castelletta
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Poor Bluetooth reception and jerky mouse

I want to share my findings upon the poor reception of the internal Bluetooth module on my 2009 Mac Pro. The mouse in particular seems to suffer the most from the low BT signal.

It has to be said that if you succeed to place your Mac Pro in a particular position you can obtain optimal mouse reception. It seems that the field covered by BT signal is very irregular (due to the aluminum case?) and I think also altered by other metal objects that can exist on your desk (or inside/under you desk and his structure).

This can explain why some users tell of fantastic BT reception with their Mac Pro and others (majority) complain about awful Magic Mouse tracking.

In my situation I've been forced to plug-in a D-LINK DBT-120 dongle. It performs very well and maintain always connection with mouse and keyboard upon restart......unfortunately the same peripherals can't awake my Mac Pro during the sleep mode. A little uncomfortable (because you have to press the power button) and I thing very strange since this dongle is considered the only BT dongle fully supported from Apple.

I tried other dongles but all seem to lose connection. Some after restart, others after sleep mode.

For sure it's a shame that the most powerful and most expensive machine that Apple is selling right now is so badly performing in the BT compartment and it's more unforgivable since Apple seems to push very much their wireless peripherals.

Ok Apple, it's not easy to grant a powerful BT antenna in the metal case of the Mac Pro? Well please provide or support an external module that fully support all Mac OS functions (key selection on startup, wake on sleep ... etc) and consistently. I don't think it's a science fiction task.

I'm waiting your experimentation in placing your Mac Pro differently.

Please share your experiences....thank you

MacPro 2009 - 8 core, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Nov 12, 2009 8:24 AM

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castelletta

Q: Poor Bluetooth reception and jerky mouse

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  • by Mark Hollingsworth,

    Mark Hollingsworth Mark Hollingsworth Jun 9, 2010 7:42 PM in response to Steven Proctor
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jun 9, 2010 7:42 PM in response to Steven Proctor
    The tech came out.
    They didn't send the antenna, but rather a short cable for the Bluetooth module (already replaced) and the Airport Extreme card. I have no idea why they sent that- I've never even turn it on!
    I did test the airport just to make sure it worked (it did).

    Absolutely no difference (maybe even slightly worse) and the tech claimed the cable bolted to the case. It looked like it went up the side to me, to a bolt on unit- but I could be wrong.
    Testing the RSSI with the Bluetooth Explorer told me that is where the antenna is located.
    (I'm a radio tech, working with RF all the time, including interference, intermod and poor coverage for various reasons- so this is right up my alley).

    I think the antenna has problems (location, type or bad cable).

    Fortunately the person at Apple liked all the troubleshooting and info gathering I did, and sent me a 'Capture' application. I did all that and sent all the info I had. Rather than just toss parts at it she will get the engineers involved and try to come up with a solution (they would have sent out a logic board, but I'm not convinced that would solve it).

    Hopefully in the next few weeks it can be solved.

    Mark

  • by Powerbook Leon,

    Powerbook Leon Powerbook Leon Jun 10, 2010 3:30 AM in response to castelletta
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 10, 2010 3:30 AM in response to castelletta
    This issue is solved. You need to contact Applecare and request to get your enclosure changed. No mucking about with logicboards, antennas, BT modules. It is the case.
    I have spent a lot of time conversing with Apple and their engineers. This IS the fix.

  • by Mosaica,

    Mosaica Mosaica Jun 10, 2010 4:49 AM in response to Powerbook Leon
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 10, 2010 4:49 AM in response to Powerbook Leon
    The ATI card should not do that. I have the ATI card and it does not interfere with the BT signal either.

    If the case had been replaced before and the BT problem still existed, it was replaced with one of the bad cases that still did not work.

    As mentioned above, it it the enclosure/case that is the problem.

    Apple is still not admitting to a problem yet, in public anyways.

