RPi Bluetooth PAN

[nordoc]

Hello,

I'm trying to create a PAN with my RPI but I'm stilling unable to connect my iPad. I'm able to have a pairing but nothing more.

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hci0:   Type: BR/EDR  Bus: USB
        BD Address: 00:02:72:3E:6D:26  ACL MTU: 1021:8  SCO MTU: 64:1
        UP RUNNING PSCAN ISCAN 
        RX bytes:12908 acl:76 sco:0 events:393 errors:0
        TX bytes:9452 acl:82 sco:0 commands:295 errors:0
        Features: 0xbf 0xfe 0xcf 0xfe 0xdb 0xff 0x7b 0x87
        Packet type: DM1 DM3 DM5 DH1 DH3 DH5 HV1 HV2 HV3 
        Link policy: RSWITCH SNIFF 
        Link mode: ACCEPT MASTER 
        Name: 'RPiBlue'
        Class: 0x420300
        Service Classes: Networking, Telephony
        Device Class: LAN Access, Uncategorized
        HCI Version: 4.0 (0x6)  Revision: 0x1000
        LMP Version: 4.0 (0x6)  Subversion: 0x220e
        Manufacturer: Broadcom Corporation (15)

And if i start

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pand --listen --role NAP

I'll be able to pair my ipad or anything else but I'm still "not connected"
Thank you for your help.

[dbazile]

I have a similar issue. I'm trying to create a bluetooth PAN with my iPad so I can use VPN with the iPad to use it as a monitor when not on my home network.

When I use the code below, the pi tells me it will not connect. It will pair with it however.

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root@raspberrypi:/etc/bluetooth# sudo pand --connect D8:A2:5E:00:D4:AD -n                      
pand[3013]: Bluetooth PAN daemon version 4.99
pand[3013]: Connecting to D8:A2:5E:00:D4:AD
pand[3013]: Connect to D8:A2:5E:00:D4:AD failed. Connection refused(111)
root@raspberrypi:/etc/bluetooth# 

[arpitagarwal]

I'm getting the same issue. I ran the command :

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 pand -c <mac> --role PANU --persist 30 

and when I run -

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hcidump -x 

, I get the following output:

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> HCI Event: Command Status (0x0f) plen 4
    Create Connection (0x01|0x0005) status 0x00 ncmd 1
> HCI Event: Connect Complete (0x03) plen 11
    status 0x04 handle 12 bdaddr <mac> type ACL encrypt 0x00
    Error: Page Timeout

Any idea how do we exchange messages between the two devices? iOS and bluetooth 4 on raspberry pi ?

[maxwed]

To be frank, I don't believe that this is possible without some programming on the Apple side... the PAN profile just doesn't seem to work out of the box.

When I try to initiate the connection from the RPI side I also get "Connection refused(111)". Digging deeper into the HCIDUMP I found a: "Connect req: psm 15..." sent by the RPI with the answer from the iOS side: "Connection refused, PSM not supported". But PSM 15 is the "port" that is used for BNEP/PAN, so the iOS Device in effect tells me that it doesn't support PAN.

Thats strange, since via SDP it tells me it DOES support PAN (0x1115)... and I configured the RPI's SDP to support PAN (plus NAP (0x1116) and GN (0x1117), to be on the safe side).

When I tried to initiate the connection from the iOS side, it... connects! I just didn't know for which profile, but quickly suspected it wasn't PAN, since I didn't have the interface bnep0 created on the RPI, nor did ifconfig on the Apple device reveal an additional interface. HCIDUMP to the rescue: The device connects on PSM 23... which means its connecting for Audio/Video Control Transport. And thats really strange, since I expressly deleted all services from the SDP on RPI except PAN/NAP/GN. So iOS connects for AVCTP in spite of the fact that the RPI tells it that it doesnt support that profile...

All this I did with an Ipod Touch 2G with iOS 4.2.1 (maximum for that device). Maybe later iOS versions behave differently. As to earlier versions: An iPad 1 with iOS 3.2 simply tells me via SDP that it doesn't support PAN, so I didn't even try.

