USB BT Dongle - long shot
Thread Starter
USB BT Dongle - long shot
Just before Covid struck I bought a mini BlueTooth USB dongle, I can't remember the brand. The only label on it just says V5.0. It has no buttons or obvious control features and came without any driver S/W.
It claimed to be Windows 8 compatible but when I tried to kick it into life it was ignored by my only Windows machine, plugged it in and it never registered as being there. Nada response.
So, two questions.
1) How might I be able to do something to wake it up/pair it with my phone?
2) If I am able to wake it up and pair it will it stay paired if taken and plugged into something else.
The reason I ask is this. My new car has a USB socket and a built in wireless phone charger. It doesn't support a wireless version of Android Auto but apparently does let you use a USB lead to connect. This is a pity as you have to remember to connect when you get into the car, every time. So, I would like the dongle to be paired to my phone before I get the car and have it stay paired for ever. Then I can put the dongle into the socket and pop the phone into the box and forget it. One concern I have is that if you pop the cable connected phone into the wireless charger, a conveniently placed box in the central storage area behind the handbrake and gear controls, the phone ends up being charged by the USB cable AND by the wireless charging pod. One of the reviews I found on line claimed the tester's phone was overcharged as it was not able to handle being charged by two methods at once. I don't want to risk it being an issue with my phone........... so I want a way to connect the phone to the car and still have it in the charger box.
Sorry I can't look up the brand of the dongle, there is nothing quite like it on Ebay at the present time but it is similar to this but the plastic case is white and rounded.
If I can't make it work, can someone recommend a BT dongle that will do what I want? Basically it needs to talk to the car and the phone and appear, to the car, that a USB is connecting it to the car.
Ta,
Rans6..........................
It claimed to be Windows 8 compatible but when I tried to kick it into life it was ignored by my only Windows machine, plugged it in and it never registered as being there. Nada response.
So, two questions.
1) How might I be able to do something to wake it up/pair it with my phone?
2) If I am able to wake it up and pair it will it stay paired if taken and plugged into something else.
The reason I ask is this. My new car has a USB socket and a built in wireless phone charger. It doesn't support a wireless version of Android Auto but apparently does let you use a USB lead to connect. This is a pity as you have to remember to connect when you get into the car, every time. So, I would like the dongle to be paired to my phone before I get the car and have it stay paired for ever. Then I can put the dongle into the socket and pop the phone into the box and forget it. One concern I have is that if you pop the cable connected phone into the wireless charger, a conveniently placed box in the central storage area behind the handbrake and gear controls, the phone ends up being charged by the USB cable AND by the wireless charging pod. One of the reviews I found on line claimed the tester's phone was overcharged as it was not able to handle being charged by two methods at once. I don't want to risk it being an issue with my phone........... so I want a way to connect the phone to the car and still have it in the charger box.
Sorry I can't look up the brand of the dongle, there is nothing quite like it on Ebay at the present time but it is similar to this but the plastic case is white and rounded.
If I can't make it work, can someone recommend a BT dongle that will do what I want? Basically it needs to talk to the car and the phone and appear, to the car, that a USB is connecting it to the car.
Ta,
Rans6..........................
You'll need to post the make and model of the entertainment system in your car, or if you don't know that, then the make and model of the car, to have a chance of finding out.
I suppose it's possible that you can find a USB dongle which includes the hardware to convert the signal to be compatible to a wired device but, if you do, then that will be obvious from the description. I think that's unlikely though and if it did exist it would probably have to be designed specifically for the device it was connecting to.
Last edited by netstruggler; 3rd May 2024 at 07:30.
There is handshaking that USB requires to identify the device to know what software to use to talk to it. It may be that the device is simply dead or a scam. Every USB device is supposed to present a device ID so the OS can tell them apart from other devices, though they may not be serialized.
See https://superuser.com/questions/4202...cognition-work
See https://superuser.com/questions/4202...cognition-work
It claimed to be Windows 8 compatible but when I tried to kick it into life it was ignored by my only Windows machine, plugged it in and it never registered as being there. Nada response.
So, two questions.
1) How might I be able to do something to wake it up/pair it with my phone?
.
So, two questions.
1) How might I be able to do something to wake it up/pair it with my phone?
.
If you get it working and paired to your windows computer then I don't think it will stay paired if you plug it into a different host, but I'm prepared to be surprised.
If you pair it separately on both hosts then I would expect to be then able to swap between them without repairing, but I'd be prepared to be disappointed. I have a bluetooth mouse which I cannot swap between two laptops without repairing because the mouse can only 'remember' a single host. Apparently there are bluetooth mice with the ability to remember more than one.
Thread Starter
I stumbled across some stuff about Android Auto wireless dongles last evening. It would seem that they are not just a USB cable replacement but they may be USB and WiFi combined. The prices suggest they are not a £2.99 item like the one I have but somewhat more. Starting prices are £20+ and go up into the 100's so clearly more than a USB cable replacement.
The device I have didn't register when I popped it into a new Linux Mint laptop but it did show a blue light withing its white plastic body. I would like to make it work for something but the car connection won't be it.
The car is a Subaru Solterra, I don't know who supplies the infotainment gubbings, it is called Subaru in the spec. It supports Apple Carplay wirelessly but Android Auto is only wired. It has Harmon Kardon audio so it is probably worth getting the phone fully connected.
Thanks for your comments so far.
The device I have didn't register when I popped it into a new Linux Mint laptop but it did show a blue light withing its white plastic body. I would like to make it work for something but the car connection won't be it.
The car is a Subaru Solterra, I don't know who supplies the infotainment gubbings, it is called Subaru in the spec. It supports Apple Carplay wirelessly but Android Auto is only wired. It has Harmon Kardon audio so it is probably worth getting the phone fully connected.
Thanks for your comments so far.
The blue light simply indicates there is an LED and a dropping resistor attached across the power and ground pins.