  • by Mark Hollingsworth,

    Mark Hollingsworth Mark Hollingsworth Jun 10, 2010 6:30 AM in response to Powerbook Leon
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jun 10, 2010 6:30 AM in response to Powerbook Leon

    This issue is solved. You need to contact Applecare and request to get your enclosure changed. No mucking about with logicboards, antennas, BT modules. It is the case.
    I have spent a lot of time conversing with Apple and their engineers. This IS the fix.



    I told them that, do you have a case number you could email me?
    If I reference that, maybe it will speed up the process.

  • by CKoepf,

    CKoepf CKoepf Jun 12, 2010 8:58 AM in response to sixgunaz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2010 8:58 AM in response to sixgunaz
    I have not read through all of the "zillion" pages of this thread, but I have read plenty to know that my Mac Pro has the exact same bluetooth issues. I have a magic mouse and a bluetooth headset, both which do not function correctly on the internal bluetooth adapter.
    I do have a Linksys USBBT100 adapter that I had from an old PC. This dongle has phenomenal reception capability. I started using it on my Mac Pro when I realized what the problem was with the Magic Mouse. It was working fine, even after reboot, until about mid-april of this year. I wasn't able to pin down what changed exactly, because this Mac stays on all the time and only gets rebooted when a software update requires it. Any, after mid-april, I started to have the classic problem with the external dongle not working after reboot. Fighting and fighting with numerous different combinations, I could get it to work.
    Today, I stumbled across this thread, which I may have been at before, but didn't read quite enough. I found this post by "sixgunaz": http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10740694#10740694
    I had tried everything listed in the past, except for "5> DELETE Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist from the hard disk".
    So, I started over with disabling everything, disconnecting the internal BT adapter, rebooting, then installed my Linksys USBBT100, paired my magic mouse, rebooted again...... And YES, my mouse was still working.

    I am willing to settle for this fix until Apple finally admits there is a real issue here and decides to offer a fix for it.

  • by CKoepf,

    CKoepf CKoepf Jun 12, 2010 9:04 AM in response to Mark Hollingsworth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2010 9:04 AM in response to Mark Hollingsworth
    Ok, I guess I should have jumped to the last page or two of the thread before posting.
    Although, getting a new enclosure is a big deal, so what I posted will still work until you are able to get your enclosure replaced, if Apple is actually going to do that for every Mac Pro that has BT issues.
    It would seem to me that Apple would be better off with the external antenna route or offering to support 3rd party bluetooth dongles to fix this. It would be far far cheaper.

  • by nobblynoel,

    nobblynoel nobblynoel Jun 13, 2010 3:40 AM in response to CKoepf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 13, 2010 3:40 AM in response to CKoepf
    It does seem that the case is at fault. It's a no brainer really. Add an external antenna £10 or new case 10 times more expensive.

  • by derivativemusic,

    derivativemusic derivativemusic Jun 16, 2010 5:40 PM in response to nobblynoel
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Jun 16, 2010 5:40 PM in response to nobblynoel
    Take my machine in and leave it without being able to work for days while they replace the whole case?! No way!

    Besides, my machine is out of warranty, and I don't have and would never pay for Applecare or any other extended warranty.

    Really, Nobblynoel is absolutely right: you can waste time and get aggravated trying other things, or you can buy a wi-fi antenna and a U.FL Mini PCI to RP-SMA cable. Then you drill one 1/4" hole in a PCI slot cover, unplug and plug in the mini cable, screw the cable onto a PCI slot cover, and Bob's your uncle. 20 minutes at most, and if you did it again it would take 5 minutes since you'd know exactly what you were doing.

    I tried three different USB dongles, and they all work well but don't wake up from sleep. Forget about that D-Link crap suggested on the Apple site; the current D-Link firmware doesn't even work with Macs.

  • by Mark Hollingsworth,

    Mark Hollingsworth Mark Hollingsworth Jun 16, 2010 6:50 PM in response to derivativemusic
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jun 16, 2010 6:50 PM in response to derivativemusic
    Apple is replacing the case (enclosure).
    I sent a LOT of info, documenting the receive signal level from the bluetooth module and other cases.

    Since I live in the sticks and have Applecare, they are doing this onsite.

