Bluetooth USB dongle for laptop

NiftyDigits

Shanker wrote: »

Have you got a link you can give me for one like yours on eBay?

I bought one which was white with blue writing on it which was purportedly V 4.0. It doesn'the work. I had to get my money back.

Trouble is there's so many and they all come from China. Even the ones dispatched in the UK are sold by Chinese. It's hard to pick one that will work for sure.

Didn't work for what? I've yet to find one that didn't work. The problem more likely the lack of a decent Bluetooth Stack.
So if you are running Windows 7 and expected support for V 4.0 from their stack, you'll have been disappointed.
If you want to get the best from your choice of USB module, use the Toshiba Bluetooth Stack.

Strider590

I have spent far too much time and money trying to get Bluetooth working on Windows PCs/Laptops. Save yourself a world of pain, give up now.

NiftyDigits

Strider590 wrote: »

I have spent far too much time and money trying to get Bluetooth working on Windows PCs/Laptops. Save yourself a world of pain, give up now.

Utterly useless 'advice'. Your issue will almost surely be the Bluetooth Stack.

If you have a specific query, post the details here and we'll solve it.

Shanker

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Didn't work for what? I've yet to find one that didn't work. The problem more likely the lack of a decent Bluetooth Stack.
So if you are running Windows 7 and expected support for V 4.0 from their stack, you'll have been disappointed.
If you want to get the best from your choice of USB module, use the Toshiba Bluetooth Stack.

I'm afraid you have left me standing. My knowledge, at the moment is limited to "plug it in and hope it works". That's not to say I'm not interested - exactly the opposite in fact, I want to learn.

So can you break down your explanation and also explain your terminology. For example, what'should a stack?

I took my laptop and dongle to a mate who is totally IT literate in the end and he got it working in the end but not without great difficulty. The device certainly cannot be termed as plug and play! I have to right-click here and there and switch off and on before anything happens.

Not simple!

NiftyDigits

Shanker wrote: »

I'm afraid you have left me standing. My knowledge, at the moment is limited to "plug it in and hope it works". That's not to say I'm not interested - exactly the opposite in fact, I want to learn.

So can you break down your explanation and also explain your terminology. For example, what'should a stack?

I took my laptop and dongle to a mate who is totally IT literate in the end and he got it working in the end but not without great difficulty. The device certainly cannot be termed as plug and play! I have to right-click here and there and switch off and on before anything happens.

Not simple!

A Bluetooth Stack is simply described as the software that gets everything working.
Windows operating systems have a simple stack built in, but if you want to get more sophisticated function, you may need individual Drivers or simply a better Bluetooth Stack, such as Toshiba's offering. That supports most of the protocols available.
In the past, most Bluetooth USB modules came with a mini CD containing a limited BlueSoleil software stack.

On the other hand, you may have the best Stack, but a limited Bluetooth USB module, say Version 1.1 or maybe even 2.0. So then you may not be able to get the performance and function necessary for your intended usage..
So then perhaps time for a £4 V4.0 Dual Mode Bluetooth USB module.

Here is the Toshiba Bluetooth Stack It is entirely possible that for you it may work only as a Trial version.

To fix that, you'll need to go into the Registry in order to create a new DWORD value: Name it TestVersion and set it's value to one.


forum image hosting

Otherwise you can run my .reg file here
with instructions

This of course after you have installed the Stack with your Bluetooth module inserted and everything is working.

paddyrg

Technology marches on - the older stuff tends to get sold off cheap in places like pound shops (I weep when I think what I paid for my first Bluetooth dongle, and how big it was and hot it ran!).

In short, the software driver or hardware or both may mean you can't get the same level of performance you'd get where everything is current. Also, 'Bluetooth' is a suite of protocol profiles, not all devices support all profiles - for instance a car stereo may not support joystick profiles, headphones may not act as selfie sticks. There are many such profiles, some long abandoned, and it can be a techie job to know what supports what as it may not be obvious on the packaging.

Just a little background to reassure anyone struggling that it might not be them!