Bluetooth technology is one of the tools most useful and used that currently exist. Thanks to it we can perform different tasks in our homes without having to move too much. We can control different equipment through our mobile and computer providing us with a high level of comfort.
There are two versions of Bluetooth that are used today, version 2.0 being the most widely used and with which up to 3 Mbps can be transmitted. Electronic equipment manufacturers add this technology to their products in a mandatory manner because they understand that, without her, her equipment will be out of the market.
In this article we will talk to you how this data transmission system works and how we can build a network of 8 nodes via Bluetooth.
What is a Bluetooth connection and what uses does it currently have?
Bluetooth is a technology that uses the IEEE 802.15.1 wireless communication standardwhereby two devices can communicate with each other via a low-power radio frequency of 2.4 GHz and can thus transmit data and voice packets.
This technology was born in the research carried out by the Erikson company and comes from the name of King Harald Blåtand and can be classified into four classes according to the range that radio frequency waves can have.
class 1 up to 100 metersthe second category reaches up to 10 metersclass 3 has a limit of 1 meter and the last one is for 0.5 meters.
This technology is present in mobile devices, computers, digital cameras and also in printers, so its use today is linked more than anything to the transmission of information between these devices that we have named.
But we cannot also leave out those products such as garden irrigation equipment, microwaves, security cameras, wireless speakers, car audio equipment, among others, in which we will also find the Bluetooth logo and its operation is closely related to this kind of data transmission.
How does a Bluetooth connection work? Process phases
To explain how the connection of two nodes via Bluetooth works, we will first have to mention the conditions that are needed for it to work.
The working conditions that this technology needs are:
- Through a physical agreementwhich is necessary for this function to be activated in order to transmit the data we need via radio frequency.
- The second condition is from a protocol point of viewwhere it is required as a requirement that there are mutual authorizations of the devices to be linked to each other or for one to control another equipment.
Once these two conditions are covered, the Bluetooth process is very simple since a transmitting device sends the data by radio waves, being received by other electronic equipment.
This last piece of equipment decodes this data according to different previously assigned protocols and translates it into a conventional format for its understanding. This happens thanks to the installation of transmitter and receiver boards that each device has.
What is the limit of data that can be passed in a transfer via Bluetooth?
There are different limitations that this technology presents to transmit information to another device
We can name some of them: the low transfer speed, the distance between the equipment has to be correct and try to avoid interference between the devices to be connected.
With this we can conclude that data size limit is not a system weaknesssince all the amount of data that is needed can be transferred, the limit will be set by the memory capacity of the receiving equipment.
It must be considered at this point that it is also necessary to have a significant battery charge so that the mobile device does not turn off when we are making the transfer, since it will be canceled.
What are “Piconets” in a Bluetooth system?
When we connect two devices through this technology, what we are doing is creating a small network between them, if we can join more devices to this network We are going to have a computer network that will have the name Piconet. The Piconet set is called scatternet.
In which it consists of having one master device and up to 7 slaves, since no more than 8 nodes are allowed in a network formed by this technology. The master device’s function is to choose the hop to be able to maintain the link, establish the connections so that the data packets can occupy a slot in the emission and another slot to be able to receive them alternately.
Lastly, the most important mission of the master equipment is to generate a unique code for each of the equipment or nodes that participate in the Piconet network and a clock frequency in order to generate a frequency hopping sequence.
This type of network is very common today for those places where there are different electronic devices that need to respond to a computer to broadcast, for example, videos, music and any other element of entertainment without the need to have cables in sight. the users.
How secure is a Bluetooth wireless connection?
Being a technology that is based on the transmission by radio waves, there is a need to take precautions so that no unauthorized device has the possibility of intercepting the information we exchange or being able to access our device.
The most well-known dangers of hacking through Bluetooth technology are the following:
- Bluejacking attack: Which is a method in which messages can be sent anonymously through our mobile to different devices close to ours and that are connected with Bluetooth.
- Car Whisperer Method: This attack is based on the fact that most car audio equipment needs a 4-digit password to be able to connect with the driver’s mobile, so they are much easier to hack. Once this key is decrypted, the attacker has all the permissions to access the device.
- Bluebuggin access: Which consists of remotely accessing our mobile through Bluetooth allowing it to even be able to handle our entire device without us noticing.
Based on these dangerous methods, security measures were developed, both at the device level and also for the service. By working these two variables at the same time, they can protect the devices with this technology in a perfect way and thus do not allow the transmission of data from unauthorized users.
We recommend having Bluetooth mode activated as “not detectable” either “invisible” so that we can only connect with those devices that interest us, and at the same time also keep in mind the identification procedures to be able to carry out a correct connection authorization.
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