PrintBluetooth is a highly secure wireless protocol that uses radio frequencies to connect Bluetooth-enabled computers and devices to each other. Bluetooth simplifies communications among the Bluetooth-enabled computers and devices by creating personal area networks (PANs). To create a Bluetooth PAN, you must have at least two devices that contain Bluetooth chips. This allows you to use Bluetooth to send a picture directly from your camera phone to your printer without cables and the need to upload the file to your computer before printing.
The operating range for a given device depends on the device class. One type of Bluetooth devices is primarily used with peripherals, such as a headset, mouse, or keyboard. The operating range is up to about 3 feet/1 meter. Another type is primarily used in computers and mobile devices, such as cell phones, PDAs, or MP3 players. The operating range is about 30 feet/10 meters.
Please see your manufacturer's documentation or web site for specific information about the operating range for your particular device.
Download the HP Bluetooth driver and use the device wizard in Windows 7
The HP Bluetooth driver and device wizard in Windows 7 can be used to automatically correct any potential problems that could occur if you were to set up Bluetooth connections manually. HP computers are not always compatible with all Bluetooth device drivers. Click
HP Bluetooth driver
to download the softpaq from the HP website and use the Add a Device wizard to automatically detect your bluetooth device.
To learn more about setting up your Bluetooth connections, see
HP Notebook PCs - Setting Up Bluetooth Connections with Windows 7
.
Identifying Bluetooth-enabled notebook computers
Bluetooth software is part of the Windows operating system; however, that does not mean that Bluetooth hardware is installed on a particular notebook. To determine if your notebook has Bluetooth hardware installed, refer to the product specifications for your particular notebook model.
Click Start
, enter hp wireless
in the search field, and then select HP Wireless Assistant
from the list. The HP Wireless Assistant opens. The Wireless devices that are installed on your computer display. If you have Bluetooth, you will see Bluetooth listed.
Purchasing Bluetooth-enabled devices
If you are considering purchasing a Bluetooth-enabled device to use with your Bluetooth-enabled notebook PC, you may want to know how you can be sure that the device that you purchase does, indeed, have Bluetooth. All you have to do is look for the Bluetooth 
symbol. If the symbol is there, then the device has Bluetooth.
symbol. If the symbol is there, then the device has Bluetooth.Bluetooth products have Bluetooth experience icons on the packaging to make it easy to determine which Bluetooth-enabled devices will operate with each other.
There are five different Bluetooth experience icons, which are listed below:
print
- The print icon means that you can print wirelessly from the device via Bluetooth. For example, you can send a file to a printer from a cell phone.
input
- The input icon means that you can wirelessly control and input data to a Bluetooth-enabled device. For example, you can connect a keyboard to your computer.
headset
- The headset icon means that you can talk on your phone while keeping your hands free. For example, you can participate in a conference call at work while keeping your hands free to take notes or type on the computer.
transfer
- The transfer icon means that you can wirelessly send and receive data, text, or pictures. For example, you can send a picture from your camera phone to your notebook computer.
music
- The music icon means that you can listen to music wirelessly. For example, you can listen to your mp3 player through your headset.For more information about available Bluetooth devices, go to
www.bluetooth.com
.
Setting up a Bluetooth Device
To set up Bluetooth devices, it is helpful to first understand the following terminology:
- discoverable mode - Allows a Bluetooth device to broadcast a signal so that it can be detected by other nearby Bluetooth devices.
- searching - The process by which one Bluetooth device attempts to locate another Bluetooth device that is broadcasting a signal in the discoverable mode.
- pairing - The process by which two Bluetooth-enabled devices use a passkey to establish a link between them for the first time.
- passkey - A passkey , sometimes called a passcode or pairing code, is a series of unique numbers that allow two Bluetooth-enabled devices to communicate with each other in a secure manner.
To set up a new Bluetooth-enabled device on your notebook computer, you must make the new device discoverable, search for the new device from your notebook, and then pair the notebook with the new device using a passkey. After pairing the Bluetooth device with the notebook computer, be sure that you go back and deselect discovery mode so that your notebook cannot be seen by nearby Bluetooth devices. You can now use your new Bluetooth device.
For more information about setting up Bluetooth, see:
Using Bluetooth
If Bluetooth is new to you, you may wonder why you would use it. The purpose of using Bluetooth is to make it easy to wirelessly communicate between two Bluetooth-enabled devices. The following list provides some examples of how you can use Bluetooth.
- wireless mouse and keyboards - Wirelessly connect a mouse and keyboard to your notebook computer.
- personal digital assistants (PDAs) - Transfer files between your notebook computer and your PDA.
- cell phones - Transfer files between your cell phone and your notebook computer.
- digital cameras - Transfer files from your digital camera to your notebook computer.
- printers - Print from your notebook computer to your Bluetooth-enabled printer.
- headsets - Listen to your favorite music without disturbing others or entangling yourself in wires.
- notebook computers - Share files between two notebook computers.
One common scenario for using Bluetooth is sending a picture from a Bluetooth-enabled camera phone to a Bluetooth-enabled computer. To send a picture from your camera phone to your computer using Bluetooth, you must first make the camera phone discoverable. After you have made the camera phone discoverable, use the computer to search for the phone. Once you have found the phone, pair the camera phone with the computer using your passkey. Now, the camera phone and the computer can communicate with each other and you can use the two devices together.
Not all Bluetooth interfaces are the same. There are different versions of the Bluetooth drivers with different interfaces. When using Bluetooth on HP notebook computers, be sure to download and use the HP Bluetooth drivers.
Fixing Bluetooth Problems
First, be sure that you have the correct drivers for your Bluetooth device installed on your computer. You can use the HP Wireless Assistant to enable Bluetooth devices that have been turned off. If you do not have the HP Wireless Assistant installed, you can reinstall it using the HP Recovery Manager. For more information, please see
HP Notebook PCs - Fixing Bluetooth Problems
.
All wireless protocols, including Bluetooth, that use radio frequencies to connect devices to each other are vulnerable to electromagnetic interference from other devices, such as cordless telephones and baby monitors.
Interference and signal degradation
can occur when:
- the two Bluetooth devices that you are trying to use together are too far apart. This typically occurs on devices that are in the 2 GHz range. For example, if attempts to send a picture to your printer from your camera phone fail, your camera phone is most likely too far away from the printer. Move the two devices closer together.
- you are using multiple Bluetooth services at once. For example, if attempts to use a Bluetooth headset to listen to music on your computer fail, you are most likely trying to use too many Bluetooth connections at once. Try using only one Bluetooth service at a time.
Fixing Bluetooth headsets
It is best not to use Bluetooth for any other function when using a Bluetooth headset because Bluetooth lacks sufficient bandwidth to support another device while listening to stereo-quality audio.
If it is important to perform another task that requires the use of another Bluetooth connection while using the Bluetooth headset (e.g., file transfer), disconnect the headset for a few minutes, perform the task, and then resume using the headset.
For information about fixing a specific Bluetooth device (phone, camera, printer, headset, mouse, keyboard), please refer to the information that came with the device or go to the manufacturer's web site.
For more information on troubleshooting and fixing Bluetooth problems see:
NOTE:One or more of the links above will take you outside the Hewlett-Packard Web site. HP does not control and is not responsible for information outside the HP Web site.
