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E6430 - Can I tell if adding a 380 bluetooth card will work from the original specs?
I read a topic here that mentioned something about some E6430s coming with bluetooth "disabled".
Does anyone know the details of what this "factory bluetooth-disabled" thing is?
This E6430 has a smartcard reader and a fingerprint scanner, so I suspect the original owner was pretty security-conscious.
I want to add bluetooth to this E6430, but I don't want to just buy a 380 card and cable and tear it down to try and install it only to find that this is one of those machines that won't allow bluetooth even if I install the card.
Or is there some other way I can tell if this E6430 has this "feature" or whatever you want to call it that prohibits bluetooth connectivity?
And would this anti-bluetooth feature, if it has it, keep me from using a bluetooth USB dongle?
U2CAMEB4ME
4 Operator
4 Operator
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6.2K Posts
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February 3rd, 2023 14:00
Welcome to the Dell Community @mrcoffe
Install an Intel 6235.
The BIOS may not see the Bluetooth part of the card but W10 will.
I use the same card in the E6420 XFR with no problems.
The only problem would be if you had the 380 installed.
Best regards,
U2
Note:
When order using only Dell's part number.
Dell DP/N 5K9GJ Intel Advanced-N 6235
mrcoffe
27 Posts
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February 15th, 2023 13:00
WELL HERE'S THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION, WHICH I HAD TO FIGURE OUT MYSELF, BUT HERE IT IS IF YOU FIND THIS POST AND HAVE THE SAME QUESTION.
Alright guys, here's the deal You CAN tell if your Latitude blocks bluetooth, at least AFTER you waste your money buying a modem with bluetooth. Just bringing another laptop WITH bluetooth near your new-to-you laptop, and you'll find your laptop with fingerprint reader will be putting out a bluetooth signal to jam any nearby bluetooth device with an ID of "Bluetooth LE device 88c62680dec4". As for a workaround, since there are a LOT of these used machines out there, I'm still working on it.
I don't know if you can install just the bluetooth drivers without a bona fide bluetooth device to find the bluetooth jammer, or if it is more involved than that. But the computer that "doesn't work for bluetooth" definitely broadcasts since I can pick it up on a nearby laptop!!!
I'll keep you posted.
JOcean
9 Legend
9 Legend
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12.2K Posts
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February 3rd, 2023 11:00
In the BIOS, F2 at boot, under Wireless Device Enable, check to make sure that the Bluetooth is enabled. Also check Device Manager to see if in fact the Bluetooth hardware exists. If there is a yellow exclamation mark next to the BT then download the drivers from the E6430 Support page.
If you do not have a BT device you can always purchase a USM BT device as shown here.
mrcoffe
27 Posts
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February 3rd, 2023 12:00
I checked in SETUP. Under Wireless Device Enable, the Bluetooth check box is present and is enabled.
Do you know if that means this isn't one of the "bluetooth prohibited" models? See OP.
The 380 bluetooth is card is not present and doesn't even show in Device Manager, but my question is about trying to tell if this particular E6430 is one of those machines that has the "bluetooth prohibited" factory feature that won't allow bluetooth even if I install a bluetooth card.
Right now I'm leaning toward the intel wireless card that is dual band and has bluetooth as well, and would be much easier to install than the Dell 380 Bluetooth.card.
mrcoffe
27 Posts
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February 9th, 2023 00:00
I obtained and installed a DP/N 5K9GJ Intel Advanced-N 6235 as recommended. I works fine for wifi, and for bluetooth - not quite. In the "Add a bluetooth" my bluetooth Headphones and my Bluetooth UE Boom show up, but when I click connect, it says "connecting" and then times out, saying "unable to connect, try connecting again."
Any suggestions? I've tried everything I could find suggested with various troubleshooters and multiple articles on Microsoft and elsewhere to no avail.
This is really frustrating because my other E6430 with an i5 and 380 card will connect to both audio devices without a hitch.
Ideas?
mrcoffe
27 Posts
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February 10th, 2023 08:00
It is beginning to appear to me that my E6430 IS one of those which is factory-disabled for bluetooth.
I installed a dell 6235 as JOcean suggested, and the wireless works fine for wifi. There is a bluetooth function that shows up in Device Manager and puts a bluetooth icon in the hidden icons of the taskbar, it shows up in Control Panel and System setting, too, but it will not work with either bluetooth audio device and allow it to be send audio (UE Boom2, Cowin Bluetooth Headphones).
The 6235 Bluetooth will PAIR with the bluetooth audio devices, but it does not show up in the Audio Devices in Device Manager, nor the Audio, Video and Game Controllers. The UE Boom 2 shows up under Bluetooth in Device Manager, which says if Functioning properly.
But in order to get it to even PAIR with the UE Boom, I first have to connect to a "Bluetooth LE device 88c62680dec4" first, which I've now figured out after searching the Registry is not really a wireless bluetooth device, but rather the fingerprint reader on the E6430.
Since I'm figuring this is a security thing blocking my bluetooth speaker, I'm doubtful a Bluetooth dongle will work either. Troubleshooters (bluetooth; devices and drivers; and audio) don't help.
Attached are a few screen shots of the registry.
I'm considering trying to edit the registry and see if I can remove whatever keys might be interfering with the normal bluetooth connection, although it would be a shot in the dark since I don't really have a deep understanding of the registry.
Anyone out there have any ideas from looking at this?
Other places in the registry you think might be helpful to snoop around in?
Thanks for any wisdom or ideas you can share.