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Wireless Keyboard keeps losing connection, anybody else?

Hello all.

In the last several days my wireless keyboard (aluminum) keeps dropping it's connection. I can understand if there's a power-down-if-not-used-function built in. But this is happening while I am typing, or if I stop using it for, say, 30 seconds, e.g., while searching this forum for a similar post, the "lost connection" window popped up three times.

It's NOT the batteries. I used to use the widget "Mighty Monitor" but I found that it was not giving the same information as the Sys Prefs keyboard and mouse battery status. My sys prefs say that both keyboard and mouse still have 75% full batteries.

It's NOT the distance, the keyboard is 18" from the Mac.

It's NOT other bluetooth devices...I don't have any, except my Blackberry, and BT is turned off.

I have just installed the latest updates, including one for the Aluminum iMAC. Could this be the problem?

Anybody????

All the best,

Steve

iMac 24" 2.8 GHz Intel Duo, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Nov 12, 2007 10:49 AM

Reply
34 replies

Nov 13, 2007 4:04 PM in response to steveinspain

Steve, I'm not sure if it is a bug in the iMac update??? It may just be interference. The wireless spectrum is pretty crowded in my neighborhood. I can see 5 other routers besides mine in the airport menu.

Also, I'm using an airport extreme to surf the web and an airport express to stream music to my stereo all the time. I think all these devices sit in the same general spectrum.

Are you using airport when the keyboard drops out? Thankfully my keyboard reconnects right away so it is a minor inconvenience for me.

Joe

Nov 13, 2007 4:11 PM in response to Joseph Collins

Oops. Nevermind. I just found this:

Q: Will other RF (Radio Frequency) devices interfere with Bluetooth Devices?
A: No. Bluetooth radios operate on the unlicensed 2.4 GHz (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) frequency band that is shared among other devices (microwave ovens, cordless phones, garage door openers, etc. ). Bluetooth radios switch frequencies at such a rapid pace (1,600 times per second) and the data packets are so small that interference from other RF sources is highly unlikely. Bluetooth is a robust communication system.

I should have read that before I posted...

Dec 4, 2007 3:04 PM in response to steveinspain

Hi just letting you know you are not alone.

I also recently got the new wireless keyboard and mouse from apple. It worked perfectly for the first couple of weeks and then after the 10.4.11 update it started having a fit every few hours. The keyboard exhibits the exact same behaviour and the mouse also behaves as you have described. I hope there is a fix coming as its getting really frustrating.

Cheers Elliot

Dec 9, 2007 11:02 AM in response to MacMikeInOK

I have also started having the same problem after a month or so of owning my iMac. In addition to the keyboard I also have the wireless mouse and when the keyboard goes dead the mouse becomes very jerky - as the Mac searches for other bluetooth devices? (I say this because the mouse responds in a similar way when I sync my phone via bluetooth).

A quick search for other bluetooth devices reveals a mobile phone which isn't mine - possibly one of my neighbours? (I live in an old block of flats with thin walls!) Do you think this other mobile phone could be interfering with things? I thought one of the strengths of bluetooth was its ability to operate in an environment with multiple bluetooth devices - although I realize my mouse comment already brings doubt on this.

It just feels like something Apple would have thought about. What happens in a room full of iMacs with wireless keyboards?

Dec 14, 2007 10:12 AM in response to Apr84

I've ALSO been having this problem in the last two weeks. Keyboard and mouse. Exactly as described above. Also, when using the keyboard in Windows under BootCamp, hitting the caps lock key causes the keyboard to become unresponsive for 30 seconds or so before working again. That also has to do with the bluetooth.

Any hints? Anyone?

Andy

Jan 17, 2008 11:05 AM in response to steveinspain

Ugggh - I just bought the new aluminum wireless bluetooth keyboard and am having major issues with it losing its connection every 2 minutes or so. Originally I thought the hardware might be defective, but after reading these posts, I am now wondering if this is a common issue. The design of the keyboard is amazing - I love it. That said, unless I can resolve this isse, it does not do me much good. With the sporadic connectivity - I am also seeing strange delays / repeats with certain keys - making it almost impossible to type. OK Apple - is there a known issue / fix here? Please help!

Jan 17, 2008 1:06 PM in response to steveinspain

This is strange. I've just recently purchased (3 weeks ago) the new BT keyboard and a Keningston BT trackball/mouse and have not had but one issue, but it was with the mouse not the keyboard. The mouse, for some reason, will become "jumpy" when my hand is directly under the right side of the monitor, but that's the only time I ever have any issues. Hope you all find the answer soon.
Good luck,
Nick

Jan 24, 2008 6:16 AM in response to Gehirn

Looks like allot of us are having the same problem. I have tree systems with wire less keyboard all doing the same thing. Lost connection every 5 to 10 min, mouse becomes very choppy for thirty seconds or so.The keyboard do's not lose

I have tried the older wireless mac keyboard it did not have same problem. I think the problem is with the new keyboard and 10.5.1. I hope to have an answer from Apple soon.

Jan 29, 2008 2:09 AM in response to steveinspain

Hello all,

I too am having the same issue. I began using the bluetooth keyboard (aluminium) with 10.4 and like many of you had a clear period of the first few weeks, and now get a regular lost connection throughout the day.

When the connection drops it also affects the mouse scroll speed on my mighty mouse also. This suggests to me that it is a fault with the bluetooth system itself, whether that is caused by the system software interrupting the bluetooth i don't know, but it is incredibly annoying.

Wireless Keyboard keeps losing connection, anybody else?

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