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Show HN: Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay – Bridge Bluetooth Devices to USB

(github.com)
233 points bahaaador | 1 comments | 13 Nov 24 13:24 UTC | HN request time: 0.214s | source

Hi HN! I built Bluetooth USB Peripheral Relay, a tool that lets Bluetooth devices (like keyboards and mice) connect to USB-only hosts using a Raspberry Pi Zero W.

Why? My friend needed a way to use his Bluetooth mouse and keyboard on a PC with Bluetooth disabled due to policy restrictions. This tool acts as a bridge, relaying Bluetooth input over USB. It also lets you use Bluetooth peripherals with older devices that only support USB input.

Tech: Written in Go, optimized for Raspberry Pi Zero W.

I love HN’s community and often lurk here—I’m hoping this project is useful or at least sparks some interesting discussions. Feedback and contributions are welcome!

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reeddavid ◴[13 Nov 24 17:23 UTC] No.42128036[source]▶
This solves a huge annoyance I've had: swap a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse between multiple laptops, without manually un0paring / re-pairing. I have a personal "hot desk" at home. I want to be able to plug in any laptop to the large monitor, and have the wireless keyboard/mouse on that desk instantly work. And when I leave the desk with my laptop, I don't want that keyboard/mouse connected anymore.

This has been impossible so far, because even USB bluetooth dongles still require each host computer to pair (and un-pair) with the keyboard/mouse.

I am going to try your solution, and I will plug the USB input into the large monitor on my desk. Then any laptop that plugs into that monitor should have access to the wireless keyboard/mouse. Thank you for creating and sharing this!

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1. bahaaador ◴[13 Nov 24 17:44 UTC] No.42128230[source]▶
My pleasure, @reeddavid! I’m excited that you might find a use for it. Just a quick note: you may need an external power source for the RPi if you’re switching between devices frequently.

One popular request I’ve received is for certain RPi models (those with multiple USB ports as host) to act as a KVM, allowing them to serve as a USB host for multiple PCs simultaneously with easy switching—perhaps through shortcuts or physical buttons on the RPi. I’ll need to give it more thought, but it seems feasible with minimal changes. I already have some ideas for better state management for the devices!