What is Bluetooth?

What it is

Devices have to be introduced to each other once, which is called pairing. After that they reconnect on their own when both are in range.

• Pairing: one device offers to be found, the other selects it, and they exchange keys. Some ask you to confirm a code.
• Low Energy: Bluetooth Low Energy is a lighter mode for small sensors and trackers that send little data and need to run on a coin battery for a long time.
• Shared band: Bluetooth uses the 2.4 GHz band, the same one many Wi-Fi networks use. The Wi-Fi bands page covers that crowding.

For choosing between Bluetooth and a USB receiver, see dongles versus Bluetooth.

Why it matters to a business

• Headsets for calls: Bluetooth headsets free people from a cable, but microphone quality often drops while the headset is in call mode, and audio can break up in a crowded room.
• Moving between machines: a headset paired to one laptop has to be paired again on another, which adds work when people share equipment.
• Crowded offices: dozens of Bluetooth devices and busy Wi-Fi in one room can cause dropouts.
• Security: pair devices in private, remove old pairings, and keep laptop software current.

How this shows up in our work

We supply and set up laptops, docks, monitors, keyboards, mice and headsets as part of managed IT, and we standardize them so a replacement works the same. That includes deciding which accessories use Bluetooth and which use a receiver.

Learn more

• Bluetooth on WikipediaAn overview of the technology, its versions and how it works.
• Bluetooth Low Energy on WikipediaExplains the low-power mode used by sensors and trackers.
• Bluetooth Special Interest GroupThe group that runs the standard, with learning material for buyers.