Nokia N770/N800 and Follow Me

[Marie.O]

Hello,

first post in the forum, please be gentle

I will use an N800 as an orbiter to control my media directors.

Does the N800 support the follow me function, like other bluetooth based devices?

Best regards

Oliver

[Zaerc]

The N800 doesn't use bluetooth to communicate as far as I know, but it does support "follow me" by manually selecting another room (like all orbiters).

The problem with "automatic" follow me (when using bluetooth devices) is that you'll need Class 3 bluetooth dongles, these are short-range/low power, and seem to be impossible to find nowadays.  The other classes have such a long range that the device won't be out of range and reconnect until you're well outside of your house.

[Marie.O]

Hello Zaerc,

thanks for clearifying the problem.

My experience in houses in Germany indicates no such range problems. I have no bluetooth access outside of each room. It really works only within each specific room.

Is the current orbiter for the Nokias not capable of the automatic follow-up, or should just not be used?

Best regards

Oliver

[hari]

My experience in houses in Germany indicates no such range problems. I have no bluetooth access outside of each room. It really works only within each specific room.

Is the current orbiter for the Nokias not capable of the automatic follow-up, or should just not be used?

the Nokia orbiter is the native linux one compiled for arm. It uses an IP (WLAN) connection and not the "BD" code for orbiters (bluetooth "bridge" to dcerouter).
I don't know if there is a DCE message to change the room on an orbiter. If yes, it should be easy to use some bluetooth scanning software on the N800 (maybe a "hcitool scan") and hack a small script to send messages based on the findings.. If the HWAddr for BT-sticks is stored in the database you should be able to look the room information up from the MAC, too.

but i'm only guessing and don't know for sure. What i know for sure is that there is a better approach to this problem than this quick and dirty hack 

best regards,
Hari

[Zaerc]

Hello Zaerc,

thanks for clearifying the problem.

My experience in houses in Germany indicates no such range problems. I have no bluetooth access outside of each room. It really works only within each specific room.

Is the current orbiter for the Nokias not capable of the automatic follow-up, or should just not be used?

Best regards

Oliver

Currently available bluetooth dongles have a range of well over 10m at the very least and those houses never looked that huge to me.   Anyway what type & model bluetooth dongle are you using?

The mobile orbiter running on Symbian 60 (not v3!) or some Windows-mobile phones is capable of this automatic "follow me", basicly any device connected over bluetooth can do this I reckon.

[Marie.O]

@Hari: Thanks for your input. Will see what can be done.

@Zaerc: The problem with all things wireless does not seem to be the size, but the structure of the house. Where in the US all houses on the west coast where not build using brick and mortar, but plywood and what else. Houses around this part of the world are mostly build out of very solid, radio-wave absorbing materials. Most of the time, this causes problems for W-LAN, but in this specific case it is "A Good Thing"

Regards
Oliver

[blackoper]

I hear you, my house has a ton of very thick mortar walls with the metal mesh inbetween and is instant death for wireless signals. They don't build them like the 1950s and earlier homes anymore

[chrisbirkinshaw]

Yeah, I've got a 500 square flat (small) in which 2 wireless base stations still doesn't cover the whole area!

[Zaerc]

@Hari: Thanks for your input. Will see what can be done.

@Zaerc: The problem with all things wireless does not seem to be the size, but the structure of the house. Where in the US all houses on the west coast where not build using brick and mortar, but plywood and what else. Houses around this part of the world are mostly build out of very solid, radio-wave absorbing materials. Most of the time, this causes problems for W-LAN, but in this specific case it is "A Good Thing"

Regards
Oliver

Have you actually tested this with bluetooth, or are you just assuming, since wifi has problems?

[Marie.O]

Zaerc,

yes, I have tested it with various bluetooth devices. Plantronics and SonyEricsson headsets being the last ones.

Any specific reason for your verfication question?

Regards
Oliver