windows 8 - Android Bluetooth tethering, speed capped to 700 kbps?

08
2014-07
  • Arya S.

    I'm trying to use my Android HTC One for Bluetooth tethering (via Bluetooth PAN), so I can access internet on my Windows tablet (Dell Venue 8 Pro).

    It works but I can't get any speed higher than 0.7 Mbit/s. Yeah, Wi-fi/USB tether works fine and I get way better speed, but I want to use Bluetooth over Wifi due to it's consuming less power and can be initiated from outside of the phone. Plugging USB cables also can be a hassle.

    My setups are as follows:

    Internet <--3G/Wifi--> Android (HTC One) <--BT Tether--> Windows 8.1 PC (Dell Venue 8 Pro)

    Both HTC One and Dell Venue Pro 8 have Bluetooth v4.0, so I don't think the hardware involved being a limiting factor here, under Windows network status I can see 3 Mbit/s link

    Windows Network Status

    When tested with Speedtest.net APP on my HTC One I can get the full speed as usual

    enter image description here

    But when my DVP8 is tethered to my HTC one via BT this is what I'm getting: enter image description here

    The 0.7mbps speed is consistent, I repeated the speed test several times. Which leads me to believe the BT throughput is capped for some reason.

    I also have tested this on my Win8 Desktop PC and I'm getting exactly the same result. USB/WLAN tether gives me higher throughput, close to the speedtest app result.

    According to Wikipedia the theoretical transfer speed limit for Bluetooth 4.0 is indeed 3Mbit/s, So I'm expecting 1-1.5mbit/s speed here. (It's the typical 3G bandwidth I can get on my area anyway).

    Any thoughts? How can I get speed higher than 700kbps?

    Any kind of experience or possible fix are welcome.

    Thanks!

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    osx - How to script Bluetooth on/off and Tethering on Snow Leopard
  • tstm

    The Bluetooth / Tethering features in OSX are excellent. But they could be a little bit better. Is there a way to script (via AppleScript?) turning the bluetooth radio on and off, so that I could bind it into a key. No reason to drain battery while not tethered.

    It would be even better if the connecting itself could be automated. Now I have to click the Bluetooth icon, then select my phone, and select connect. All unnecessary work I have to repeat many times every day. This could be so much more convinient.


    • Related Answers
  • Arjan

    I doubt the following helps, but I cannot test it. Still, maybe it helps you find a solution...

    Maybe MarcoPolo can help. It can trigger an action (like: enable bluetooth) when some condition is met (like when some application starts running, or maybe when you are out of reach of some network).

    So: if for tethering you start some specific program:

    • Start the tethering application†
    • Open MarcoPolo's preferences
    • On the Contexts pane, add a new Context and give it a name like "Tethering active"
    • On the Rules pane, select "Add RunningApplication Rule". The dropdown will show you all applications that are currently running, so you can then select your tethering application. Link that to the Context you just created.
    • On the Actions pane, select "Add ToggleBluetooth Action" and link it to the "arrival" of the Context you just created.
    • Likewise: disable bluetooth for "leaving" that Context

    † I think there's not really such application, is there? :-(

  • pkaeding

    Sure, you can do this.

    1. Open up Automator, and create a service.
    2. Record yourself turnng on/off bluetooth.
    3. Save the service.
    4. Open up the Keyboard Preferences pane
    5. Click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab, and then select Services on the left, and scroll down to General on the right.
    6. Check the box next to your new service.
    7. Double-click to the right of your new service, near the scroll bar, to set a shortcut key.

    Hope that helps!