6ix Passions

How to fix your Bluetooth Internet Tethering with your iPhone

This weekend I was at the country house and was in need of accessing the Internet, but I did forget my USB wire at home. I tried to setup Internet Tethering on Bluetooth, but I had many problems and a hard time configuring it.

Looking back at some forums on the Net, I can see that I was not the only one having that issue, so here’s how I solved my iPhone Bluetooth Internet Tethering problem:

1. If your iPhone was already paired with your Mac, under the Mac Bluetooth preferences panel, remove the service by selecting it and pressing the “-” sign. In your iPhone Bluetooth settings page, if your computer is present under “Devices” click on the little arrow close to it and choose “Forget this device”.
   
   
2. Now that we can start fresh, make sure the Bluetooth on your iPhone is at ON, Internet Tethering under General settings > Network is ON and your Bluetooth on your Mac is at ON and Discoverable. Make sure also that you show the Bluetooth status in your menu bar by clicking the appropriate check-box in the Bluetooth preferences panel. Note that if your try this at home, I suggest your disable your Wi-Fi and/or Ethernet services in Network preferences before proceeding (in order to make sure the Bluetooth service is put in front of any others).
   
   
3. Setup a new device by clicking the “+” sign in the list of devices possibly connected to your Mac. The Bluetooth Setup Assistsance should start. It will try to detect your iPhone. When detected click continue. It will then send a pairing code to your iPhone. Click “Pair” in the message popup-box on your iPhone and complete the Setup Wizard on your Mac.
   
   
4. Your Mac and iPhone should be paired by now, but it is far possible that your iPhone is not connected to your computer. Make sure your are not on the Bluetooth settings page on your iPhone (any other General settings page, or your Home screen should be good). In your menu bar, select your iPhone under the Bluetooth icon and press “Connect”. The Bluetooth icon should change for one with a B with 3 dots and the name of your iPhone should be in bold in the list of device(s).
   
   
5. Now that you iPhone is connected via Bluetooth, it doesn’t mean that you have access to the Internet and this even if your iPhone has the blue bar status “Internet Tethering” on it. Open your Mac Network preferences. Add a new service, by clicking the “+” sign. As the interface choose “Bluetooth PAN”, as the service name you can type “iPhone Bluetooth” or anything else you wish. Click “Create”.
   
   
6. Maybe you have Internet now and maybe not. If the service is green, you should be good to go. If it is yellow or red, I suggest your click the “Advanced” button and under the TCP/IP tab, you click “Renew DHCP Lease”. You should be able to to see your iPhone Bluetooth service at green now and be able to make a first test by accessing Google. 

Good luck!