Building a personal area network
[PAN]
You can use the PAN profile to build a network of Bluetooth
TM
wireless technology-
enabled devices.
A personal area network comprises a client-server architecture. The device to which other devices connect
is called the "server", and a device that connects to the server is called a "client."
The client-server relationship is not necessarily a fixed one. The first of two devices to establish a
connection can be the server when one other device is present, and can be the client in other instances.
Note
l
The maximum total number of devices that can be used to constitute a single personal area network is
seven: one server and six clients.
A network comprising as many as seven devices could theoretically be built, but a operating environment
that involves the use of other Bluetooth
TM
wireless technology devices, leaving aside other
complications, might require the network to comprise fewer components.
By using the PAN profile, you will be able to build a network that uses the same TCP/IP protocol used in
regular LANs. Accordingly, the machine designated as the server can be used for configuration tasks that
utilize DHCP, such as assigning IP addresses to clients.
In addition, you will be able to configure folder and file sharing, which will allow data to
be browsed by other servers or clients on the network.
