Using Bluetooth Headsets

Using Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software, you can use Bluetooth stereo and mono headsets on your computer to listen to music and answer VoIP calls. Also, you can turn your computer into a Bluetooth speaker for any other Bluetooth-enabled device.

Supported audio profiles include:

Playing Music from Computer to Bluetooth Headset

Bluetooth Stereo headsets can be connected to your computer to listen to music and to control audio player software running on your computer.

To start working with you headset device, add it to the Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software device list by following the next steps:

  1. Double-click the selected headset device or right-click and select the Bluetooth operations menu item.
    The Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window opens.
  2. To connect the headset to your computer, click on Listen to Music in the Audio & Video group of the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window.
  3. As soon as connection is established, the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window is updated to inform you of the established connection. At the same time the Forward VoIP calls to Handsfree link is disabled.
    After configuring your headset, it becomes the default audio device for your computer and can be used to listen to music played by the computer.
    Note: Only one audio connection at a time is allowed. If you want to connect to another audio device, you need to first disconnect from the existing audio connection.
  4. To disconnect from an existing audio connection, click Disconnect in the Audio & Video group of the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings.
  5. If under some conditions you cannot hear music from your Bluetooth headset, check your Default Audio device settings as described below.

Default audio device

When an audio connection is established, the Bluetooth Audio device is automatically set as a default Playback device in the Windows Operation system.

In some rare conditions, the Bluetooth audio default device may not work automatically. For example, if you manually setup another audio device as a default audio device before connection is established with Bluetooth headset, the Bluetooth audio device may not work.

In this case, open Windows Sound properties from the system tray menu or Manage audio devices from Hardware and Sound section in Control Panel and setup the Bluetooth Audio device as the default device.

When a Bluetooth headset is switched off or disconnected, the Windows operating system switches the default audio device back to the previous default device.

Receiving Voice over IP (VoIP) Calls While Listening to Music

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software allows you to use Bluetooth stereo and mono headsets seamlessly while listening to music from your computer and receiving Skype calls. The following features are supported:

Note: You can allow these features work seamlessly by enabling the Bluetooth Plugin in Windows Media Player and ensuring that Skype access is allowed for the “btplayerctrl.exe” plugin.

Use Bluetooth Headset for VoIP Calls

Using Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software, most Bluetooth headsets can be used as an audio communication device for VoIP telephony programs.

If you are only planning to use your headset as a VoIP communication device, follow the steps shown next. If you want to listen to music while answering an incoming Skype call, follow the procedure from Receiving Voice over IP (VoIP) calls while listening to music. In this case, all required reconfiguration are performed automatically by Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software with Skype integration.

To start working with headset device:

  1. Add your headset device to the device list: use Add a Device menu item by right-clicking on the Bluetooth tray icon.
  2. Select Show Bluetooth Devices in Bluetooth tray menu.
  3. Double-click on an icon of the selected headset device or right-click the icon and select Bluetooth operations to open the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window.
  4. To connect the headset to your personal computer (PC) as a communication device, click Forward VoIP call to Handsfree link in the Telephony group of the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window.

As soon as connection is established, the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window is updated to inform you of the established connection. At the same time Listen to Music link is disabled. Once connected, you can use your headset as default communication audio device in VoIP programs like Skype.

Note: You are only allowed to have one audio connection at a time. Before connecting to another audio device, you need to disconnect from the existing audio connection.

To disconnect from an existing audio connection, click Disconnect in the Forward VoIP Calls to Handsfree group of the services view.

Listen to Music from Bluetooth Device over Computer Speakers

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software is able to perform audio playback from a Bluetooth device to default audio devices that are connected to your computer.

To start using your computer as a Bluetooth speaker for your Bluetooth device:

  1. Add your device to the device list: use Add a Device menu item by right-clicking on the Bluetooth tray icon.
  2. Select Show Bluetooth Devices in Bluetooth tray menu.
  3. Double-click on an icon of the selected device or right-click the icon and select Bluetooth operations to open the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window.
  4. Click Play music link in the Audio & Video group of the Bluetooth Device Operations and Settings window.
    After this operation is completed, audio stream from the remote device is forwarded to your computer speakers (or another configured default audio device).

With an active Play Music connection it is possible to use the media control toolbar to control the remote media player using Bluetooth. The toolbar is added automatically to the Windows system toolbars on your computer. The toolbar supports standard actions like Play/Stop, Next/Previous track and volume control.

To stop using your computer as a Bluetooth speaker, click Disconnect in the Play music link.