In contrast, on my Android (Google Nexus 7, Android 4.2.1) PAN works like a charm. I didn't use pand however, since thats depreciated, but the latest bluez script "test-nap", which I had to adapt slightly to make it work with bluez 4.99, which is the version on my RPI... just code it similar to "test-network". As soon as I switch on bluetooth on the Nexus7 (having paired it before and set it to "trusted" on the RPI), an option appears on the Nexus7: "Use for internet access". When I switch that on, the bnep0 interface appears on the RPI, and a bt-pan interface on the Nexus7... making sure that their configuration matches (ifconfig on the Nexus, /etc/network/interfaces on the RPI), I now can use ConnectBot or any other ssh client on the Nexus7 to connect to the RPI.

With an external battery pack I'm now fully mobile with my RPI and Nexus7, without needing wires between computer and monitor/keyboard... nice!

[tpchuckles]

To be frank, I don't believe that this is possible without some programming on the Apple side... the PAN profile just doesn't seem to work out of the box.

When I try to initiate the connection from the RPI side I also get "Connection refused(111)". Digging deeper into the HCIDUMP I found a: "Connect req: psm 15..." sent by the RPI with the answer from the iOS side: "Connection refused, PSM not supported". But PSM 15 is the "port" that is used for BNEP/PAN, so the iOS Device in effect tells me that it doesn't support PAN.

Thats strange, since via SDP it tells me it DOES support PAN (0x1115)... and I configured the RPI's SDP to support PAN (plus NAP (0x1116) and GN (0x1117), to be on the safe side).

When I tried to initiate the connection from the iOS side, it... connects! I just didn't know for which profile, but quickly suspected it wasn't PAN, since I didn't have the interface bnep0 created on the RPI, nor did ifconfig on the Apple device reveal an additional interface. HCIDUMP to the rescue: The device connects on PSM 23... which means its connecting for Audio/Video Control Transport. And thats really strange, since I expressly deleted all services from the SDP on RPI except PAN/NAP/GN. So iOS connects for AVCTP in spite of the fact that the RPI tells it that it doesnt support that profile...

All this I did with an Ipod Touch 2G with iOS 4.2.1 (maximum for that device). Maybe later iOS versions behave differently. As to earlier versions: An iPad 1 with iOS 3.2 simply tells me via SDP that it doesn't support PAN, so I didn't even try.

In contrast, on my Android (Google Nexus 7, Android 4.2.1) PAN works like a charm. I didn't use pand however, since thats depreciated, but the latest bluez script "test-nap", which I had to adapt slightly to make it work with bluez 4.99, which is the version on my RPI... just code it similar to "test-network". As soon as I switch on bluetooth on the Nexus7 (having paired it before and set it to "trusted" on the RPI), an option appears on the Nexus7: "Use for internet access". When I switch that on, the bnep0 interface appears on the RPI, and a bt-pan interface on the Nexus7... making sure that their configuration matches (ifconfig on the Nexus, /etc/network/interfaces on the RPI), I now can use ConnectBot or any other ssh client on the Nexus7 to connect to the RPI.

With an external battery pack I'm now fully mobile with my RPI and Nexus7, without needing wires between computer and monitor/keyboard... nice!

I am trying to set up a PAN from android to my pi, but i'm having trouble. is there any chance i could get your test-pan script? and then what did you do with that?

[maxwed]

I am trying to set up a PAN from android to my pi, but i'm having trouble. is there any chance i could get your test-pan script? and then what did you do with that?

Sorry for replying so late...

Install Bluez:

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sudo apt-get install bluez python-gobject

Pair:

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sudo bluez-test-adapter discoverable on
sdptool add nap
sudo bluez-simple-agent

In your android device go to bluetooth settings, select RPI to pair, confirm pairing on both sides

Make the trusting permanent:

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sudo bluez-test-device trusted {bluetooth-address-android-device} yes

Name the following script bluez-test-nap and copy to /usr/bin/ where the other bluez scripts reside:

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#!/usr/bin/python

from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals

import sys
import time
import dbus
from optparse import OptionParser, make_option
#import bluezutils

bus = dbus.SystemBus()

manager = dbus.Interface(bus.get_object("org.bluez", "/"),
						"org.bluez.Manager")

option_list = [
		make_option("-i", "--device", action="store",
				type="string", dest="dev_id"),
		]
parser = OptionParser(option_list=option_list)

