Managing bluetooth: how best to proceed?

We are beginning to acquire blue tooth devices and things are starting to
get confusing.

Our XPPro seems to have its own bluetooth management settings in control
panel.
Then there is a 'BlueSoleil' suite that loaded itself with our 'dongle', and
through which I have been pairing other devices but not using its other
'services'.
And another set that came with our Nokia phone which we seem to have to use
for synchronising the contacts and diary if nothing else.

Now we have bought a Motorola headset to use both with the phone, and with
the pc for Skype.

Foolishly, I was expecting this to be just a 'pair it and go' thing, but it
is all getting rather difficult to keep track of. I was expecting the
headset to be just a substitute for the desktop speakers but this does not
seem to be the case.

I notice that if I set Skype to use the headset, our desktop speakers
continue to put out radio streamed via Realplayer, but the speaker icon in
the notification area becomes the volume control for the headset, and does
not pick up the radio stream.

The headset properties also seem to have an option to connect through the
wireless LAN: an unanticipated prospect of mixing connexions that makes my
head hurt!

I am obviously not managing all this very effectively: how should I be
setting things up and keeping track?

Helpful suggestions would be much appreciated.

Regards,
S

"smlunatick" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1546929f-b1e7-42c7-8031-(E-Mail Removed)...
On Feb 21, 10:48 am, "spamlet" <spam.mores...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> We are beginning to acquire blue tooth devices and things are starting to
> get confusing.
>
> Our XPPro seems to have its own bluetooth management settings in control
> panel.
> Then there is a 'BlueSoleil' suite that loaded itself with our 'dongle',
> and
> through which I have been pairing other devices but not using its other
> 'services'.
> And another set that came with our Nokia phone which we seem to have to
> use
> for synchronising the contacts and diary if nothing else.
>
> Now we have bought a Motorola headset to use both with the phone, and with
> the pc for Skype.
>
> Foolishly, I was expecting this to be just a 'pair it and go' thing, but
> it
> is all getting rather difficult to keep track of. I was expecting the
> headset to be just a substitute for the desktop speakers but this does not
> seem to be the case.
>
> I notice that if I set Skype to use the headset, our desktop speakers
> continue to put out radio streamed via Realplayer, but the speaker icon in
> the notification area becomes the volume control for the headset, and does
> not pick up the radio stream.
>
> The headset properties also seem to have an option to connect through the
> wireless LAN: an unanticipated prospect of mixing connexions that makes my
> head hurt!
>
> I am obviously not managing all this very effectively: how should I be
> setting things up and keeping track?
>
> Helpful suggestions would be much appreciated.
>
> Regards,
> S

Microsoft's standard Bluetooth protocol stack is very limited.
Microsoft has deemed to only use Bluetooth for mouse, keyboard, serial
port and "pesonal network" (PAN.) To use headsets, you must use some
other Bluetooth protocol stack after renaming Microsoft's Bluetooth
INF file (BTH.INF) so it does not over-ride the new BT stack.


Thanks SM,
I had began to wonder about XP's capabilities:
I tried uninstalling the BlueSoleil software to simplify things, but then
found I no longer had any options for the headset showing up in Skype even
though the device itself was showing in the MS bluetooth devices dialogue as
connected and working. The uninstall did get the Skype sound coming out of
the desktop speaker though.

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'bluetooth stack', but would there be one I
could get that would manage the phone, pc, and headset settings all in one
place as the MS should have done? Is there an update from MS on this: they
are forever sending updates for everything else! We already were reluctant
to use the BlueSoleil as it was not able to handle the synchronising of the
Nokia phone very easily.

Thanks for your help,

S

"Steve H" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "smlunatick" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:1546929f-b1e7-42c7-8031-(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Feb 21, 10:48 am, "spamlet" <spam.mores...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> We are beginning to acquire blue tooth devices and things are starting to
>> get confusing.
>>
>> Our XPPro seems to have its own bluetooth management settings in control
>> panel.
>> Then there is a 'BlueSoleil' suite that loaded itself with our 'dongle',
>> and
>> through which I have been pairing other devices but not using its other
>> 'services'.
>> And another set that came with our Nokia phone which we seem to have to
>> use
>> for synchronising the contacts and diary if nothing else.
>>
>> Now we have bought a Motorola headset to use both with the phone, and
>> with
>> the pc for Skype.
>>
>> Foolishly, I was expecting this to be just a 'pair it and go' thing, but
>> it
>> is all getting rather difficult to keep track of. I was expecting the
>> headset to be just a substitute for the desktop speakers but this does
>> not
>> seem to be the case.
>>
>> I notice that if I set Skype to use the headset, our desktop speakers
>> continue to put out radio streamed via Realplayer, but the speaker icon
>> in
>> the notification area becomes the volume control for the headset, and
>> does
>> not pick up the radio stream.
>>
>> The headset properties also seem to have an option to connect through the
>> wireless LAN: an unanticipated prospect of mixing connexions that makes
>> my
>> head hurt!
>>
>> I am obviously not managing all this very effectively: how should I be
>> setting things up and keeping track?
>>
>> Helpful suggestions would be much appreciated.
>>
>> Regards,
>> S
>
> Microsoft's standard Bluetooth protocol stack is very limited.
> Microsoft has deemed to only use Bluetooth for mouse, keyboard, serial
> port and "pesonal network" (PAN.) To use headsets, you must use some
> other Bluetooth protocol stack after renaming Microsoft's Bluetooth
> INF file (BTH.INF) so it does not over-ride the new BT stack.
>
>
> Thanks SM,
> I had began to wonder about XP's capabilities:
> I tried uninstalling the BlueSoleil software to simplify things, but then
> found I no longer had any options for the headset showing up in Skype even
> though the device itself was showing in the MS bluetooth devices dialogue
> as connected and working. The uninstall did get the Skype sound coming
> out of the desktop speaker though.
>
> I'm not sure what you mean by a 'bluetooth stack', but would there be one
> I could get that would manage the phone, pc, and headset settings all in
> one place as the MS should have done? Is there an update from MS on this:
> they are forever sending updates for everything else! We already were
> reluctant to use the BlueSoleil as it was not able to handle the
> synchronising of the Nokia phone very easily.
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> S

PS
Apologies for any confusion created by replying above with wrong ID!
S