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USB and Bluetooth devices disconnect while gaming on 2020 13" MBP 10th Gen

Howdy!


I have a 2020 13" MBP with the 10th gen Intel chip (4 thunderbolt ports) and 32GB of RAM connected to an eGPU while gaming.


I casually game (some Fortnite, some Civ, nothing too exciting - I'm pretty terrible) and have found my Corsair keyboard and mouse drop out randomly while gaming. Both devices support wireless dongles, wired connection, and Bluetooth for connectivity. All the connection methods drop out, but I've found wired to be the most reliable, followed by Bluetooth, and finally the wireless dongles. They usually both drop at the same time, but I've found the keyboard drops more frequently than the mouse. Disconnecting and reconnecting the USB hub tends to resolve the issue, but not always.


This keyboard and mouse combo worked great connected to my 2015 13" MBP via the wireless dongles; I rarely connected them via USB. They both also work connected to my work laptop (Windoze) for roughly 40 hours/week via the dongles.


I've tried multiple USB hubs for the dongles and wired connections, and nothing appears to be super reliable. Bluetooth feels like it should work best, as these are they live a mere 18" from the laptop with no other wireless devices between the laptop and the devices - and I'm using a hard-wired LAN connection while gaming.


Has anybody experienced anything similar and have any tips or tricks to resolve it?


Thanks!


Rob

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 19, 2020 8:32 AM

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9 replies

Jun 19, 2020 9:19 AM in response to LightAxe

Why do I have difficulty with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices when USB 3 devices are attached to my computer?


Some USB 3 devices can generate radio frequency interference that can cause Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices operating in the 2.4GHz band to have issues communicating with your computer. Here are some tips to avoid this issue:

      • If your USB device has a cable long enough that you can move the device, place it away from your Mac—and make sure not to place it behind your Mac, or near the hinge of its display. The antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located there, and USB 3 devices placed there might interfere with your wireless connections.
      • If you're using adapters or dongles on a Mac computer with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, plug them into the front port on the left side of your Mac, or into the ports on the right side (if your computer has them). These ports are the farthest away from the antennas, making interference less likely.
      • To avoid interference on the 2.4GHz band using Wi-Fi, try using the 5GHz band instead. You can change this on your wireless base station. Bluetooth always uses 2.4GHz, so this alternative isn't available for Bluetooth.


see if this article has any helpful insights:


Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference - Apple Support


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Jun 19, 2020 8:45 AM in response to LightAxe

Wi-Fi 2.4GHz band and Bluetooth and any wireless dongles are all competing with your neighbors' Wi-Fi and everything else including microwave ovens, baby monitors, and certain cordless landline phones in the 2.4 GHz band.


In addition, poorly-shielded USB-3 devices leaks noise in this band as well.


Your best bet is to WIRE as many devices as possible, discontinue the use of any additional wireless dongles and make sure you are using high quality brand-name well-shielded devices only.


The "dream" of so many wireless device communicating freely on that one very crowded band is a nightmare in many built-up areas.

Jun 19, 2020 9:37 AM in response to LightAxe

LightAxe wrote:

Grant, this doesn't explain why the devices stop working when wired directly in, though. I'm well aware of USB 3/2.4GHz interference, but that doesn't explain why a keyboard and mouse would cut out when connected directly via USB cables.


There are no pervasive complaints posted here of wired devices cutting out, unless due to inadequate USB POWER supplied, or "hanging" high-powered devices off a keyboard (which has almost NO ability to power anything else).

Jul 5, 2020 4:03 PM in response to LightAxe

I have the random USB 2.0 dropout problem on my Macbook Air 2020 (i7 CPU). Apple: it's well-documented here: https://www.reddit.com/r/mac/comments/gp5b1z/usb_20_issues_on_new_macbook_pro_13_2020/


Would be great to have Apple acknowledge the problem, so that we can wait for a fix instead of returning our laptops for replacements that will have the same problem.


Apple, can you please comment?

USB and Bluetooth devices disconnect while gaming on 2020 13" MBP 10th Gen

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