What are Bluetooth Drivers?

Image courtesy of Motorola.

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that has a very low power consumption. This technology uses radio signals for data transfer and communication, and is very effective covering short ranges. Bluetooth technology assists in connecting electronic devices, including digital cameras, audio equipments, mobile phones, laptops, and even printers without any of the aggravation of having to lay any cable network.

Devices which are Bluetooth enabled allow communication between any Bluetooth devices which are within a specific range, and this standard is ten meters, or approximately thirty three feet. Some of the most current devices which are Bluetooth enabled may allow a range of up to one hundred meters, which is around three hundred and thirty feet. Bluetooth drivers and technology have many uses, including the popular mobile phone wireless headsets, mouse, keyboards, printers, GPS receivers, wireless Internet, and remote controls.

Bluetooth Origins

Bluetooth technology was developed with the help of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which was created in 1998 by several big companies, including IBM, Intel, Nokia, Ericsson, and Toshiba. After the group was created it was joined by other powerful companies, including Microsoft, Lucent Technologies, 3Com, and Motorola, all within the first year. The device and technology was named after a Scandinavian king named Harald Bluetooth, who lived during the tenth century. King Bluetooth ruled over a kingdom that was prosperous, and he unified all of the tribes at war in Scandinavian Europe, which included Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. At the time before the unification the area was being torn apart by the wars. The developers of Bluetooth technology named it thus because it is one single standard that assists in uniting and connecting many different industries, including the mobile phone, automotive and computing markets.

How Bluetooth Works

Bluetooth devices transfer the data using radio signals that are low range, and uses frequencies between 2.402 GHz to 2.480 GHz to communicate. This range of frequencies is reserved by the industrial, scientific and medical devices, also known as the ISM. Bluetooth devices emit a signal that is roughly one miliwatt, and this is what limits the device range. Up to eight Bluetooth devices can be connected as long as all of them are within the range, usually around ten meters.

Bluetooth technology may open up innovative and wide ranges of use in connecting electronic devices, including mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, audio equipments, and printers, but this technology may also pose some very serious security threats. Devices which are Bluetooth enabled will create a network which allows all the connected devices to communicate directly, instead of having to use the method of going to a Wireless Access Point, or WAP. This can have an affect on the security control, which then can expose the device and information transferred to security risks, including hackers. To prevent any threats it is important that the security software is kept up-to-date.

Bluetooth technology caused a revolution in wireless technology, and it has also made the transfer of data both automatic and easy. Many name brand manufacturers offer Bluetooth drivers and products. These manufacturers include Philips, Logitech, Motorola Inc., Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Broadcom, Samsung, BlueAnt Wireless, Jabra, Plantronics, BLUETREK, LG Electronics, and GOERTEK ELECTRONICS.

How to Install a Bluetooth Device

To install a device that is Bluetooth enabled, simply connect it. The Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 system includes Bluetooth drivers for a number of devices. Even if a Windows XP system is not able to recognize the Bluetooth device, it can still be used by simply using the generic software support that is included in the Windows operating system. It is also possible to use the Bluetooth drivers supplied by the device manufacturer. Bluetooth drivers and devices can be added to th system with the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard.