Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

github.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 119 posts

Re: Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

#71

Post by jasomill »

threecheese wrote: post #43

A potential use case for this is using BT-only peripherals, like Apple Magic Trackpad/keyboard, with KVM/USB switches. Would this work? I’d buy one. I currently have to use Synergy to share peripherals between two MacBooks.

Magic Trackpad 2 and (Mac) Magic Keyboards appear as USB HID devices when connected to a computer via Lightning-to-USB (-A or -C) cable.

One annoyance is that macOS automatically Bluetooth pairs with these devices when connected via USB, overwriting any existing pairing, but this shouldn't matter for purely wired scenarios.

For switching Bluetooth devices more generally, observe that most Bluetooth controllers are USB devices; with a bit of effort — mostly just copy/pasting the device pairing keys across all connected hosts — they can be switched just like any other USB peripheral (YMMV with "intelligent" USB KVM switches that virtualize USB HID device connections).

IME the connection delay is a couple seconds longer than switching wired USB HID devices directly, but entirely reasonable for typical KVM use cases.

Note here that "most Bluetooth controllers are USB devices" even extends to internal Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo cards, which are commonly M.2 key A or E (= PCIe + USB 2.0 + …), or M.2 key A or E preinstalled on a mostly passive PCIe adapter, with a separate cable connection to a USB port or motherboard USB header used exclusively for Bluetooth.

This turns out to be a surprisingly useful implementation detail: on one of my work desktops, I'm currently virtual USB-switching the Bluetooth controller on an Intel BE200 PCIe card between a Linux host and a Windows VM running on that host, while keeping Wi-Fi connected to the host.

I have a matching hot key set up in each OS to attach/detach the Bluetooth controller from the VM and simultaneously DDC switch the monitor input between the host (iGPU) and guest (PCIe dGPU passthrough), and it works great.

Coincidentally, the Bluetooth devices I'm using in this configuration are a Magic Trackpad 2, a Magic Keyboard, and a Magic Mouse (the mouse was the motivation for using Bluetooth over USB in the first place, as, unlike the other Apple input devices, it's physically impossible to use when connected via USB).

Re: Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

#73

Post by kelvinjps10 »

prmoustache wrote: post #57
wongarsu wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Secure bluetooth requires manufacturers to get the cryptography right. Even big brands like Logitech have gotten that wrong in recent memory, allowing attackers both to decrypt what you type [1] and to inject keystrokes [2]. And these are long-lived devices, even if vulnerabilities get patched in newer devices there are still plenty of 5 year old or older mice and keyboards with outdated firmware floating around. Not…

Same with keyboards and mouses which use insecure usb radio receivers. This company policy doesn't really prevent that. The best way to correctly fight Shadow IT is to provide equipment and services so good nobody would even care using something else.

But what they offer is crap, I like that my company let's me change the equipment

Re: Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

#74

Post by atomicUpdate »

pwizzler wrote: post #66

Bluetooth was disabled but the USB port... wasn't?

The reasoning I’ve heard is that Bluetooth traffic is easily snoopable without physical access to the device. Someone could potentially steal password keystrokes while sitting outside the office building, on the other side of a window with the shades drawn, whereas with USB you still need to get past the physical security and be at their desk.

Re: Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

#75

Post by bahaaador »

mschuster91 wrote: post #51

I'd love to see something like this but the other way around - a native implementation of a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard in either Android, an iPhone or a RPi with a touchscreen. It would make life in a server rack so much easier if I didn't have to lug around a physical keyboard and mouse...

Oh interesting, I can see how something like that would be useful for myself as well. I think you just gave me some good ideas for future projects as I have a few ideas around using Bluetooth in React Native apps and potentially amalgamating them with Single-board computers. Thank you!

Re: Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

#76

Post by myself248 »

mschuster91 wrote: post #51

I'd love to see something like this but the other way around - a native implementation of a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard in either Android, an iPhone or a RPi with a touchscreen. It would make life in a server rack so much easier if I didn't have to lug around a physical keyboard and mouse...

Blackberries could do that, I think it was called Blackberry Connect or something like that. I used to use my Bold as a keyboard for my laptop when it was parked next to the projector.

Re: Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

#78

Post by reeddavid »

This solves a huge annoyance I've had: swap a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse between multiple laptops, without manually un0paring / re-pairing. I have a personal "hot desk" at home. I want to be able to plug in any laptop to the large monitor, and have the wireless keyboard/mouse on that desk instantly work. And when I leave the desk with my laptop, I don't want that keyboard/mouse connected anymore.

This has been impossible so far, because even USB bluetooth dongles still require each host computer to pair (and un-pair) with the keyboard/mouse.

I am going to try your solution, and I will plug the USB input into the large monitor on my desk. Then any laptop that plugs into that monitor should have access to the wireless keyboard/mouse. Thank you for creating and sharing this!

Re: Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

#80

Post by mmh0000 »

reeddavid wrote: post #78

This solves a huge annoyance I've had: swap a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse between multiple laptops, without manually un0paring / re-pairing. I have a personal "hot desk" at home. I want to be able to plug in any laptop to the large monitor, and have the wireless keyboard/mouse on that desk instantly work. And when I leave the desk with my laptop, I don't want that keyboard/mouse connected anymore. This has been impossib…

All of this is being insanely overcomplicated.

Throwing more complexity at a simple problem might be "fun" from a nerd's POV, and, TBH, building this USB device sounds fun. But entirely unneeded while introducing more points of failure.

A simple solution to your problem:

1. Get a monitor with a built-in USB hub (nearly all of them?). Consider getting a USB-C monitor to reduce the number of cables to 1.

2. Don't use Bluetooth (for a keyboard, for multiple reasons, like needing the keyboard available in early boot). Get a keyboard/mouse with an external USB dongle like Logitech's Unify or Bolt, Corsair's SLIPSTREAM, or any of the other billion options that exist.

3. Plug keyboard/mouse into monitor, plug random computers into monitor. Bam. Unified mouse and keyboard without any pairing.

Post reply on HN