(options, args) = parser.parse_args()

if options.dev_id:
	adapter_path = manager.FindAdapter(options.dev_id)
else:
	adapter_path = manager.DefaultAdapter()

server = dbus.Interface(bus.get_object("org.bluez", adapter_path),
						"org.bluez.NetworkServer")

service = "nap"

if (len(args) < 1):
	bridge = "tether"
else:
	bridge = args[0]

server.Register(service, bridge)

print("Server for %s registered for %s" % (service, bridge))

print("Press CTRL-C to disconnect")

try:
	time.sleep(1000)
	print("Terminating connection")
except:
	pass

server.Unregister(service)

There are different options how to start it, i choose this: Create a file named nap in /etc/init.d, content:

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### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          nap
# Required-Start:    $remote_fs $all
# Required-Stop:     $remote_fs
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
# Short-Description: Starts and stops python script
# Description:       Starts and stops python script
### END INIT INFO

    PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
    DAEMON=/usr/bin/bluez-test-nap
    NAME=nap
    DESC="Bluetooth NAP Script"

    test -x $DAEMON || exit 0

    . /lib/lsb/init-functions

    set -e

    case "$1" in
      start)
        echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
        start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid --background --make-pidfile --exec $DAEMON
        echo "$NAME."
        ;;
      stop)
        echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
        start-stop-daemon --stop --oknodo --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid
        echo "$NAME."
        ;;
      restart)
        $0 stop
        sleep 1
        $0 start
        ;;
      *)
        echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}" >&2
        exit 1
        ;;

    esac

    exit 0

To execute this file every system start, execute:

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sudo update-rc.d nap defaults

Insert into /etc/network/interfaces:

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allow-hotplug bnep0
iface bnep0 inet static
  address 192.168.147.1
  netmask 255.255.255.0

Now you can connect to 192.168.147.1 (as an example) from your android device via bt and use your tablet/smartphone etc. as a wirelessly connected monitor/keyboard. For tablets i can recommend vx connectbot as ssh client.

P.S. Dont forget the necessary chmods for the scripts.

[maxwed]

P.S., in case this is still interesting to someone:

1. Its better to configure bnep0 on the raspberry pi with a link local ip (169.254.x.x) because then nothing has to be configured on the partner device, because it seems the automatic connect creates 169.254-addresses there too... so the device can connect, because netmask is 255.255.0.0. No configuration on the partner device needed.

2. After updating my Ipad 1 to iOS 5.1.1, PAN worked flawlessly on that device. Using iSSH or similar ssh clients the iPad can, with this iOS version (or later ones, I presume), be indeed used as a Screen/Input device for the Pi via Bluetooth.... nice. Configuration on the Pi side is the same as I described above.

[ykasidit]

This is a great idea - to use a tablet to ssh into a Pi via Bluetooth PAN.

I humbly suggest to modify the bluez-test-nap by putting an infinite loop around the "time.sleep(1000)" - in my code I replace it with:

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while (1):
		time.sleep(30)

just to make sure the nap service runs forever - otherwise, in my similar test, the nap service would quit after several minutes.

[ashtonmarkson]

This is a wonderful idea, but after trying it, I get the following error on bluez-test-nap.
Any ideas?

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traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/bluez-test-nap", line 39, in <module>
    server.Register(service, bridge)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 70, in __call__
    return self._proxy_method(*args, **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 145, in __call__
    **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/connection.py", line 651, in call_blocking
    message, timeout)
dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: Method "Register" with signature "ss" on interface "org.bluez.NetworkServer" doesn't exist

[Douglas6]

My first guess is a difference in BlueZ versions. That line of code works for me.

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$ dpkg --status bluez | grep '^Version:'
Version: 4.99-2

[ashtonmarkson]

That's the version I have. but to answer my question, If I simply run:

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sudo pand --listen --role NAP -u /etc/bluetooth/pan/dev-up

as outlined serveral places, it works.

Thanks for this great idea.

[ashtonmarkson]

..and it doesn't work still..should have checked better... I still get the error after removing and installing the bluetooth package.

I added a print of the server object to see that I'm getting something. I don't know if it's right or not...

