Bluetooth Profiles on the MBA

[twynne]

I'd like to be able to use Bluetooth to send the occasional file between my MBA and my office laptop, but not having much success to date. From the Air, I'm able to browse the office laptop (Thinkpad T61 with XP Pro, Widcomm stack) and transfer files from the 'Bluetooth Exchange' folder only. Going the other direction (if I try to 'send' a file from the Thinkpad to the Air it just fails saying 'Service is not found on device ...'

This doesn't make much sense as the Air obviously has the file transfer service or it wouldn't be able to retrieve files from the Thinkpad. Would you assume this to be just an incompatibility between the two bluetooth versions/stacks (I believe the MBA has 2.1, where the Thinkpad is probably 2.0 or earlier)?

Any views/suggestions? I'd really like to get this working to avoid unplugging my USB 3G dongle in order to plug in a USB stick, etc. every time I need to transfer a file.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[twynne]

Ok, I've also just tried sending a file *to* the Air from a Nokia N95, and that also fails. This definitely used to work from my N95 to my MBP, so it suggests an issue with the bluetooth on the Air. Has anyone else had a different experience?

 

[twynne]

And a bit more info on the Thinkpad for reference:

Broadcom
Firmware Rev. 2.1.211.299
Bluetooth HCI 2.0
Bluetooth LMP 2.0

I'm starting to fear it's either an omission of some sort on the Air side or an incompatibility between the Air's 2.1 and the Thinkpad's 2.0 (?) bluetooth. *sigh* So much for Steve's wireless vision!

 

[dyerucf]

Certainly a problem with bluetooth!

See my thread on tethering, there is certainly an issue with the new broadcom bluetooth chipset. All the older laptops had a Cambridge bluetooth chipset.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/432722/

 

[mtk75]

I'd like to be able to use Bluetooth to send the occasional file between my MBA and my office laptop, but not having much success to date.

Just wondering, have you set up the Bluetooth sharing options in "System Preferences > Sharing".

It looks like you need to specifically allow Bluetooth sharing there, and tell it what you want done with incoming files.

Please post back if you have done this already.

HTH,
-Matt

 

[twynne]

That was it! Thank you so much!!

 

[mtk75]

That was it! Thank you so much!!

Glad I could help,
-Matt