will the range increase to the (theoretical) 100m with the 100m dongle??


freitasm
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  #1116 22-Aug-2003 00:18
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Yes, the range will be limited to 10m. The maximum range will be the smaller one.




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Gsus
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  #1118 22-Aug-2003 07:02
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I have a few questions:
1-I don´t know....if the max distance is 10m even with an usb or an acces point (with a ppc).....why they make 100m bluetooth accesories if they wouldn´t work so far with 10m gadgets?

2-What´s the fastest internet conection with a h2215?
a)H2215 to pc (usng activesync)
b)H2215 to pc (without activesync)
c)H2215 to an acces point

Thanks

freitasm
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  #1121 22-Aug-2003 08:26
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Gsus, the LAN access using the ActiveSync connection over Bluetooth is the slowest one. ActiveSync keeps checking the status between devices, thus using bandwidth. People who changed from BT ActiveSync Lan Access to purely BT LAN Access reported improvements.

Now, between access through a Bluetooth LAN Access Point or a PC LAN Access Point... I have both, and the Bluetooth LAN Access Point (like this Bluetake BT300 is easy to setup, and can be used without having a server computer on.

I'll test the transfer speed later and report here.




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Gsus
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  #1125 22-Aug-2003 09:15
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HI
Thank You freitasm. But I have another question What´s the difference between "purely BT LAN Access"and "PC LAN Access Point"?....or is the same thing?

freitasm
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  #1127 22-Aug-2003 09:53
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If you start Activesync via Bluetooth the Pocket PC will have access to the internet. This is going to be slow as noted in the previous post, but works. It’ll use the same pass-through mechanism used while connected via USB.

The other (best) option is to use the LAN Access profile and connect directly to the PC via the sharing connection. This is the method we describe in our Bluetooth Guides.




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Gsus
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#1128 22-Aug-2003 14:29
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Thak You!!

Willie
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#1130 22-Aug-2003 19:12
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Hi,

I am new to Bluetooth and have found your discussions very informative and your articles on the subject most helpfull.

This is just to say thanks for your time and effort in sharing your experiance with us!

Willie

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