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<Interface <ProxyObject wrapping <dbus._dbus.SystemBus (system) at 0xb6abce10> :1.42 /org/bluez/5236/hci0 at 0xb6ac06d0> implementing 'org.bluez.NetworkServer' at 0xb6a37cb0>
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./test-nap", line 36, in <module>
    server.Register("nap", args[0])
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 70, in __call__
    return self._proxy_method(*args, **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 145, in __call__
    **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/connection.py", line 651, in call_blocking
    message, timeout)
dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: Method "Register" with signature "ss" on interface "org.bluez.NetworkServer" doesn't exist

any one have any ideas?

[Douglas6]

I believe pand is an older BlueZ service provided with the bluez-compat package. If you've installed that, you might try uninstalling, making certain that pand is NOT running, but bluetoothd IS running. (sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth start) Bluetoothd encapsulates several services that used to be broken out in pand, hidd and dund. That bluez-test-nap.py is written for bluetoothd.

[ashtonmarkson]

Hmm
Yes. I uninstalled all bluez and Bluetooth packages.
The error I'm getting is from Bluez NetworkService call in the script. That library was uninstalled when I uninstalled (the script couldn't find the lib).
Is there a way to inspect an object, I'm more of a java guy? Thanks much.

[Douglas6]

I'm more of a Java guy too. It's complicated by the fact that NetworkServer in this case is a Python proxy of a Dbus interface to a Bluez service. The BlueZ API documentation (/usr/share/doc/bluez/network-api.txt) does list that method with that signature

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void Register(string uuid, string bridge) 

and as I say, it works for me with a fairly recent Raspian and BlueZ.
Could be that error message just sucks. You're sure you have that bridge up? And I always install bridge-utils as well, maybe that's required?

[ashtonmarkson]

Ok, so I'm posting this here just to continue the thread. Not sure what I did wrong, but I've uninstalled everything a few times and am trying to figure this out in case someone has the same problem. Not good when I'm the only one...I sorta suck...anyways.
I added the following code to the script which should print out a server object via some sort of python introspection:

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server = dbus.Interface(bus.get_object("org.bluez", adapter_path), "org.bluez.NetworkServer")
print  "Server --"
dir (server)
print "---"

But it prints out nothing.
If I change the interface name

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"org.bluez.NetworkServer"

To anything else, I get the same error..So I'm thinking my interface service -- uhm -- thing.. isn't registered and there is no org.bluez.NetworkServer..
Off to find out what I need to do to make sure that object is in whatever directory it needs to be in,.

[maxwed]

P.S. to my solution, which I detailed here some time ago:

I bought a Moto G android mobile phone recently (Android 4.4 Kitkat), and connecting to the RPi via Bluetooth/PAN with it worked, BUT the mobile didn't get an IP address ("netcfg" on the phone showed "bt-pan UP 0.0.0.0"). So the connection was unusable.

I guessed the Moto tried to get an ip from the RPi but didn't. Setting an ip manually (ip addr etc.) would have required "rooting" the phone which I didn't want to do. So I chose udhcpd as a DHCP server on the RPi, for its very small footprint:

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apt-get install bridge-utils udhcpd

I previously had noticed the following message in syslog every time a device connected via bluetooth:

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rpi bluetoothd[1972]: Added new connection: bnep0
rpi bluetoothd[1972]: Can't add bnep0 to the bridge tether: No such device(19)

I therefore defined that device in /etc/network/interfaces:

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auto tether
iface tether inet static
 address 192.168.3.1
 netmask 255.255.255.0
 broadcast 192.168.3.255
 bridge_ports none
 bridge_fd 0
 bridge_stp off

(removing any bnep0 entries in that file), in the hope that bluetoothd would add bnep0 to the bridge "tether" once it was created, and... IT DID!

udhcpd was then instructed to operate on the interface "tether", in /etc/udhcpd.conf:

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start		192.168.3.20
end		192.168.3.254
interface	tether
remaining yes
option	subnet	255.255.255.0
opt	router	192.168.3.1

(leave the other values commented out or at their defaults).

Now, the Moto G (or any other device) gets its PAN ip from the RPi once it connects via bluetooth. A presence of all devices in the same subnet is enforced, which is necessary for the RPi and all devices to see each other.

The behaviour that bluetoothd tries to add bnep0 to a bridge named tether is probably defined somewhere but I don't know where... but I guess it's a "default", so everybody who didn't delete this configuration should be able to use that.

