Techniques for establishing a bidirectional wireless communication link between two otherwise detachable devices when these devices are physically joined together for use as a physically joined device are provided. An example method includes receiving by a mobile computing device a short-range wireless signal from an RFID reader device; monitoring, by the mobile computing device, an RSSI associated with the signal from the RFID reader device; and establishing, by the mobile computing device, a wireless communication connection to the RFID reader device based on the measured RSSI associated with the signal from the RFID reader device being greater than a threshold RSSI value, wherein the threshold RSSI value is calibrated based on an RSSI value associated with the short-range wireless signal from the RFID reader device measured by the mobile computing device when the mobile computing device is physically joined to RFID reader device for use as a joined device.