Need advice, Bluetooth USB dongle set-up

[JoyfulC 132299]

I would like to use my Bluetooth headset with Skype and VoxOx. In other words, when I am using the headset, I want my system to recognize it as both speakers and mic. And I'd like my Bluetooth device to show up as options in the Audio settings for these applications. (They're there but greyed out in Skype. Not sure what the deal will be with VoxOx. It's buggy as hell anyway.)

 

I bought a Bluetooth dongle. It came with no drivers, but I downloaded WIDCOMM 4.0 and also downloaded and installed the patches. WIDCOMM recognizes the dongle and the headset, but says no headset service is available. There is an Audio Gateway service that is available, but I'm not sure what the difference is. It appears I don't have a headset driver ??

 

Any advice?

[BigCountry1980 141]

If you have not already resolved your issue i can help.

 

1. Are you running mac or pc?

2. What name brand is the headset?

[JoyfulC 132299]

If you have not already resolved your issue i can help.

 

1. Are you running mac or pc?

 

Windows XP Home (sp3) on an Acer Aspire1 netbook.

 

2. What name brand is the headset?

 

Plantronics.

 

I haven't had much time to play with it lately. The headset works just fine with our cell phone. I would like to be able to use it with Skype and VoxOx on my netbook. I don't see a headset service available. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've done a lot of searching online, and it seems like I'm missing some driver, something about a "bluetooth stack" but I can't figure out what.

 

Additional Comments:

Also, I can get the dongle to pair with the headset, but that's about where it ends. Because I haven't been able to configure any app to work with the bluetooth (which woud require being able to configure the app to use the bluetooth device as speakers and mic), I'm stuck.

[backrubman 64800]

Support for this kind of setup is pretty poor in Windows XP. I'm not saying you will never make it work but Windows 7 does have better support for Bluetooth.

[JoyfulC 132299]

Support for this kind of setup is pretty poor in Windows XP. I'm not saying you will never make it work but Windows 7 does have better support for Bluetooth.

 

So I hear. Apparently things were working fine until SP2.

 

Still, I know others have found a way. What I'm wondering is, is there a better software than WIDCOMM 4.0? I get the impression that the actual dongle really doesn't have much to do with it; it's the drivers that count.

[BigCountry1980 141]

You should not need any special drivers or software, everything to make it work is included in the sp2 pack.

 

Adding a device

 

When you add a Bluetooth device to your computer, address information is exchanged. Sometimes, access keys are also exchanged. This process is known as pairing or bonding the two devices. When you add a device, one of the devices must be discoverable. Some devices let you turn discovery on and off, and others are always discoverable. For example, some mouse devices are always discoverable.

 

When you use Bluetooth to connect two computers, the computer that is added as a device must have discovery turned on. You can turn on discovery by using the Options tab in Bluetooth Devices.

 

Steps to take on the computer

 

To add a device, follow these steps on your computer:

1. 
   [--]Click Start, click Run, type bthprops.cpl, and then click OK.
   [--]In Bluetooth Settings, click Add.
   [--]In the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard, click to select the My device is set up and ready to be found check box, and then click Next.
    
   Note You cannot click Next until you click to select the My device is set up and ready to be found box. A device that has discovery turned off cannot be detected during a search.
    
   When you click Next, your computer searches for any discoverable devices that are in range. When the search is complete, the devices appear in the wizard.
   [--]Select a device to add, and then click Next.
    
   After you select the device to add, you can enter a passkey for the device. A passkey is a code that is used to control access to a device. Using a passkey may help improve the security of your connection. However, the device that you add may not require a passkey.
   

When you enter the passkey, your computer tries to connect to the device to verify the passkey. When you connect to another computer, you receive a message that the computers are trying to connect.

 

Steps to take on the device

 

When you have completed the steps on your computer, enter the passkey on the Bluetooth device. If the device is another computer, this computer displays a message that indicates that you are requesting a connection. Follow these steps on the computer that you are adding as a Bluetooth device:

1. 
   [--]Click in the message that indicates that you are requesting a connection.
    
   The Add Bluetooth Device Wizard starts and provides a field for entering the passkey.
   [--]Enter the passkey. You may also choose to have a passkey generated for you.
   

When the passkey is verified, the connection is complete. The device is now visible on your computer. If the device is another computer, its computer name is visible on the first computer.

 

On the last page of the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard, you can turn discovery off on the computer that you add as a device. By default, the option to turn discovery off is selected so that the computer does not remain discoverable at all times.

 

After a device is added

 

After a device is added, it appears in Bluetooth Devices. You can view the device properties to examine the services provided, to change the name of the device, or to gather other information. You can also establish connections.

 

 

 

If you go into your control panel You can use the Bluetooth Devices item in Control Panel to configure Bluetooth settings. By using Bluetooth Devices, you can do one or more of the following:

• 
  [--]Add or remove a device.
  [--]View the properties of a device.
  [--]Change your Bluetooth options.
  [--]Add a COM port.
  

In Bluetooth Devices, the Devices tab shows all the devices that are currently configured on your computer. By using the Devices tab, you can add a device, remove a device, or view the properties of a device.

 

Device properties

 

When you view the properties of a Bluetooth device, you see the following information:

• 
  [--]The device type
  [--]The hardware address of the Bluetooth adapter
  [--]The date and time of the last connection
  [--]Information about whether a passkey is used for pairing with the device
  

Options

 

The Options tab in Bluetooth Devices provides options that control how devices discover and connect to your computer. The main option is Turn discovery on. This option lets devices discover your computer so that you can make a connection.

