Bluetooth Blues

mikeincousa · 19 Jun 2019

I am again trying to connect two machines for file sharing via Bluetooth.

Each recognizes the other.

When I try to pair them I am asked if the pin on the other machine matches a number.

I do not recall setting up a pin on either machine. Are they referring to the number I use to start an instance? I have been thinking that value is the password I set up initially.

I started to add / change one but Windows warned some apps or services might not work.

i stopped there.

Is there some way I could test the values I normally use for signing on?

Did Windows set up these pins for me and I do not know it?

How can I discover how Windows is coming up with the stated pins?

Anything else I can do for shaking off the Bluetooth Blues?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Caledon Ken · 20 Jun 2019

Not sure if this will help.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...over-bluetooth

Has a section on pairing.

mikeincousa · 20 Jun 2019

Bluetooth Blues-tablet.bluetooh.screen.png

What's a fellow to do?
Tablet throws the same error as the desktop,

Try3 · 20 Jun 2019

I think you need to clean up then start again.
- I always found that I had to remove the device from the Control panel, Devices and Printers page if I wanted to clear things up ready for a new pairing attempt.
- Other users have cleaned up with a utility called Bluetooth command line tools [that I first saw mentioned in xzion post #9] but I have not had to go that far. If you look at the xzion link's subsequent posts you'll see quite fulsome praise for this utility.

There is guidance on pairing in Connect a Bluetooth device in Windows - Windows Help Once you are paired you might use the advice in Ken's link to Share files over Bluetooth - MSSupport when you come to use the connection.

There is no relationship between any PIN referred to during Bluetooth pairing and your Windows user account password / PIN.
- Any Bluetooth PIN is just an automatically-generated code for that pairing event and it is used to avoid somebody pairing to the wrong device [such as pairing with your device without your permission].
- About "When I try to pair them I am asked if the pin on the other machine matches a number." Whenever I have seen such instructions they have always been along the lines of, "if there is a number does it match this one - NNNN?" because Bluetooth PINs are not always created. Do you have a screenshot showing the message?

Denis

mikeincousa · 21 Jun 2019

Thanks for the responses Denis.
They are very helpful.

Someone put me onto the idea of "pairing code" this morning. I did some homework.

First from the land of Way - TMI for me but certainly not for ultra-geeks-cubed:

https://www.bluetooth.com/blog/bluet...ration-methods

An embedded Video: YouTube

https://www.bluetooth.com/blog/bluet...ation-methods/

Also.

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

Last.

Cracking the Bluetooth PIN

http://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~yash/shaked-wool-mobis
============================================
This is a nice practical article.
Windows 10 No Passcode Generated Bluetooth Error

My guess is that this is my problem? I have the two machines about 10 or 12 feet apart.

"4. Make sure the two devices are in close enough proximity to one another. While you wouldn’t think someone might try to pair an iPad with a keyboard if the two weren’t sitting right next to each other, it’s probably worth noting that you should make sure any devices you're trying to pair are within five feet of one other."

I cannot move the two machines closer together. Does anybody have any thoughts on the distance limitation? I never thought about this.

Given the security risk and distance factor I am reconsidering my resistance to purchasing a crossover / transfer-cable for connecting the two machines. Recall I do not have a contemporary router: I do not want or need that level of additional complexity and space and time demands for setting one up right now.

It seems like the cable will be pain-free and they are relatively cheap in Amazon.

One example: (like the autosynch app)

Plugable Transfer Cable Compatible With Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP. Includes Bravura Easy Computer Sync Software

Does anybody have any experiences with these, especially at the distances that I need.

Thanks for any additional thoughts.

Try3 · 21 Jun 2019

Didn't clearing things up allow you to retry pairing?
- If so, did you capture the dialog that referred to a PIN?
- If it did not work, please describe what did or did not happen.

