What Is Bluetooth Coexistence? (Answered)

bluetooth coexistence
bluetooth coexistence

Bluetooth is a well-known wireless technology that was designed decades ago, especially for short-range wireless connections between two devices within an area called Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). After a few years of its invention, many router broadband companies implied the phenomenon of “Bluetooth Co-existence” within their routers for the advancement of connectivity. How? Bluetooth will continue to exist along with the Wi-Fi services, featuring the optional name as Bluetooth Coexistence.

Bluetooth Coexistence With Wi-Fi:

Both of these wireless media—Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are quite similar. They might transmit in different ways. However, the protocols they use to do it are quite different. Whenever Wi-Fi is operating in the 2.4 GHz band, the transmission for Wi-Fi signals easily interferes with Bluetooth transmissions. The case is vice versa with the Bluetooth transmissions; they transmit to interfere with Wi-Fi transmissions similarly. Why so? It is because Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radio transmissions are often operated in a similar physical area and most of the time, in the same device. This is why the existence of both of these technologies have a profound effect on each other.

802.11 model is fully compatible with Wi-Fi technology connecting digital devices as well as infrastructure within a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). When it comes to compatibility, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi both tend to perform transmissions using distinct ways and multiple protocols. Why? Because Bluetooth and 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n-compliant devices are capable to operate in the typical 2.4 GHz frequency band, and they always interfere mutually.

Moreover, both the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios’ operations take place within a similar physical area network and mostly in the same device. Remember that this type of interference has higher chances to affect the performance and stability of both these two wireless interfaces. There are several ways to mitigate network interference between those two media. This mitigation is done by temporal, ideal, and frequency isolation. If you want to look up these, you can search out the interference mitigation solutions.

Bluetooth Coexistence Option Of Wireless Routers:

Following the feature of Bluetooth coexistence with other wireless technologies in which Wi-Fi tops it all, some of the specific wireless routers have an isolated option of Bluetooth Coexistence, right under the wireless settings professional tab, specifically for the 2.4 GHz band.

Many users wonder about what this option is used for. By now, you must have a fair idea of how the Bluetooth Coexistence phenomenal feature works. This is exactly why this option has been made.

Some of the routers have the following three settings for the Bluetooth Coexistence option.

  • enable
  • disable
  • pre-emptive.

An 802.11 device easily interferes with Bluetooth devices operating on the 2.4 GHz band. Almost every Bluetooth device operates at the 2.4 GHz band. Whenever you experience frequent wireless disconnects, less space or range for network coverage or stunt speeds, or any other connectivity issue, all you would have to do is to turn on some of your Bluetooth devices and switch the option to “Enable”. Doing so would cause your router and Bluetooth device to take turns in using the produced spectrum for communication or simply for “Preemption”.

However, you will need to make sure that this option is cooperated with your Bluetooth device and Wi-Fi router to truly experience the phenomenon of Bluetooth Coexistence.

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