Bluetooth PAN network tethering

Software PureOS
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As far back as the Maemo-Linux Nokia N900 we have had a FOSS option to install and configure bluetooth tethering using the Personal Area Network profile. Using bt vs wifi is a major A/hr savings when on battery, it is quite secure, and easy to use once configured.

This is the PAN setup guide for Maemo Linux from around 2011(have to get past the old HTTPS certs) pre-systemd arm debian fork

https://bugs.maemo.org/Bluetooth_PAN

This is mostly a setup of iptables and some bluetooth or bluez config. When I had a pinephone I got as far as getting the PAN bluetooth link and networking working but for some reason never solved why I couldn’t get the link between the BT PAN and the cellular modem’s internet connection unless I SSH’ed into the phone with the -D and connected to that socks5 proxy as a crude hack.

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MTU, perhaps?

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Ideally I would have made a working dhcp and network tunnel, but when I wiped and started again I must have missed a step in my notes. I never got it that close to working again using bluez(I could have been hacking at the configs themselves?) despite trying over the space of five years occasionally. It needs to be said that I don’t mentally visualize things like iptables very well and I am stuck cutting and pasting the work of others and praying too often.

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