JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

DIT 0411 MOBILE COMPUTING
PRACTICE LAB 5: SETTING UP A BLUETOOTH NETWORK

Instructions:
You will be required to prepare a one page report summarizing your learning activities

Objectives
After completing this experiment you will be able to:
 Understand about Bluetooth networks and how it is differentiate from WiFi networks
 Get familiar with Piconet and Scatternet formation

Networking of Bluetooth
Bluetooth technology provides both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connection.
In point-to-multipoint connections, the channel is shared among several Bluetooth units. In point-to-
point connections, only two units share the connection.
Bluetooth protocols assume that a small number of units will participate in communications at any
given time. These small groups are called piconets, and they consist of one master unit and up to
seven active slave units. The master is the unit that initiates transmissions, and the slaves are
responding units. This type of Bluetooth network can have only one master unit. If several piconets
overlap a physical area, and members of the various piconets communicate with each other, this new,
larger network is known as a scatternet. Any unit in one piconet can communicate in a second
piconet as long as it serves as master for only one piconet at a time.
The following figure-01 illustrated the Bluetooth Scatternet scenario with slave/slave node.

Figure 1: Illustration of Bluetooth Piconets & Scatternet with Slave/Slave node

How to connect Bluetooth?

Bluetooth enables ad hoc networking. Rather than depending on a broadband system, which relies on
terminals and base stations for maintaining connections to the network via radio links, Bluetooth
implements peer-to-peer connectivity. No base stations or terminals are involved. Using peer-to-peer
connectivity, Bluetooth technology simplifies personal area wireless connections, enabling all digital
devices to communicate spontaneously.
Bluetooth technology also provides fast, secure voice and data transmissions. The range for
connectivity is up to 10 meters, and line of sight is not required. The Bluetooth radio unit:

1
  Functions even in noisy radio environments, ensuring audible voice transmissions in severe
conditions
 Protects data by using error-correction methods
 Provides a high transmission rate
 Encrypts and authenticates for privacy

Device Roles: Central and Peripheral

 Central (Client)
o A device that initiates commands and requests, and accepts responses.
o Examples: computer, smartphone

 Peripheral (Server)
o A device that receives commands and requests, and returns responses
o Examples: a temperature sensor, heart rate monitor

Required
1. Create a Bluetooth network between the following devices, pair and transfer files. Use one
(1) master and two to three (2-3) slaves
a. Wearable device(s) and a phone/tablet
b. Wearable device(s) and a laptop
c. A phone/tablet and a phone/tablet
d. A phone/tablet and a laptop, test data transfer from the phone to tablet and tablet to
phone. Discuss your findings
2. Measure the data transmission rates using Bluetooth at various distances and finally by
crossing transmission paths. Discuss your findings
3. Sharing Wi-Fi Data Via Bluetooth on the phone: You will be required to perform Bluetooth
tethering on the phone, useful in cases when say, you are using mobile data, and someone
wants to use your data as well but you do not want to disclose the password. Discuss your
findings
4. Bluetooth tethering on laptop: You will be required to perform Bluetooth tethering on a
laptop in case Ethernet or Wi-Fi is not available. Again, this technique is useful when you do
not want to give Wi-Fi password to anyone. Discuss your findings
5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of connecting your computer and smartphone
using Bluetooth