I have been thinking about this article for a long time, then I put it off, but now I decided to write it. I even bought a Bluetooth adapter specifically to check everything and prepare everything as much as possible. useful article. As you might guess from the name, in this article I will tell you about Bluetooth adapters for computers. We will find out what they are for, what they are, how to choose, connect and use.
What is Bluetooth, I think I know everything. Enough to know what it is wireless technology to exchange data between different devices on short distances. Nowadays, the Bluetooth module is built into a large number of different devices. It is available in almost every phone, tablet, laptop. There are also many devices that support Bluetooth connectivity. These are printers, headphones, joysticks, mice, etc.
And if in laptops this wireless module is built-in from the factory (except for some models, mostly old ones), and it is quite simple to turn it on (see) and you can use it, then in stationary computers Bluetooth is missing. Again, except if you have a motherboard with an integrated Bluetooth module, or it was installed separately during assembly system block.
It is important to understand that this is not just a driver, or a program that can be downloaded from the Internet and everything will work. (as many people think). This is a separate device (module).
To check if there is Bluetooth on your computer, just go to the device manager and see if there is a corresponding adapter in a separate section, or in the " Network adapters".
Rarely, but there are cases when this adapter is not in the device manager, but it is in the computer. The driver just isn't installed. In that case, there should be unknown devices. Or "Bluetooth Peripheral Device" under the "Other Devices" tab.
It seems to me that if your computer had Bluetooth, you would definitely know about it. I don't think he is. And hence the question: "what to do if the computer does not have Bluetooth, but it is needed?".
The solution is very simple - choose and buy external USB Bluetooth adapter. There are also PCI adapters that are connected inside the system unit, to the PCI slot on the motherboard. But there are not many of them on the market, and they are usually paired with a Wi-Fi module.
Why do I need Bluetooth adapters for PC and what are they?
After purchasing and connecting such an adapter to a computer, we will be able to connect the most different devices via Bluetooth. These are mice, keyboards, headphones, headsets, joysticks (including DualShock and Xbox Wireless Controller), printers, speakers, cameras, etc. You can also share files with other computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets. True, transferring files in this way is not very convenient.
Basically, this is the connection of peripheral devices without cables. So much more convenient. Take the same headphones. If you connect them to your computer via Bluetooth, you can freely move around the room, or even around the apartment and listen to music. And with a cable, this will no longer work. Or by connecting a headset, you can chat via Skype and do not have to sit near the computer itself.
The most popular, inexpensive and common are USB adapters. They look like regular flash drive. There are very small ones that are great for both PCs and laptops. For my computer, I bought one of these adapters - Grand-X Bluetooth 4.0. It looks like this:
And there are also these:
As you can see, there are options with external antennas. The presence of an antenna provides signal amplification and a more stable connection.
There are a lot of these adapters on the market. A particularly large number of them can be found in Chinese online stores. But I still advise you to buy those adapters that are on our market. From more or less well-known manufacturers. We will talk about how to choose the right Bluetooth adapter for a PC later in this article.
Choosing a Bluetooth adapter for your computer
You can open right now new tab in your browser, and in some popular online store, look at the selection of Bluetooth adapters. I think you will immediately see that the price for them is very different. There are both very cheap models and expensive ones. And it's not just that. The price in this case depends not only on the brand, but also on the characteristics and capabilities of the adapter itself.
When choosing a Bluetooth adapter, I advise you to focus on the following parameters:
Here is a photo of the characteristics of my adapter:
Focus on the parameters that I wrote about above. I think that this information will be enough for you to choose a normal and suitable Bluetooth adapter for your computer.
The main thing is not to rush. Read reviews. Check out the specifications. I also advise you not to buy the cheapest adapters. Especially if you need an adapter to connect good bluetooth headphones, for transferring files, connecting a joystick, etc. Not only are they of poor quality, but also an outdated version. Yes, they can be much cheaper. But it is possible that you then just throw it away, or go to take it to the store.
For example, the STlab B-122 adapter. Costs just over two dollars (and this is in our stores). But there is Bluetooth version 2.0 with support for voice mode and a bunch of different problems when connecting with other devices. Yes, it will work, but it is not suitable for all tasks. You may also have to tinker with the search for suitable drivers. I do not recommend buying such cheap adapters at all. And version 2.0 is better not to take.
