SolveYourProblem Article Series: Bluetooth
Understanding Bluetooth Wireless Communication

5 Common Bluetooth Problems

The more technology advances, the more new problems crop up. It’s inevitable – you can’t make progress without making mistakes. Just ask any scientist. However, these problems can usually be solved very quickly, and the five most common problems associated with Bluetooth are no exception. Now, there are some problems with every wireless network – connectivity issues, security issues – but Bluetooth has managed to find a way around those for the most part. However, there are some specific problems that may rise up, so you need to be prepared.

The first problem you’re likely to encounter is profiles that don’t match. If you want two devices to work together – say a laptop and a fax machine – they need to have the same profile. This is actually a lot simpler than it sounds, and for the most part, profiles will match if the two devices are related to each other. Here are some examples: If you wanted to connect a mobile phone to a headset, you would need to have the same profile in both devices, in this case the Hands-Free Profile. If there’s something on your mobile phone that you need to print off, both the phone and the printer will need the Basic Printing Profile. It’s pretty simple when you get right down to it, and very rarely do you find equipment that is related that doesn’t have a matching profile.

The next common problem is what’s known as pairing. Pairing is only a problem because of the security Bluetooth puts into their technology. How does it work? Well, for devices to connect to each other so they can work together, they need to be paired. What pairing (or bonding) means is that the two devices are exchanging their passwords. Once paired, all of the data that is sent between the two devices in encrypted (meaning that any device that is not paired with the other two is unable to translate the data). However, there are some times when pairing is not necessary, such as exchanging business cards. Fortunately, there is a setting on most devices to lower the security for those lower grade transfers.

Staying with pairing, there are three common problems. The first one will give you the message that devices cannot be found. Usually, when a device can’t be found it’s because the device you are trying to connect to is either off, or is not in “discoverable mode”. To solve this problem, you simply need to turn the device you’re trying to connect to on, or switch it into discoverable mode. If you’re scared that someone will hack into your device, you can always turn it back to non-discoverable mode after you’re finished. However, Bluetooth technology is pretty solid in the security department, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much.

Another common message that you might see is the “pairing unsuccessful” message. This means that when the two devices attempted to pair, it failed. The most common reason for this is that someone is using the wrong password or PIN. If you are absolutely sure that you’re using the proper PIN and password, then you should try to first power down the devices and then power them up. That usually solves the problem.

The last common problem you will have is when the devices pair successfully, but still don’t work together. The main reason you will see this happen is that the devices don’t share the same profile. Unfortunately, both of the devices that are trying to connect have the right profile, or they will be unable to connect to each other. The easiest way to figure out if they do both have the profile is to look in the manual that came with the device, as it depends on the manufacturer. Sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right commands to connect, and the only way to figure that out is to look in the manufacturer’s manual, as this will vary from device to device.

As Bluetooth technology continues to advance, more bugs are sure to pop up. However, the most common ones are under control, and are very easy to deal with. If you need to trouble shoot your device, just figure out what’s going wrong – whether it deals with the profiles, the pairing, or the security, and work from there. If all else fails, you can always find support online.

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