2018 Mac Mini bluetooth and Wi-Fi interference

same problem here! super anoying

used the bigh magic keyboard before and returned it, then bought keyboard and mouse from logitech because i thought the keyboard caused the issue. Nothing changed... mouse and keyboard loosed connectivity for 1-2 minutes and then everything works normal again. Happend couple times a day

Have the same problem and it's driving me nuts.

I swapped out the Apple Trackpad but that didn't help.

Not using Wifi, not using any other Bluetooth devices.

I unplugged the power to all peripherals - Anker USB-A hub, two external hard drives, speakers, etc.

Only thing I can think of is my HP monitor is causing the interference.

But obviously need that!

Update: deleted all the Bluetooth settings from my mac:

sudo rm /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist

sudo rm ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/*Bluetooth*

Hold down shift+option on the Bluetooth menu item and choose Debug... Reset the Bluetooth Module.

Then I deleted all my Bluetooth devices and rebooted.

Haven't had a glitch since but will report back if so.

I have the same issue caused by external Inateck enclosures with SSD drives. Turned out to be the USB-A cable provided by Inateck. I replaced by another Ugreen USB-A cable and I don't have any interferences anymore so it seems to be a problem with the cables maybe because of a low interference tolerance of bluetooth of the Mac mini.

Regards,

Alex

I have the same issue too, wifi signal will drop when using an external ssd (type c enclosure) connected to the 2nd usb port. So when I swap to the other usb port, there is no problem.

I have another external hdd that's usb 3.0, no problem when connected to either usb ports.

So in my case, the culprit seems to be the 2nd usb port when use with a type c external drive. Will experiment with the rest of the usb c ports too.....

My new MacMini is also having Wi-Fi problems. Very poor Wifi speeds - only 2 Mbps. I put my laptop right next to it and its Wifi speed is 20 Mbps.

Sounds to me like an antenna problem.

Hopefully, apple will own up to it, fix it, and issue a recall on older models.

For both laptop and Mini, with the Option key depressed, click on the wifi icon in the upper menu bar. A window will open giving details about the connected network. Make a screen shot for each computer and post then here.

High noise = Interference.

I started untangling and unplugging cables. I untangled the monitor cable and had it run away from everything else. The noise decreased to -77 dBM. This is still high but it was enough to improve the Wifi speed to 15 Mbps.

Then, I unplugged all of the cables from the Mac Mini and turned off the monitor. Then, I used Remote Desktop to connect to the Mac Mini. The noise went down to -93 dBM (identical to the laptop noise). The Wifi speed was 15 Mbps but Remote Desktop was using some of the bandwidth. Therefore, it was probably really 20 Mbps.

Now, when I plug the monitor into the laptop computer, the Wifi signal for the laptop goes down to -77 dBM

So, the interference is from the wires. Problem was reproduced on laptop (MacBook Pro 15), so I can't really blame the Mac Mini as the problem.

I hope that my explanation of my testing is clear enough to show others how to troubleshoot if they have similar problems.

So, I guess that I need to try using a Wifi booster to get a better signal to over power the noise and/or upgrade my WiFi to 801.11ac.

Also, I need better shielded cables. When purchasing cables, how do you know which have better shielding?

But the transmission rate of the min @48Mbps is lower than the 54 for the laptop.

What router do you have? Both computers are connecting to 802.11g network that is old and slow.

G is also only 2.4 GHz. Next better network is N which has both 2.4 and 5 GHz. and is faster. Best would be AC which is 5 GHz only.

Also, you are running WEP security. That very very old encryption can easily be hacked in under 10 minutes.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14840943

I would get a new router that supports AC and N and WAP2 encryption.

I have had the problem too. I moved my wifi printer 10 feet away. That seemed to help for track pad 2 for continuing connect and reconnect. It does it now every few day. I hard shut down mini with power down button. Then it's ok. But AirPod disconnect so many times. I use wired with mini jack that came with my iPad headphone. I have a HP 25es Display. VGA cable on it connected to a apple USC dongle. Dongle also has ports for another USC and USB. I had external hd in the dongle. Plug it into the onboard USB of mini 2018. It is certainly a mess of wire. I wanted the latest in technology. I got the 256 HD, 8 GB Ram. Wished I spend more on an internal HD. So I got a 2 TB external (not SSD). And older 5 year old 1 TB for my time capsule.

I read somewhere in the Apple threads 2.4 hz extreme I have will interfere. I have ordered a 5 hz - but not here yet. I did buy a iMac with 1TB fusion 21 inch. And though might return it within the 14 days and get the mini 2018. Now I am 15 days (1 day beyond the return date) So I will stick with mini and HOPE there is a resolve. I wonder will a software update is going to work. Or do all get stuck with a lemon. I love Apple.... but just sayin' this is issue. Glad others are putting out what they have experienced. We assume Apple is coming up with a "fix".

I was able to reproduce the identical issue with other apple computers. Therefore, there is no "fix" that apple can do.

The issue is interference. This issue would probably be with all computers, both apple and non-apple.

I upgraded my router so that I start from a faster transfer rate. A rate of 10% of the wifi ac band theoretical maximum is still pretty fast.

However, there are some things that you can do to mitigate the interference issue when you plug a cable into your computer, especially the cable from the monitor. Monitors produce the most interference. A ferrite core came with my television. I did not use it. However, now I see why I should have.

To reduce the interference, place a ferrite cores around the two ends of the AC power cord to the monitor. Then, also, place ferrite cores on both ends of the cable going from your monitor to your computer. They clamp on to cables very easily. This should dramatically decrease the interference and increase the wifi speeds.

Ferrite cores are dirt cheap, costing about $10 for 20 of them on amazon. Also, they used to be on most computer cables 15-20 years ago. I don't know why the industry stopped using them. I guess they felt that newer electronics are not as susceptible to interference. However, apparently, wi-fi is very susceptible.

I would add my two cents as well. Exact same problems here.

HOWEVER... I have nothing new from my Mac Min 2012 setup to my new 2018 setup. All cabled are identical. The ONLY thing I changed was the mac mini itself and its power cord. No devices (hard drives, usb hub, monitor, speakers, etc) were even moved. So since the only thing that changed was the mac, that's the problem. Makes sense to me.

Very disappointed with Apple.

UPDATE.... I've been systematically removing each device with no luck.

However, once I remove one of my monitors, it works no problems. I have dual monitors set up... one plugged directly into HDMI port, one using the Apple dongle. When both monitors are plugged in and working, there are issues. When only one monitor (either one) is plugged in, everything works fine. Seems to be a problem with my Mac Mini supporting two monitors. Calling Apple again :(

Hey Chris, did ordering a 5Ghz modem resolve the 2.4 interference for you? I'm trying to make a decision on whether to buy a brand new V2 magic mouse that might work more reliably bluetooth-wise with my 2018 macbook pro than my v1 one (constant disconnects), or whether to get a new router instead that will support 5Ghz. Thank you!