Linksys USBBT100 Bluetooth USB Adapter

Other products by Linksys

Product Details

Data Sheet [100kb PDF]

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Product Manual [1.15mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.8 inches ; 8.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000DZET4
• Item model number: USBBT100
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 3, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Add Bluetooth connection capability to your PC!

The Linksys USB Bluetooth Adapter adds local wireless connectivity to your USB-equipped computer. Bluetooth technology lets you connect various electronic devices together wirelessly, eliminating the need for wires all over your desktop, and easily connecting your notebook to peripherals in an airport lounge without all the cable clutter.

With the USB Bluetooth Adapter plugged into a USB port on your notebook or desktop computer, you'll be able to connect with other Bluetooth-enabled devices to synchronize the data in your PDA, transfer files to other computers, send files to printers or fax servers, use a wireless mouse, keyboard, or telephony headset, or use your mobile phone as a link to the Internet, all without cables.

Up to seven Bluetooth 1.1 compatible devices can connect to the USB Bluetooth Adapter simultaneously, creating your own "Personal Area Network". The Adapter is a Class 1 long-range device, and is powered directly from the USB port, so there's no need for an external power supply. To keep your data secure, Bluetooth technology uses 128-bit encryption and a "frequency hopping" scheme that's almost impossible to intercept.

Bluetooth peripherals broadcast their availability and offer their specific services to local authorized systems. The Bluetooth management and connectivity software included with the USB Bluetooth Adapter makes it easy to discover and connect to these nearby devices. Enter a whole new world of wireless connectivity with the Linksys USB Bluetooth Adapter.

Product Description

The Linksys USB Bluetooth Adapter adds local wireless connectivity to your USB-equipped computer. Bluetooth technology lets you connect various electronic devices together wirelessly, eliminating the need for wires all over your desktop, and easily connecting your notebook to peripherals in an airport lounge without all the cable clutter. With the USB Bluetooth Adapter plugged into a USB port on your notebook or desktop computer, youll be able to connect with other Bluetooth-enabled devices to synchronize the data in your PDA, transfer files to other computers, send files to printers or fax servers, use a wireless mouse, keyboard, or telephony headset, or use your mobile phone as a link to the Internet, all without cables.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

158 of 163 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great looks, no driver headaches, & works like a charm!, December 29, 2003

By A Customer

If you own a bluetooth enabled phone, this is a MUST-HAVE accessory! I've owned this for two weeks and here's my experience w/it so far.

Installation was a snap! I am using Windows XP SP1. I downloaded the latest drivers from Linksys website and during the install process, it prompted me to plug in the dongle, then it finished and was up and working! That easy! I've read about others having driver problems w/other lesser name brands (Belkin, etc) but Linksys truly does live up to its name. I've also installed drivers on my laptop so I now have a Bluetooth enabled laptop also! It's easy switching the dongle from desktop to laptop because of the USB connector. Pairing w/my Sony Ericsson T610, I now have wireless internet access on my laptop anywhere I can get a signal on my cell phone!

Syncing w/Outlook is much faster than through IRDA and sending pictures/ringtones/games to and from the phone is a lot more convenient too because it doesn't require line of sight the way IRDA does.

The specs claim 100m but you've gotta remember that's unobstructed. I live in a 2800sq ft home w/two floors and this unit still picked up a weak to fair signal from one end of my house to the other. I would get strong signals from about 3/4's of the distance or closer.

You can probably save $10-15 going w/a generic or lesser name brand but full driver support from generics may be a hit-and-miss game. To me, paying a bit extra for fully compliant driver support and no installation headaches is certainly worth it! Plus, it looks cool and has that antenna for better range.

78 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars easy to install, great range!, January 23, 2004

By	Nadyne Mielke (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My household is a bit geeky. If you walk into my apartment, you'll find four laptops, two desktops, four Palms, two iPods, and two cell phones. Two of the Palms and one of the cell phones are Bluetooth-enabled, but none of the computers are. Until we bought this adapter, that is.

It works like a champ in all of our computers. For the record, we've used it on Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux (the Gentoo flavour, if you care), and OS X. For the Windows computers and the Mac, it's pretty much plug-and-play. This adapter is quite happy talking to the Sony Ericsson T608 cell phone, as well as both Palm Tungsten T3s. I can work with it in any room in the apartment, and even into the hallway and a bit in the elevator. It's made getting telephone numbers into the phone a lot easier, not to mention keeping information updated between everything.

Unless we buy a new computer with a built-in Bluetooth module, I'm sure that we'll get another one of these.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some setup issues with Windows XP SP2., September 18, 2004

By	dash-o - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me start by saying that this bluetooth adapter works great under Windows XP and Mac OS X once is setup correctly.

If you are using Windows XP SP1 then there is nothing to worry about. Make sure to first setup the drivers from the software CD, and then insert the adapter when setup requests it. The new Windows XP SP2 generic bluetooth drivers detect and install this adapter, however, there are some caveats if one wants to expose services to bluetooth devices, which instead requires the drivers on the software CD. Make sure not to plug-in the adapter or setup the software before reading Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 840635 "Cannot install a Bluetooth device after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2." See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=840635

Mac OS X 10.3.5 was a non-event--just connect the adapter to the computer and the bluetooth icon will appear on the system menu, then click on the icon to pair the device and discover it's services. If you are planning to synchronize contacts and calendar entries make sure your phone is supported by iSync (1.5 as of this writing.) No that if your phone model is not explicitly listed (http://www.apple.com/isync) it will probably not work--as I found out with my Nokia 6620.

Something to note is the antenna is a little fragile and will probably break from the excesive handling some of us give to memory sticks.

Update Oct 6, 2004 - I was forced to return this adapter as "defective" today. I am not sure if I got a faulty unit or if there are compatibility problems between it and some motherboards--Asus P4C800-E. This is what I wrote to customer service: "The Linksys Bluetooth Adapter does not work after a computer cold boot. Windows detects a new device "CSR Generic Bluetooth Adapter in DFU State." Researching the problem found the device goes into "firmware update mode." Reinstalling Windows does not fix the problem. Tried both WIndows XP SP1a and SP2." Note this adapter works fine as long as it is plugged/unplugged while the computer is still running.