Ontopic Random Computer-Electronics Thread

any of you use bluetooth peripherals? I have a bluetooth keyboard (logitech) that just has miserable connectivity. losing signal and pairing 5 feet away from the bluetooth dongle regularly, if you put the dongle on the back of the pc, it doesnt connect at all, etc.

Seems... not right, as bluetooth is neither directional, nor line of site

My rf peripherals work perfect for 20 - 40 feet away (mouse, headset)
 
any of you use bluetooth peripherals? I have a bluetooth keyboard (logitech) that just has miserable connectivity. losing signal and pairing 5 feet away from the bluetooth dongle regularly, if you put the dongle on the back of the pc, it doesnt connect at all, etc.

Seems... not right, as bluetooth is neither directional, nor line of site

My rf peripherals work perfect for 20 - 40 feet away (mouse, headset)
Yeah, that's bad. Supposed to be a minimum range of 10 yards last I looked.

Open the keyboard and check to make sure the antenna is attached?

Edit: batteries were last replaced when?
 
Yeah, that's bad. Supposed to be a minimum range of 10 yards last I looked.

Open the keyboard and check to make sure the antenna is attached?

Edit: batteries were last replaced when?
same prob with new batts. definietly thought about that too
 
nah, had it for a while. Honestly, its never been great.

then again, logitech has a fantastic no-questions asked warranty unless theyve changed.
 
same prob with new batts. definietly thought about that too
I'd still check that antenna if possible. Ever updated the firmware?

My bluetooth stuff usually can maintain that 10 yard range even when LOS isn't clear, such as when I go pick up stuff from the printer or whatnot at work.

Maybe @gee has a test or some such to help.
 
Odds are it's either a PCB antenna, or if you're lucky a ceramic chip antenna (which work a bit better), in both the dongle and the keyboard.

All RF is line of sight. If your wireless dongle is on the back of a metal chassis computer, the "direct path" to the front of the computer is going to be blocked/attenuated by the PC chassis, so your bluetooth signal is gonna have to bounce off whatever's behind your computer to make it to the front.

If it's bluetooth, grab something like this. I'm using a cheap MiniPCI->PCIe adapter I bought off aliexpress and a wireless/bluetooth card scavenged from a broken laptop, which will break bluetooth out onto "real" antennas and hopefully give you a bit more antenna gain:

Amazon product ASIN B07232S62J
Alternatively, just buy a cheap USB extension cable and use it to place the dongle somewhere better.
 
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always connected to a usb extension cable when i used the dongle so i could place it closer or where the range was decent
 
Odds are it's either a PCB antenna, or if you're lucky a ceramic chip antenna (which work a bit better), in both the dongle and the keyboard.

All RF is line of sight. If your wireless dongle is on the back of a metal chassis computer, the "direct path" to the front of the computer is going to be blocked/attenuated by the PC chassis, so your bluetooth signal is gonna have to bounce off whatever's behind your computer to make it to the front.

If it's bluetooth, grab something like this. I'm using a cheap MiniPCI->PCIe adapter I bought off aliexpress and a wireless/bluetooth card scavenged from a broken laptop, which will break bluetooth out onto "real" antennas and hopefully give you a bit more antenna gain:

Amazon product ASIN B07232S62J
Alternatively, just buy a cheap USB extension cable and use it to place the dongle somewhere better.

thats the wierd thing, i already have the bluetooth on an extension. it sits right on top of the desk, in plain sight, and i still get lagouts and drops. Gets way worse if its hidden.

But the RF dongle is in the cab, behind the metal chassis, up against a wall and works great
 
I swapped in a better bluetooth adapter into the pc giving me trouble with my keyboard, and it seems so far much better.

Bluetooth was one of those flush-usb style ones previously, new one is in a dedicated powered box.
 
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I swapped in a better bluetooth adapter into the pc giving me trouble with my keyboard, and it seems so far much better.

Bluetooth was one of those flush-usb style ones previously, new one is in a dedicated powered box.
this continues to work perfectly at all reasonable distances.