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Definition: Bluetooth is a specification (IEEE
802.15.1) for the use of low-power radio communications to link phones,
computers and other network devices over short distances without wires. The
name Bluetooth is borrowed from Harald Bluetooth, a king in Denmark more
than 1,000 years ago.
Bluetooth technology was designed primarily to support simple wireless
networking of personal consumer devices and peripherals, including cell phones,
PDAs, and wireless headsets. Wireless signals transmitted with Bluetooth cover
short distances, typically up to 30 feet (10 meters). Bluetooth devices
generally communicate at less than 1 Mbps.
Bluetooth networks feature a dynamic topology called a piconet or PAN.
Piconets contain a minimum of two and a maximum of eight Bluetooth peer
devices. Devices communicate using protocols that are part of the Bluetooth
Specification. Definitions for multiple versions of the Bluetooth specification
exist including versions 1.1, 1.2 and 2.0.
Although the Bluetooth standard utilizes the same 2.4 Ghz range as 802.11b
and 802.11g, Bluetooth technology is not a suitable Wi-Fi replacement. Compared
to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth networking is much slower, a bit more limited in range, and
supports many fewer devices.
Concerns with Bluetooth technology include security and interoperability
with other networking standards.