The one I chose, Grand-X Bluetooth 4.0 (BT40G), costs almost $9 already. But there is already a Bluetooth 4.0 version, first class and good reviews. There are even more expensive models. For example, Trust 4.0 Bluetooth adapter. And cheaper ones - F&D BD-10 and STlab 4.0 (B-421). If you are used to trusting more popular companies, you can look at ASUS USB-BT400.
How to use the adapter?
Just plug it into your computer's USB port.
And if you are lucky (like me), then Windows will automatically recognize the Bluetooth adapter and you will be able to connect devices right away. In my case, Windows 10 was installed. The adapter from Grand-X was identified immediately and appeared in the device manager.
And the "Bluetooth" icon appeared on the notification bar. By clicking on which you can add new devices, send / receive a file, open settings, etc.
It is clear that, depending on the adapter and installed on the computer operating system, it may not be detected automatically. And you have to install the driver manually. But the adapter usually comes with a disk included. If the drivers from the disk do not fit, then you need to look for them on the Internet. It is advisable to download from the official website of the manufacturer. True, this is not always possible.
If you already have an adapter, you connected it and everything works, then the article may come in handy for you. Using her example, you can see how to connect Bluetooth devices to a computer with installed Windows 10.
Waiting from you feedback in comments. Write if my article was useful or not. Maybe I missed something and need to add it. Good luck!
Good day to all, today I received a bluetooth whistle from the Chinese company Orico in the mail, which has not yet been on this site, and therefore I decided to write a review about it. For those who are too lazy to read, here's a brief summary: it's worth taking, the quality is good (does not fall apart in the hands, like adapters for $ 1), everything works out of the box, the transfer speed is just over 200 Kb / s. Well, for those who are interested in the details, as well as an unusual function that this module can perform, please under cat.
Attention, a lot of pictures!
So, the order was placed on January 5, and on the 6th the seller sent it. I took the parcel on January 29, i.e. she got to me a little over 3 weeks.
The adapter came in a regular paper bag, glued inside with a pimply film: 
Inside the envelope was a blister pack that can be easily opened with a “book”. According to the seller, the adapter is based on the CSR8510 chip and supports data transfer at speeds up to 3 MB / s over a distance of up to 20 m. Of course, he lied about the speed, I got a speed of just over 200 Kb / s 24 s), but the distance data seems quite plausible - I took it to a maximum distance of 10 m, while there were 2 reinforced concrete walls between the phone and the computer, but the transmission was still not interrupted. In addition to the dongle itself, the package includes a mini-CD with drivers. 
I want to note right away that with drivers from Windows (except Windows 8), the adapter is detected, but does not work - sending and receiving files is not possible. Is it necessary to install the drivers from the disk or download them from the manufacturer's official website (http://oricoonline.us/drive.aspx?did=30)? about what is immediately written in the description of the product itself. There is a separate option for 64-bit systems.
The adapter itself is made of high quality, both halves of the plastic case fit perfectly to each other, there are no burrs or traces of burr on them. One of the halves is marked by the manufacturer, and on the connector itself is the inscription "Bluetooth 4.0". 
After we connected the dongle to the USB connector and it was detected in the system, a blue bluetooth icon will appear in the tray, but the adapter will not work. As it was written above, you need to install the drivers from the disk that comes with the kit. 
After installing the drivers, the following window will appear: 
It means that the drivers have been successfully installed and now the adapter can be fully used.
Next, you need to pair your phone with a computer, I think that this procedure should not cause difficulties. If everything went well, then your phone will appear in the "My computer - My Bluetooth devices" section, and your computer will appear in the connected devices on the phone. 
First, let's try to send a file from a computer to a phone: 
As you can see, everything went well. Now let's try to send files in the opposite direction - from the phone to the computer, so all the screenshots of the phone screen that are used in this review were transferred: 
As you can see, everything works great. The folder on the computer where they will be saved received files, can be configured by clicking right click click on the bluetooth icon in the tray and select "Bluetooth Options".
Well, now I’ll tell you about that unusual function that I mentioned in the review header.
A little background
I have a media center installed at home based on the usual home computer and I love listening to music from it. I usually do this through Winamp, which I remotely control from my phone via wi-fi (using the aWARemote application), but this approach has one drawback - this way you can only play music stored on your computer's hard drive and synchronized with the Winamp library "a But sometimes there is a desire to listen to something that is not in the downloaded collection, but you don’t want to get up from the couch.How to be in this case?