 

Other options on this tab include the following:

• 
  [--]Allow Bluetooth devices to connect to this computer
  This check box controls whether any devices can connect to your computer. If this check box is cleared, no devices can connect to your computer.
  [--]Alert me when a new Bluetooth device wants to connect
  This option controls whether you receive notification when a device tries to connect to your computer. If this check box is cleared, you do not receive notification.
  

Other options on the Options tab let you turn on or turn off the Bluetooth icon in the notification area and restore default settings.

 

Discovery

 

Typically, your Bluetooth-enabled computer will discover other devices. Therefore, you only have to turn on the Turn discovery on option when your computer acts as a device. For example, you might want to turn on this option when your computer is connected to another computer by a Personal Area Network (PAN). When computers are connected by a PAN, one of the computers must have discovery turned on.

 

By default, discovery is not turned on in Windows XP SP2, because a discoverable Bluetooth device may be less secure than a device that is not discoverable. We recommend that you keep the Turn discovery on check box cleared unless you want another Bluetooth device to discover the computer. When the connection is complete, the Add Device Wizard turns off discovery automatically.

 

 

I know that may be a lot to take in but i tried to include anything that might help you. If you try these step and you still cant get it to work plz let me know.

[JoyfulC 132299]

You should not need any special drivers or software, everything to make it work is included in the sp2 pack.

 

«snip»

 

I know that may be a lot to take in but i tried to include anything that might help you. If you try these step and you still cant get it to work plz let me know.

 

Oh no! I wish I'd gotten hold of you before you went to all that trouble. I'm way beyond all of that. I have the bluetooth dongle installed, it has discovered my headset and paired with it. However, headset service is not available (not sure whether just for this device or for my bluetooth in general) and so I can't configure my voip clients to work with the headset.

 

Thanks for trying, anyway.

[BigCountry1980 141]

Oh it was no trouble at all but with out actually being at you computer it could be an endless amount of things from drivers to your router. If you are set on using that particular headset the best thing i can recomend to do is to go to futureshop or bestbuy and im sad to say pay them to set it up for you.

 

 

Personally wireless is a nice option but in my opinion you cant beat the quality of direct connect usb headset. They never fail to work when you plug them in either.

[playtoe 201]

Hi Christine, sorry for taking so long to respond to this message; however, I misplaced my Plantronics documentation. Then I find it was right in front of me all along. :sighs:

 

I am not sure if you had the documentation that comes with the Plantronics blue-tooth combination headphones / mic. The following is what is listed :

 

"Operating Systems Configuration:

 

<pre-amble not included. If you want it let me know.>

 

Windows XP

 

1. Go to start < Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices

2. On the Audio tab, select "Plantronics Wireless Audio" as the sound playback and sound recording device

3. On the voice tab, select the "Plantronics wireless audio" as the voice playback and voice recording device.

4. On the volume tabe, adjust the volume slider as necessary. Do not select the mute option.

5. Select OK

 

Windows Vista

 

1. Go to start > control panel > Classic View > Sounds

2. on the playback tab, select the "Plantronics wireless audio" as the sound playback device.

3. Select properties, and on the levels tab, adjust the volume slider as necessary. Do not select the mute option. Select OK.

4. On the recording tab, select the "plantronics wireless audio" headset as teh sound recording device.

5. Select properties, and on the levels tab, adjust the volume slider as necessary. Do not select the mute option. Select OK.

6. Select OK

 

Mac OS X

 

1. Go to system preferences > sound

2. On the output tab, select the "plantronics wireless audio" headset as the sound output device.

3. Adjust the output volume slider as necessary. Do not select the mute option.

4. On the input tab, select the "plantronics wireless audio" headset as the sound input device.

5. adjust the input volume slider as necessary.

6. Select ok

 

For myself, I use a mac. Worked like a champ.

Note: Any spelling errors are solely my own and in no way the fault of the manufacturer.

Note Note: Although this should toast your computer. If it does, my apologies, but I do not take any responsibility for misuse, misunderstanding, misrepresentation, misguided, misfortune...

 

Please let me know if you've tried this, or if this works/doesn't for you.

[JoyfulC 132299]

Windows XP

 

1. Go to start < Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices

2. On the Audio tab, select "Plantronics Wireless Audio" as the sound playback and sound recording device

3. On the voice tab, select the "Plantronics wireless audio" as the voice playback and voice recording device.

4. On the volume tabe, adjust the volume slider as necessary. Do not select the mute option.

5. Select OK

 

Thanks Playtoe, but no, it didn't work. In fact, that's the whole problem in a nutshell right there: although it says my headset and my system are connected, those options don't show up on my Audio and Voice Recording tabs.

[rosseyerie 161]

I don't wanna sound like a Debbie Downer... but.... There is a possibility that there is just a plain old compatibility issue... that it just plain won't work with your system...

[JoyfulC 132299]

I don't wanna sound like a Debbie Downer... but.... There is a possibility that there is just a plain old compatibility issue... that it just plain won't work with your system...

 

Yeah, I'm going to try it with my husband's Vista notebook. If that doesn't work, I might yet try a different dongle. This one was a bargain, but came with no documentation, and the support isn't very English friendly. Chalk it up to "you get what you pay for!"