Buggy Bluetooth PAN Internet Tethering with iPhone 3G and MacBookPro
Apple really needs to get their act together regarding Internet Tethering over Bluetooth. It was buggy under 10.5 and it seemed to improve under 10.6 but it is still very flaky.
I can tether my MacBook Pro (5,2 - early 2009, running 10.6.3) to my iPhone (3G - model MB631C, modem firmware 05.12.01) running the latest OS - 3.1.3 - 7E18, connected to the Canadian Rogers 3G network) using Bluetooth PAN after pairing, but if I put the computer to sleep, it disconnects. After I wake the MBP, the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar still has a dotted line through it (indicating connected), "Connect to Network" is greyed out, and "Disconnect from Network" does nothing. The Bluetooth menu shows "Bluetooth: On" (greyed out), and the Bluetooth Preferences "On" button is checked but also greyed out, so it can't be turned off. I have tried quitting blued in Activity Monitor - blued restarts, but none of the above changes.
The only solution I have found is to reboot the MacBook Pro and try to re-pair it with the iPhone. Sometimes I have to make the iPhone "forget" the MacBook Pro to get it to repair. Sometimes the pair code displays on the MacBook Pro, but not the iPhone. Usually it takes 15-20 minutes to get Bluetooth tethering working again.
The problem occurs whether AirPort is turned on or off on the MacBook Pro, the iPhone, or both. I have only Bluetooth PAN installed.
Incredibly frustrating, and what a time waster. Apple, get your act together!!!
I can tether my MacBook Pro (5,2 - early 2009, running 10.6.3) to my iPhone (3G - model MB631C, modem firmware 05.12.01) running the latest OS - 3.1.3 - 7E18, connected to the Canadian Rogers 3G network) using Bluetooth PAN after pairing, but if I put the computer to sleep, it disconnects. After I wake the MBP, the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar still has a dotted line through it (indicating connected), "Connect to Network" is greyed out, and "Disconnect from Network" does nothing. The Bluetooth menu shows "Bluetooth: On" (greyed out), and the Bluetooth Preferences "On" button is checked but also greyed out, so it can't be turned off. I have tried quitting blued in Activity Monitor - blued restarts, but none of the above changes.
The only solution I have found is to reboot the MacBook Pro and try to re-pair it with the iPhone. Sometimes I have to make the iPhone "forget" the MacBook Pro to get it to repair. Sometimes the pair code displays on the MacBook Pro, but not the iPhone. Usually it takes 15-20 minutes to get Bluetooth tethering working again.
The problem occurs whether AirPort is turned on or off on the MacBook Pro, the iPhone, or both. I have only Bluetooth PAN installed.
Incredibly frustrating, and what a time waster. Apple, get your act together!!!
MacBook Pro 17" 2.6 Ghz (5,2 - early 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.3), iPhone OS 3.1.3 - 7E18