    I'll post up when it is done and if it solves the issue completely.

  • by derivativemusic,

    derivativemusic derivativemusic Jun 17, 2010 1:21 PM in response to Mark Hollingsworth
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Jun 17, 2010 1:21 PM in response to Mark Hollingsworth
    I wonder whether they've changed the design of the case? If not I can't imagine how that would have anything to do with it; the problem is simply that the metal case is blocking the signal, and another case that's identical won't change anything.

    Meanwhile I have to repeat repeat again again that simply unplugging the internal BT antenna and plugging in an external one solves the problem 100%.

    If you could ask them why this solves the problem when they arrive, it would be very interesting.

  • by nobblynoel,

    nobblynoel nobblynoel Jun 21, 2010 11:47 AM in response to derivativemusic
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 21, 2010 11:47 AM in response to derivativemusic
    Read this
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=11537534
    and this
    http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/30/1534202/Using-Aluminum-Oxide-Paint-To-Se cure-Wi-Fi?from=rss
    As the the case design is the same it could be the answer...

  • by Mark Hollingsworth,

    Mark Hollingsworth Mark Hollingsworth Jun 28, 2010 9:26 AM in response to nobblynoel
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jun 28, 2010 9:26 AM in response to nobblynoel
    No fix with the new case.
    I don't know if it was the updated case or not.

    Waiting to see the next option.

    Mark

  • by pmrosado,

    pmrosado pmrosado Jun 30, 2010 5:16 PM in response to Mark Hollingsworth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 30, 2010 5:16 PM in response to Mark Hollingsworth
    I started my journey by trying to find a new mouse for my iMac as I was going mental with the poor performance of the Magic Mouse. Fortunately I've found people with this very same problem and I've focused my attention on resolving it.

    1- Delete the files AppleMultitouchDriver.kext and AppleBluetoothMultitouch.kext from 'MacHd\system\library\extensions'

    2- Restart

    3- Install apple wireless mouse update 1.0 (can be download from apple's website)

    4- Restart

    5- It should be perfect now but do install the free MagicPrefs should you need extra tracking speed.

    I hope this helps as it did for me.

  • by derivativemusic,

    derivativemusic derivativemusic Jul 5, 2010 6:44 PM in response to pmrosado
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Jul 5, 2010 6:44 PM in response to pmrosado
    I'm telling you, Mark, all you have to do is buy a wi-fi antenna and a U.FL Mini PCI to RP-SMA cable. To tell you the truth I didn't even drill a hole to mount the antenna on a PCI slot cover - I just took one of the covers off and routed the wire to the front of my machine (because the U.FL-RP cable I bought was too short - my stupidity - and I haven't got around to buying one long enough to reach the PCI slot covers).

    It's incredibly easy and it solves the problem 100% with absolutely no issues at all.

    This is the one I bought:

    http://www.data-alliance.net/-strse-173/TL-dsh-ANT2408C-antenna-magnet-dsh-mount -8dBi/Detail.bok

  • by CKoepf,

    CKoepf CKoepf Jul 6, 2010 4:32 AM in response to derivativemusic
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 6, 2010 4:32 AM in response to derivativemusic
    I mentioned that I had followed the lead of a few other people and installed the external bluetooth adapter and disconnected the internal bluetooth on the mother board.

    For anyone considering this, I'd like to point out that I'm using a Linksys BT100 adapter, which works just fine with no driver issues, and that it has AWESOME reception. If all you're using is a keyboard and mouse you may not care, but I occasionally use a bt headset with Skype and with this adapter, I can walk all over my house and even some outside while staying connected to my Mac Pro in my basement office.

    Yes, Apple should fix this problem in one way or another, but right now their fixes are proving to do anything, except cause lots of frustration.
    Keep reporting he problems to Apple, but rather than driving yourself insane, either add the external antenna to the existing internal adapter or disconnect the internal adapter and get a decent external adapter. Trust me, you'll feel much better and won't be ready to throw your mouse or keyboard out the window every day.
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