@ ashtonmarkson,

can you confirm that the BT dongle is working (try lsusb)? Did you scan the logs in /var/log/ (syslog etc.) for unusual messages from bluetoothd or kernel?

[Douglas6]

The behaviour that bluetoothd tries to add bnep0 to a bridge named tether is probably defined somewhere but I don't know where... but I guess it's a "default", so everybody who didn't delete this configuration should be able to use that.

Actually that's coded into test-nap.py, but can be overridden with a command-line argument:

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if (len(args) < 1):
        bridge = "tether"
else:
        bridge = args[0]

And, if you want to use your router to serve up the IPs (if you have one handy), instead of putting a DHCP server on the Pi, you can set the 'tether' bridge device to use DHCP in etc/network/interfaces. Of course your way you're more mobile (and less connected)

[maxwed]

Actually that's coded into test-nap.py, but can be overridden with a command-line argument...

Ooops, it was a long time ago that I last looked into that file... thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

And, if you want to use your router to serve up the IPs (if you have one handy), instead of putting a DHCP server on the Pi, you can set the 'tether' bridge device to use DHCP in etc/network/interfaces. Of course your way you're more mobile (and less connected)

I need this extra bit of mobility because I use Bluetooth PAN to connect mobiles/tablets etc. as monitor/keyboard alternative when I'm "on the road" with the Pi, with no usable WLAN router in reach. Configuring the Pi as a WLAN access point would be an alternative solution but would also need a DHCP server on the Pi for the "on the road" scenario.

[MPJ]

Hi maxwed,

I have tested your two solutions, without and with DHCP server in RPi, but SSH client JuiceSSH app
in NEXUS 7 (android version 5.0.1) in both cases can not connect because the network is unreachable.

Without DHCP server in RPi:
* ifconfig in RPi shows bnep0 interface with IP address 192.168.147.1
* netcfg in NEXUS 7 shows bt-pan UP with IP address 0.0.0.0

With DHCP server in RPi:
* ifconfig in RPi shows bnep0 interface without any address and tether interface does not appears
* netcfg in NEXUS 7 shows bt-pan UP with IP address 0.0.0.0

Any help ?

Thanks and regards.

[cyanarnofsky]

pi@raspberrypi ~.jpg (51.29 KiB) Viewed 18096 times

Keep hanging on this confirm. Maybe I am doing this wrong?

I get the confirmation on both my phone (I am using android I admit but this thread has got me the farthest while trying to connect for ssh capability). Confirmation on both sides, I have tried hitting yes on device and pi first to no avail. Pass code matches, phone shows as pair afterwards but Pi just hangs like the image shows.

[chintak]

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rpi bluetoothd[1972]: Added new connection: bnep0
rpi bluetoothd[1972]: Can't add bnep0 to the bridge tether: No such device(19)

I therefore defined that device in /etc/network/interfaces:

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auto tether
iface tether inet static
 address 192.168.3.1
 netmask 255.255.255.0
 broadcast 192.168.3.255
 bridge_ports none
 bridge_fd 0
 bridge_stp off

(removing any bnep0 entries in that file), in the hope that bluetoothd would add bnep0 to the bridge "tether" once it was created, and... IT DID!

I followed all the steps from your two posts but for some reason the bnep0 connection does not get created for me. It should appear in `ifconfig` right? Where is `rpi bluetoothd[1972]: Added new connection: bnep0` message displayed? On running the `bluez-test-nap`, I get the same error as reported by others:

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<Interface <ProxyObject wrapping <dbus._dbus.SystemBus (system) at 0xb6abce10> :1.42 /org/bluez/5236/hci0 at 0xb6ac06d0> implementing 'org.bluez.NetworkServer' at 0xb6a37cb0>
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./test-nap", line 36, in <module>
    server.Register("nap", args[0])
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 70, in __call__
    return self._proxy_method(*args, **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 145, in __call__
    **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/dbus/connection.py", line 651, in call_blocking
    message, timeout)
dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: Method "Register" with signature "ss" on interface "org.bluez.NetworkServer" doesn't exist

I had earlier tried with the `pand` command but now I completely removed `bluez-compat` from the system. I'm running bluez version 4.101 on Ubuntu 14.04.

What am I doing wrong?[/size]