# Bluetooth question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-question/318814>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-question/318814 "2005-08-27T00:00:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-question/318814/1 "2005-08-27T00:00:02Z")

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Bluetooth wireless devices are supposed to work up to about thirty feet from the PC. How reliable is that at the upper limits of that distance?

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**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-question/318814/2 "2005-08-27T00:19:03Z")

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I use my wireless headset throughout my house - max through-the-walls distance is about 40 feet, and I haven’t had any trouble. Consistent sound quality and connection. Farthest I’ve used my Pocket PC for connection was probably about 20 feet, and I had no problems there either. I know that anecdote != data and all, but…

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-question/318814/3 "2005-08-27T01:41:50Z")

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Cool. Thanks. One of the departments at work wants to use a barcode scanner about 20-30 feet away from the PC. We could run a long serial cable, but the manufacturer also makes a Bluetooth scanner, so that might be cheaper and simpler.

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**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-question/318814/4 "2005-08-27T04:58:29Z")

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"  
Bluetooth Range

Most Bluetooth devices are described as ‘Class 2’. These are very low power (typically 1 milliwatt - 1/1000th of a watt) and have a range of about 10 m (33 ft).

Some devices - for example, some plug in ‘dongles’ that can be added to to laptop computers - are Class 1. These have range comparable to that of Wi-Fi, ie, 100 m or 330 ft.  
"