Bluetooth Tethering connection for SD Internet (METAR, TAF)

[guex]

Hi,
I try to use Bluetooth Tethering on my mobile phone to get live METAR, TAF, etc data in to my SD as Wifi is connected to the PAW, but it is not working.
I had other project with Wifi occupied (hostapd, udhcpd) and it was working with the Bluetooth Tethering, any ideas ?

[Ian Melville]

Slightly confused, BlueTooth tethering between phone and what?

[guex]

sorry between phone and tablet bluetooth tethering so you get live data on SD but it looks like PAW Wifi DHCP is not allowing it to have a Internet connection

[Ian Melville]

Just had a chance to test this.
Set iPhone as a mobile Bluetooth hotspot. Turned off Wifi, to force it to use 3G
Set iPad with Mobile data (3G SIM) off,  and WiFi Off, Connected to iPhone hotspot and tested SkyDemon (SD) could get web based data. Passed that one.
Turned on iPad WiFi and connected to PAW hotspot. SD can still get data from web.
Simulated a flight, and SD still gets data.

Cleared all connections then set up the connection to PAW first then BT hotspot, still works OK.

Not sure what you are doing wrong, but it does not appear to be a restriction imposed by PAW unit.

[guex]

done the same
Set Sony Xperia 5 as a mobile Bluetooth hotspot. Turned off Wifi, to force it to use 3G/4G
Set HP Slate 8 with Mobile data (3G SIM) off,  and WiFi Off, Connected to Sony hotspot and tested SkyDemon (SD) could get web based data. Passed that one.
Turned on Slate 8 WiFi and connected to PAW hotspot. SD can not get data from web.

so it could be a Android  problem :-(

Phone Sony, v6.0.1
Tablet HP Slate 8, v5.1.1
SD v3.6.3.28529

[Ian Melville]

Try letting your phone use home WiFi rather than 3G for Internet access. It could be a 3G restriction.

[guex]

already tried, same result, no access to internet

[exfirepro]

Hi guex,

I have been following this thread with interest as I didn't realise you could connect an iPad via a mobile hotspot using Bluetooth - I have always been labouring under the misunderstanding that Apple won't allow their devices to connect to 'non-Apple' devices using Bluetooth. In the past, therefore, I have always used WiFi to link my 'non-3/4G' iPad Mini 3 to the internet when away from home using my 'Android' Samsung Galaxy S5 - which of course precludes doing so when the tablet is connected to PAW.

Out of interest, I just tried the following on my setup and have to say it works great.

Connected iPad Mini 3 to PAW (running 20160820) - via PilotAware WiFi as normal and all PAW screens are visible on the iPad.

Switched off WiFi on my phone (Android Samsung Galaxy S5).

Enabled Mobile Hotspot* and Bluetooth Tethering on the phone. (* This automatically disables WiFi on my phone anyway)

Connected the iPad Mini to the phone by Bluetooth.

Started up SkyDemon (latest version) and uploaded recent track logs to the cloud using the Bluetooth Link.

Initiated a 'flight' on SkyDemon using 'Flarm' connection to PAW - all running as normal.

Opened SD 'Airfields' Tab and added a random airfield chart to test the Internet access.

In addition SD has automatically updated several in flight NOTAMs and METARs while I have been typing this post on my laptop.

So the Bluetooth Mobile Phone Hotspot definitely provides internet access while SD is using the PAW WiFi.

Perhaps something is wrong with your phone or tablet settings? It certainly doesn't appear to be a PAW issue.

P.S. Not sure how well this method of Internet access will work in the air, though presumably plenty of people use 3G/4G to keep their Nav Systems updated in flight - I have always thought I couldn't do this with my 'Non 3G/4G Pad'. I will certainly give it a go next time I am airborne!

Thanks for (albeit inadvertently) bringing this option to my attention - I hope you get your own system sorted.

Best Regards

Peter

[Richard]

Hi,
  If all above works, can you do PAW updates this way?

[exfirepro]

Hi Richard,

Unfortunately I'm afraid the answer to your question will almost certainly be 'NO'. What this does is allows the TABLET to connect to the internet via a Bluetooth link, using the phone's internet connection while the Tablet's own Wifi is tied up by PAW.

To download updates, PAW's WiFi would need to be configured as a 'Client' and as Lee has told us several times in the past, it has to be configured as a 'host' so it can supply the necessary data to the Nav systems.

Sorry

Personally, I will be using Lee's 'update via USB Stick' option for my 'In Plane PAW' once I have done the initial update to 20160820 to make this available. This also facilitates the downloading of PAW track logs for external analysis, so a double bonus!

Regards

Peter

[guex]

Hi exfirepro,

What versions have you on your devices?
iPad Mini 3
Samsung Galaxy S5

I am not able to get it work with different configs.

[Paul_Sengupta]

I think it is an Android thing. Just tried it on my 2012 Nexus 7 running Android 4.4.4. Under the bluetooth bit, it has a tick box for the connection to my phone, and you can tick "Use for internet connection". If you turn on the wifi and it connects to something this box is automatically unticked. You can tick it back on but it automatically switches off a few seconds later.

There's probably a system menu setting to stop this happening, but it's 1:22am and I'm not looking for it now!

[exfirepro]

Hi again guex,

iPad mini 3 running version 9.3.5

Samsung Galaxy S5 running Android 6.0.1

I've been using it at odd hours of the morning all weekend at Sywell, when I woke up in my tent and couldn't get back to sleep, though the 3G signal was intolerably slow. I'm also using it now to post this as I had to do a precautionary overnight at Eshott on my way home due lack of both fuel and daylight and haven't got the wiFi code.

I just enabled Bluetooth tethering on the Galaxy in 'Settings' - 'Tethering and Mobile Hotspot'. (Do not enable 'Mobile Hotspot' as this tries to set your phone up as a WiFi hotspot which you do not want), made Blutooth visible in the Galaxy 'Settings - Bluetooth' page, then on my iPad in 'Settings - Bluetooth' turned Blutooth 'On' and connected to the visible 'Galaxy S5'.

As Paul says, it may be a 'Settings' issue somewhere but I certainly didn't have to change from (AFAIRC).my factory defaults and mine is certainly not switching itself back off - at least not so far....

Hope you can get yours working.

Regards

Peter