The Bluetooth functionality is described in terms of profiles defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). There are two main profiles of interest to us and one profile is worth mentioning. There are two different profiles that offer network connectivity, namely, Personal Area Networking (PAN) and Dial-up Networking (DUN). They both offer TCP/IP connectivity but in a different manner. It is important to repeat that network connectivity is offered by either of these options; this does not necessarily imply Internet connectivity.

Some mobile devices support the DUN or PAN profiles as a means of obtaining Internet connectivity and not exporting it. Despite this, it can still be used to provide connectivity between the device and the BeagleBone.

While we won't discuss it, it is worth mentioning Serial Port Profile (SPP). SPP emulates a serial port over Bluetooth at both the BeagleBone end and the mobile device end. If TCP/IP connectivity is not needed, SPP can provide a simple...