bluetooth internet connection sharing?

[8bit]

Hi,

I have a PC with a wired router for ADSL. My GF has a Mac PowerBook. both have bluetooth. I have the devices paired, i'd like to know if it's possible to have ICS on the PC allow the Mac (or indeed, any Bluetooth aware computer) to connect to the internet over the bluetooth link?

If it is possible I'll post asking how to get the Mac configured for this in the Operating Systems forum, I just need to know if this is theoretically possible!

TIA
8bit

[herulach]

In theory yes, you should be able to do it over a pan, i know i can do it with my dads xda (widcomm stack) but youll need a bluetooth driver that supports it for your pc, and i have no idea if the amc one does.

Also, you know bluetooth transfer speeds are like 10k right? probably just be a lot let hassle to get a wifi adaptor that can work as an AP.

[8bit]

10k? aah right i thought it was a few hundred kbps - so in theory on my 512k link that shouldn't have been a bottleneck. Also if that means the XP machine would have to be able to provide a PAN then it probably wont work as the info I found in XP's helpfiles seems to say that XP can only join one.

was trying to avoid having to pay a premium for an airport card for the powerbook as I'm told these are the only ones the Macs work with and they're more expensive than a PCMCIA WiFi card. Big companies 1 - little guy 0 again i think

[herulach]

You might be able to get away with the mac forming a PAN, and if youre bluetooth 2 speeds should be acceptable, although not astonishing. POwerbooks dont have pcmcia do they?

[directhex]

it works fine for me under linux, i can surf the web on my palm

[8bit]

I think the G3 we've got has a PCMCIA, yes, but the shops I've spoken to all say none of the PCMCIA 802.11 cards they've got work on Macs. I'd just buy one and find out myself normally but if they're going to be iffy about taking the card back if its no joy then I don't want to be out of pocket and still have to stump up for an Airport card. I will also have to get a wireless AP or change my router for a wireless capable model.