Bluetooth Lenovo Thinkpad T410

[Briand18]

Does it have one? Certainly my Mint doesn't see it.

Before I go out and buy an adaptor (if poss) I want to know if it has one built in. Replies on Google seem a bit uncertain as to whether or not this model has bluetooth onboard, and since I haven't got Windows installed I can't follow the suggestions as to how to find out!

[Neil Edmond]

Only select models of T410 have built in bluetooth: http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T410
What is you machines type number? You can look up what hardware your ThinkPad had when it left the factory with that.

[AndyMH]

If you need one, cheap off ebay, e.g.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Think ... SwHrtfxKM3

[Briand18]

It says Type 2537 (plus some other ID stuff) on the back.

[Briand18]

It says Type 2537 (plus some other ID stuff) on the back.

Sod it, at six quid I'll take a chance that I'll be doubling up if it does turn out to have onboard Bluetooth

[Neil Edmond]

Good move! It most likely did not come from the factory with one installed. You would need the complete 7-digit type number to tell. Plug that number in here to check.

[AndyMH]

One of the nice things about thinkpads - parts are cheap and easy to get
If it already has bluetooth it should work out of the box. My T410 did until I replaced it with a T430.

[Briand18]

Andy,

It arrived today, but I can't immediately see where to plug it in. Is it a screwdriver and main board job? Groan, if so.

I see there are Bluetooth USB adaptors, but they are a bit more expensive, so I'd like to get this one working if poss.

[AndyMH]

And another nice thing about the older thinkpads - all the reference manuals are available

Download:
https://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/p ... 535_01.pdf
it will tell you exactly how to install, not only the bluetooth adapter but everything else as well.

Note this is for the T410, if you have a T410S (which I had) it is a different manual:
https://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/p ... 271_07.pdf
Think there was also a T410i

[Sundowner]

Thanks for the link Neal...

My T410 came factory spec'd:

ThinkPad T Series laptops ThinkPad T410 2522-23U i5-520M(2.4GHz), 2GB RAM, 320GB 7200rpm HD, 14.1in 1280x800 LCD, 256MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS3100m, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11agn wireless, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure Chip, Fingerprint reader, 9c Li-Ion, Win7 Pro 32

The RAM had been updated before I got it used, free from a friend.

[Briand18]

And another nice thing about the older thinkpads - all the reference manuals are available

Download:
https://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/p ... 535_01.pdf
it will tell you exactly how to install, not only the bluetooth adapter but everything else as well.

Note this is for the T410, if you have a T410S (which I had) it is a different manual:
https://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/p ... 271_07.pdf
Think there was also a T410i

Sigh, so it is a screwdriver and curse job. I think I'll write off the six quid, or put it back on eBay.

Can anyone recommend a USB Bluetooth dongle?

[AndyMH]

Ahhh! just had a look myself, it is a lot of screws.

[Briand18]

There are plenty of cheap usb bluetooth dongles on eBay. Although they call themselves 'For Windows' is this a piece of kit which will just plug and play in a USB port on Mint, like most other USB things eg memory sticks, external drives etc?

[Neil Edmond]

Usually, yes, they are plug and play. I've used a couple of them in the past. Don't know what brand or who's radio is in them though.

[AndyMH]

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=342869&p=2003927&h ... h#p2003927

[Briand18]

Usually, yes, they are plug and play. I've used a couple of them in the past. Don't know what brand or who's radio is in them though.

Well, I got an unbranded one off eBay and it doesn't seem to be doing anything. It's permanently searching for devices, but seeing none and none see it. It's got a nice blue light coming out of it, on the plus side....

Sigh, over many years I've never had much luck with Bluetooth and Linux. IIRC the only one that worked was a Dell with Mint 13.

[Neil Edmond]

Oh! Sorry about that. Didn't mean to mislead, but now that you mention it, I've never had much luck with the default bluetooth software either. IIRC, seems the blueman package worked much better, most of the time for me.

[Briand18]

it's strange. After all, Bluetooth is hardly new technology, and mobile phones seem to have no problem. Considering we are told that Android largely piggybacks off Linux, it doesn't make sense to me that Bluetooth is such a hit and miss area on Linux laptops.