[Gllug] Bluetooth

[Chris Jones]

Hi

Russell Howe wrote:
> Unfortunately, laptop manufacturers tend to leave this in place even
> when a particular model doesn't have bluetooth.

IBM tend to be fairly good about that sort of thing - their thinkpad
range is very flexible and there is a huge range of configuration available.

> I'm not sure who bluetooth's implemented on laptops - it might be as a

In the case of thinkpads like the T series, it's a daughter card that's
user servicable. On the T series it's under the keyboard, on my X series
it's under the same panel on the bottom which houses the wireless pci
card and the ram expansion slot.

In terms of the connection system, I think the Bluetooth is usually done
as USB. It certainly is at least on mine. It shows up in lsusb as an
Actiontec device.

> miniPCI card. If so, you should see it in lspci and you might be able to
> pick one up on ebay or something.

Absolutely, that is a very distinct possibility. Purchasing a combined
bluetooth/modem daughter card for the T series will work fine.

However, it will need an aerial, which means dismantling the screem as I
understand it. The reason being that the wifi and bluetooth antennae are
at the top of the screen and a coax cable takes it down, through the
hinges and up to the daughter card (or miniPCI card in the case of the
wifi).

I did just find this though:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Mini-PCI-Bluetooth-Antenna-802-11b-802-11g-in-USA_W0QQitemZ190115468282QQihZ009QQcategoryZ31534QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

No idea how well that would work. On the T41 maybe not so bad since it'd
just be under the keyboard and not the motherboard too.

> Otherwise, it's time to get a little USB bluetooth dongle, I guess.. if

USB dongles are such a pain on laptops ;(

Cheers,
-- 
Chris Jones
  cmsj at tenshu.net
   www.tenshu.net
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