Tech Review - D-Link DBT900AP Bluetooth Access Point

I ordered one of the new D-Link DBT-900AP Bluetooth Access Points from Amazon and it arrived within the week. Opening it up it is a compact unit with all necessary cables provided.

Plugged into the lan (it uses a bulit in DHCP client ) it was up and running in minutes.




I use a Bluetooth Mobile (Nokia) and a Bluetooth IPAQ so first off I tried to discover it with the IPAQ. Within seconds there it was and I paired without issue using the default pin "root". All worked fine and I was online without a hitch.

Next I tried to pair the phone - detection was easy but came a cropper as most phones require a numeric pin and so I couldn't connect as the default was "root".
No problem I though as I had checked the D-Link Support Pages previously and saw an update utility to change the pin. I was intending to use this anyway to change the default pin and lock down other security issues.

Downloaded and installed the file requires a crossover connection with your device (not mentioned in the documentation but confirmed with D-Link Support). Connection however was impossible. I initially tried it on my HP Laptop (Broadcom ethernet adapter) and got an error message. The utility refused to acknowledge my ethernet adapter existed and hence I couldn't update. The USB message is not relevant as the device does not have USB (strange that it should be in there then??)




I then tried my old Compaq with it's built in Intel Ethernet adapter and got the same message. Likewise with a Dell Optiplex GX110 with a built in 3com Card.

Ok, new download in case there was corruption and again same error. A quick snoop around the forums and I was not the only one getting this problem so I picked up the phone and called Support.

A note here, use 0845 0800288 and ignore the message (advice from D-Link Support) for support on the DBT-900AP. Forty five minutes of mostly silence and repeating myself I got knowhere and finally crow-barred a call reference out of them 401263. I have since emailed D-Link for updates and heard nothing. I am thinking of rininging back but to be honest wasn't impressed with the support and feel I could do more than they could!

I continued to look at what else I can do to secure my DBT-900AP and found that there is no management interface or ability to turn off beaconing (to avoid the world and his dog connecting to my PAN) so all in all I have a very insecure piece of equipment and very little I could do to make it secure. I am stunned that any company, let alone D-Link, should produce such a patently insecure product designed to be plugged into someones network. I was at the Wireless Netorking Show in Olympia not long ago and if only I had known this then I would have had taken it up (very vocally) with them.

D-Link " Building Networks for People" even those people you don't know!!! and they could do with improving their support!

A quote from the press release of this product "Security functions for access and authentication"

My D-Link DBT-900AP is now secure ....









In the beginning

I will try to post objective comments about my experiences with technology but all too often I am faced with flawed products and dodgy code. Let's hope the industry can prove me wrong. ;)