I have often used my bluetooth earphones in different rooms from the phone & computer with which they have been paired - so that's fifteen feet apart and with almost a foot of brickwork between them. They were nearer during pairing but I do not think there is any difference in the strength of signal needed to achieve this. Therefore I do not think distance is your problem.

I don't know why you think that bluetooth introduces a security risk. Both devices have to give their consent to the pairing.

I used a LAN cable connection between a Win7 & a WinXP computer successfully for a couple of years before I bothered getting a router.
- I also experimented with Win7-Win10 [& possibly win10-win10?] a bit and saw that it was basically the same settings to achieve it.
- I started off using a cross-over cable until I read a comment that it was not necessary any more so I tried a normal LAN cable and discovered this was true - you can use any LAN cable.
- So I know that this can be done for Win10 cable connections but I have not seen any updated instructions for doing so. I can't offer to work it out for you because my newer compters do not have LAN cable connections.
- To be quite frank, I think the effort you'd have to go to in finding out how to do it then setting it up would be much better spent sorting out the bluetooth problem. But that's just my opinion.

Denis

Try3 · 21 Jun 2019

Oh, perhaps I misunderstood. You might be referring to special USB to USB connection cables**.

I have not used those for twenty years and they were a bit of a pain because they had to be used with their own software. A LAN connection would allow normal Windows networking to be used so that they could appear in each other's File explorers. Perhaps there are USB to USB connection cables that achieve this so it could be a thing to look out for in your selection of what might be a vast choice on Amazon.

If you are reconciled to spending money, you could reconsider buying a router. How do you connect to the internet?

[** "cross-over" cable is also a term used for a type of LAN cable]

Denis

jimbo45 · 22 Jun 2019

Hi there
Blutooth is an absolutely Horrendous way of sharing files etc between devices. It's as slow as molasses --or even slower.

The only use I have for it is with Blu tooth headphones from a mobile phone for music and for wireless speakers from a TV -- if you want better file transfer either use bog standard wifi, a LAN connection or simply copy files to a fast external device from one computer and then attach that device to the 2nd machine.

Transferring files by blutooth really requires "The patience of Job" -- forget it. !!

Cheers
jimbo

mikeincousa · 22 Jun 2019

Thanks for all the comments. They are clarifying and thought provoking.

A couple of responses.
Given the comments I will have go at starting Bluetooth.

This is the cable I have been considering.
https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Tran...tronics&sr=1-3

Maybe it is old hat?

The secondary computer is a tablet. It does not have a LAN connection.
I have it set up as a dedicated workstation for a flatbed scanner.
I have fifty three ring notebooks chock full of handwritten copy in chronological order spanning over a decade. Most of the notebooks contain items that will not run through my sheet-fed scanner. The idea is working through them one by one, stopping for items needing to be flatbed scanned, then merging them with the sheet-fed scans. That will keep the docs in the right order without needing to post-process and integrate the two sets.

I do not have the room to set the two scanners together right now. So that is what led me to Bluetooth for merging the two sets as I scan them. That will make for one pass through each of the fifty notebooks.
I am already cramped for space and time. I am looking for the simplest and easiest solution. I may have to move soon and I do not want to lug the notebook around again.

Needing to update the tablet I found a RJ-45 wireless adapter. This one looked interesting.
https://www.amazon.com/VAP11G-300-Wi...6NYEZTB68W6T3Q

Maybe this could be an option?
For this I could easily temporarily disconnect the modem to the main machine. The tablet has the wireless native. I would not be using the Internet when scanning as above.

One thing that came up yesterday, given the distance is not an issue, I have have both machines set to talk to each other in the Bluetooth set up window. This suggested the two streams are meeting and banging into each other as I tried to connect them? Not sure what to make of that comment or what path to take. Suggestions? Is this possible?

I need to block out time for all this fiddling. I will need to go it piecemeal. I need to do as you say and start from scratch and a cold boot too.

Gotta run thanks again for the help and any more comments and suggestions..

Try3 · 22 Jun 2019

Just transfer the files using a USB memory stick.

Denis

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