You can stream sound from your phone, tablet or laptop to your computer, and then play it from it through a good audio system. To do this, you just need to make sure that the connected device perceives the computer as wireless headset. There are a lot of tips on the internet on how to set up this configuration using the Bluesoleil program, but the beauty of this adapter is that it has given function works on native drivers and no additional programs installation is not required. To do this, you need to pair your phone with a computer, and then go to the "My Bluetooth Devices" section (in "My Computer") and double-click on the icon of the connected phone.
In the window that opens, set the following configuration:
If everything goes well, a player panel will appear on the computer screen, with which you can control playback on your phone.
This feature is especially useful when gathering with friends, because everyone can have different musical tastes, and then audio recordings in contact come to the rescue.
P.S. for those who think that almost 7 dollars is a lot for such a toy, I can only say that the quality of its workmanship and ease of use are worth the money.
P.P.S. when the ordered media center on android arrives, I will test the adapter on it for compatibility with android and add the results to the review.
I plan to buy +25 Add to favorites Liked the review +12 +36
Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter
The compact USB Bluetooth adapter allows PC users to comfortably work with various peripheral devices in Plug&Play mode. Using it, you can connect any device that supports the Bluetooth standard to a working computer. With this, your PC automatically has it, and in a matter of seconds, everything will be ready to go.
But what if the computer does not have the function of connecting and exchanging data via Bluetooth? Or is the built-in adapter broken? It doesn't matter, because you can use a USB Bluetooth adapter, which provides a stable and fast connection, thanks to the 4.0 standard. Just insert it into USB port, and you will be able to connect a camera, printer, smartphone, tablet or laptop to your PC without using any cables.
The CSR 4.0 adapter is compact, versatile, and sold at a bargain price. It has the following features:
1. The main advantage of this adapter is very fast data transfer. Using latest standard Bluetooth 4.0, it is capable of exchanging information between devices at a speed exceeding infrared ports or data cables. In this case, even obstacles in the signal path will not be a problem to create a reliable connection between devices.
2. By connecting a smartphone to a computer, you can not only exchange information between devices, but also get access to the phone book and other data mobile device. You will also be able to send messages and receive notifications. Since the Bluetooth function is present in all modern phones, then the presence of such an adapter will obviously not be superfluous.
3. Your computer will instantly recognize a device that has previously connected to it via a Bluetooth connection.
4. Via Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter You can connect two PCs together. Now you can forget about wires and play online games or transfer data through fast and convenient Bluetooth 4.0 technology.
Advantages of Bluetooth 4.0 over earlier versions
Technology has evolved every year, and Bluetooth 4.0 has received whole line new features before the outdated version 3.0. Let's consider them in more detail:
1. One of the main advantages is reduced power consumption. This is very important for computers that work offline.
2. High speed data transmission. Now it reaches 1 Mb / s.
3. The connection speed has also been increased. For spec 4.0 compliant devices, it is only 5 milliseconds. Hence, the device connects instantly.
4. Range. Such a compact wireless USB Bluetooth adapter is capable of transmitting data at a distance of up to 100 meters. At the same time, the walls are not an obstacle for him.
5. Safety. Now your data will be securely protected. A sufficient level of security is guaranteed by the 128-bit AES extension.
6. The introduction of the Bluetooth 4.0 standard made it possible to introduce the transmitter into miniature electronic devices, which are not able to boast of high energy intensity. We are talking about wrist temperature and pressure meters, heart rate monitors, etc.
Technical features
A number of technical innovations have enabled Bluetooth 4.0 technology to achieve improved performance. This time, the developers took into account all the features of the operation of modern devices, and therefore the new adapter has the following features:
1. Added extra bandwidth. The developers managed to partially solve the problem of connecting several devices at once to one adapter. Now it has become possible, and the stability of the connection is maintained even when three devices are connected at the same time.
2. Successful combination of previous protocols. All features previous versions Bluetooth saved and working stably.
3. Changed data algorithm. This allowed to significantly reduce the power consumption of the adapter. Now the transmitter is turned on only at the moment when there is a direct connection. At other times, it is in standby mode.
4. Bluetooth standard 4.0 fully implements Low energy technology. This suggests that the main emphasis here is not on data transfer speed, but on reduced power consumption. This feature is very relevant for modern ultraportable laptops, tablet PCs and smartphones, where increasing the autonomy of work is one of the priorities.
Nevertheless, the speed of the adapter remains at its best, as well as the stability of signal transmission. If you have previously used Bluetooth 3.0, then you should definitely buy a USB Bluetooth adapter and appreciate the benefits of the new standard, in which bug fixes have been largely carried out.