Bluetooth Networking

[JudgeDredd]

(Explanation at bottom, if you don't know what Bluetooth is.)

Does anyone have any experience with these? I have cable on the family pc right now, and was going to just sign up for another modem with Road Runner when I built my new computer, but that would cost $50 a month from me, something I don't want to do. So I was thinking about just moving the cable modem to my new computer, and running the family pc off of a Bluetooth network. (Mainly because I use the computer a lot, playing games and downloading files, stuff that requires good ping, and they use the computer... maybe one hour a week...)

But if I am forced to use the Bluetooth off of my computer, would it be so bad?

For those that don't know, Bluetooth is a new, unique style of wireless networking. A little device is plugged into a USB port (literally) on each computer, and BAM a network is up, running at about 1 MBPS. Check out the description and picture here (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=295&manufactory=1616&DEPA=1) from NewEgg.

Info here. (http://www.bluegear.com/b091h1_general.html)
Specs here. (http://www.bluegear.com/b091h1_specs.html)

[Gresyth]

Operating distance up to 150 feet (50 meters)-with line-of-sight.


I would check this very carefully. This line from their specs makes me suspicous that the signal will not penetrate a wall.

[su root]

Personally, i'd still network them using Ethernet.. 1Mbps sounds like alot, but if that's the "highest" speed it can get, and it's range is 50m line-of-sight, I doubt you'll ever see the 1Mbit barrier, or anything even close..

CAT5 cable is cheap, and you can pick up some cheap nics..

[JudgeDredd]

I'm not so worried about the distance... from this computer to where my new computer will be ~ 25 feet, and will only have one wall in the way.

Anyway, I don't want to explain the whole ordeal about how I can't run networking wire, only that it's just that, I can't. I would do a regular wireless network setup but it would cost me ~ $200, when I can get these for $130, or using another brand $99. I really don't want to spend a lot of money so my Mom/Brother can get on the internet an hour a day. They don't download any large files either.

Anyway, I'm gonna browse through my hundreds of bookmarked sites and hope one of them has a review for it... I seem to remember reading a review on these saying they got pretty high transfer rates...

[rogerdugans]

Bluetooth is very new, and while it shows a LOT of promise, like all new tech. it is going to have teething problems.

First gen. stuff is probably going to suck, basically, although it COULD be easy to install, configure and meet all your needs.

But: remember when usb first came out? 802.11 wireless networking?

(B)Leeding edge stuff is almost always a royal pain.

[JudgeDredd]

Hmm... some good points.

I finally found out where I saw a review of these. I was on a small road trip skimming through a couple month old issue of PC Magazine when I saw it. They said it transfered a 10 MB file in about 5 minutes, so it's deffinatly not an option for me, but it wouldn't be a big bottleneck for the family PC...