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Q: Bluetooth Devices (Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad) all experiencing frequent connection problems

I use a Mac Mini, the 2010 aluminium model with Mac OS X at 10.6.7. The problems I get are that some times during usage at very random times, sometimes 10 minute intervals before it happens, sometimes does not happen in a day, and when it happens all bluetooth peripherals, wireless keyboard, magic mouse and magic trackpad start to act very strangely. I am using all three and they are always on except for the mouse when I turn off my mac. The tracking of the mouse using either mouse/trackpad becomes laggy and the mouse does not move smoothly. Anything I do will happen about half a second later on the screen and very jumpy and vaguely follows what I do.

     The keyboard also does this, it seems as though signals are sent via bluetooth in parts as when i type something, reactions are very random and only a few things come out. Letters may come out unstoppably like I had held down the button or only typed out few of the letters that I had pressed. Anything that would appear on screen would happen within about 1 second to about 3 second intervals before it shows.

     It goes back to normal when i switch off one of the devices, when it loses connection, all the other devices go back to normal and when i turn it back on, everything works normally again. This problems happens quite often on average and happens randomly as i stated before. Has anyone else been getting this problem? Is this a bluetooth problem with my Mac? Could there be any application clashing with the bluetooth activity on my mac?

 

Any reply would be appreciated, thank you for your time.

Chris.

Posted on Apr 21, 2011 10:34 AM

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Q: Bluetooth Devices (Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad) all experiencing frequent connection problems

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  • by jlemon,

    jlemon jlemon Apr 22, 2011 12:39 PM in response to クリス
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    Apr 22, 2011 12:39 PM in response to クリス

    I saw this same behavior once as well.  I had a wireless keyboard / magic trackpad paired to a new MBP, and a BT mouse paired to an older MBP that i was migrating data from.

     

    After I turned off the BT mouse (and the old MBP), I never saw this again, and chalked it down to some form of BT interference.

  • by Steve EightyOne,

    Steve EightyOne Steve EightyOne May 12, 2011 5:30 PM in response to クリス
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    May 12, 2011 5:30 PM in response to クリス

    Same problem here, on a 2010 mac mini with Magic Trackpad & BT Apple keyboard (and nothing else with bt in the room).

    There isn't a fix available right now?

  • by 3alaawi,

    3alaawi 3alaawi May 19, 2011 6:00 PM in response to クリス
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    May 19, 2011 6:00 PM in response to クリス

    I've been having the same problem and I think I found a solution. I've got a 2010 macbook pro n I've been using the built in track pad. Suddenly the cursor started to move all funny from time to time. Not responding well and lagging. And moving around spontaneously. Anyway after much research with little answers, I finally noticed that I was on my newly set up desk in my room, and I had just added my plasma ball to the table. If you don't know what it is, its this thing - http://www.gadgez.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/plasma-balls.jpg.

    It uses MAGNETICS n gases n stuff to make some sort of lightning effects.

     

    Aaaanyway, the point is, when I turned the lamp off, the trackpad went fine again. Turned it on, and brought it closer to the macbook, and the cursor went all jittery again! (Which reminded me that the manual of my plasma ball did say to keep it away from electronics). Anyway, I repeated a few times to make sure.

     

    So, my point is, that for me anyway, it was due to some sort of magnetic interference, and it might be for you too. So, try turning things on and off, moving things back and forth, and see whats causing the trouble!

     

    And, perhaps an expert can explain to us why the trackpad movement messes up next to a plasma ball?

  • by クリス,

    クリス クリス May 20, 2011 1:57 AM in response to クリス
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    May 20, 2011 1:57 AM in response to クリス

    Hi thanks 3alaawi for the info but unfortunately, it isn't being caused by something. It would happen at intervals, and it was not only tracking, so I have worked out that it must be something to do with the connection with the mac or maybe software problems but i'm not sure, all i know is that, when it happens, its not just tracking that messes up, its all my bluetooth devices, including the trackpad, wireless keyboard and my magic mouse. When this happens, they don't act spontaneously or of their own accord. It is more like when i try to do something, it is unstable and the mouse on screen just jumps around and lags and delays response as well as the keyboard when typing, some letters come out, some don't and some just stream out like I have been holding down a key. This all stops when i turn at least one of the devices off, then everything resumes as normal with all devices and I just turn it on and use again. It gets really annoying and I don't know if anyone else has had this same problem but from what I have seen, no one else has.

     

    But thanks for replying anyway.

  • by jlemon,

    jlemon jlemon May 20, 2011 7:59 AM in response to クリス
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    May 20, 2011 7:59 AM in response to クリス

    I still see the same thing from time to time with my Magic mouse trackpad.  Oddly enough, the trigger for the behavior often seems to be related to Flash/Video streaming type activities - especially when the stream is closed early.  I haven't checked whether the keyboard is also affected (as I was seeing earlier), as usually the focus is not on a text window, and I can't refocus without a mouse.

     

    My current workaround is putting the laptop to sleep with Alt-Cmd-Power, and then waking it up again.

  • by クリス,

    クリス クリス Jul 2, 2011 8:07 AM in response to jlemon
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    Jul 2, 2011 8:07 AM in response to jlemon

    There is no real workaround, because it's not a passive problem, it's a problem that occurs randomly so of course the problem wouldn't happen or affect me when my mac is on sleep, but then when woken and in use, you never know when the problem could happen again.

  • by john.recife,

    john.recife john.recife Jul 8, 2011 1:58 PM in response to クリス
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 8, 2011 1:58 PM in response to クリス

    my iphone does not find other bluetooth connections.

    it tells me, that it is searching, but it never stopps this search.

    can I do anything?

  • by Captain N.,

    Captain N. Captain N. Jul 14, 2016 2:38 PM in response to jlemon
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jul 14, 2016 2:38 PM in response to jlemon

    It's not bluetooth interference. I can tell because exactly the same hardware works fine under bootcamp.

     

    The problem is that Apple can't or won't write a decent blue tooth driver for mac os that doesn't lag the mouse and constantly disconnect. They seem to get close occasionally, but then break it on the next system release, like clock work.

     

    I can only assume no one inside Apple actually uses any of this hardware/software, because the problem so pervasive, they would definitely notice it, and maybe even want to fix it if they did use the hardware.

     

    I recommend we do as they do in Apple, and don't use or buy their hardware, if they can't or won't write decent software to go with it.