M1 Mac mini - Bluetooth and Wifi (Update)

[Wicks]

Hi All -

I thought id share some of my woes about the M1 Mac mini to see if anyone else can recommend some actions before I do the replacement device dance with Apple.
Firstly - when its working, its awesome. Great job on the M1 chip Apple!

So...

Bluetooth & Wifi Issues

- When I boot up/wake from sleep my Logitech MX 3 mouse won't connect until ive managed to log in, which required a secondary wired mouse.

- Really poor range - Tested using some bluetooth 4 & 5 headphones, my 2 way audio range is about 3/4 metres. I used to be able to walk around the whole house and garden with my 2015 iMac and not lose signal.

- Wifi signal is terrible, compared to me other apple devices and previous iMac in the same place. 2.4 Ghz gives me about 3 bars, 5ghz barely 1 bar.

Things ive tried:

- Resetting the bluetooth module.
- Disconnecting all USB A/C devices.
- moved to a different part of the room
- Reinstalled Mac OS X Big Sur and updated to latest version.




Bonus issue I had when I first got it:

I was picking up AM radio stations through my speakers when connected to the Mac mini (same speakers that never had the problem through the iMac).... after a weekend of messing with it, I solved the problem by connecting the end of the 3.5mm jack that goes into the iMac to a grounding point on the speakers. Figured that because the Mac was using a shotgun cable and didn't have a dedicated earth, that earthing may be the issue.

 

[Wicks]

Update - Turned the Mac mini upside down and I get better reception than ever.

Aerials are on the bottom of the Mac.

 

[jazz1]

Update - Turned the Mac mini upside down and I get better reception than ever.

Aerials are on the bottom of the Mac.

This is good to know. I've got my M1 sitting on the large metal "foot" of a Dell dual display stand. I wonder if I'd be better off moving it off the stand, and directly on the non-metal table? I don't think I'm having issues, but I wonder if wireless performance would improve?

 

[Tagbert]

A couple of years ago, I was almost ready to get a mini, and saw a bunch of complaints like this in the mini forum. I suspect that it is a problem with how the case and antennas are laid out. I seem to recall some people recommending turning them upside down like you did. You might check that forum for more ideas. This may not be M1 specific.

 

[airbatross]

This is good to know. I've got my M1 sitting on the large metal "foot" of a Dell dual display stand. I wonder if I'd be better off moving it off the stand, and directly on the non-metal table? I don't think I'm having issues, but I wonder if wireless performance would improve?

Mine is next to Dell metal stand, no issues or lag with Logitech MX Keys and MX 3 mouse without dongle.
Mini is connected via 5Ghz modem with 3 bars.