Apple keyboard is not recognized

I have an Apple MacBook Pro, 16 inch, M1 chip, running Sonoma OS 14.1.2. I use an adapter in the small usb port to connect with an Apple keyboard with the older, larger USB connector. The keyboard had been very very fussy about connecting, sometimes taking more than a day for the computer to find the keyboard. Now it will not connect after 4 days and multiple attempts at restarting. If I plug the mouse into the adapter, the mouse is found immediately. But not the keyboard. Is there a solution for this in 2024?