I've found that elevating my mini off the surface can help. More important is keeping it away from other metal objects, including drives, hubs, cables, speakers and metal pipes. It does not like 90 year old homes with plaster and lath. One wall can be enough to kill. My mini is near a window. Headphones won't lose it til I'm at the other end of the block. Inside, it's touch and go everywhere but the room containing the mini. The Bluetooth range problem first showed up on my 2007 mini. 2005 mini had Bluetooth so primitive that it doesn't show up anywhere without a dongle. Even then, you have to re-pair anytime you got your device near it.
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Mac mini 2018 Bluetooth issues?
- Thread starter jclardy
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I too have the 2018 Mac Mini and AirPods. The Bluetooth range is very very poor, only a few meters – while with my MacBook Pro I can go to another room and still have audio without problem. I noticed with the Mac Mini that I just have to tilt my head a little, to lose connection.
I'm thinking of trying with an older 2015 Bluetooth dongle I own to see if that helps when connected to a USB-A Hub. However, the USB-A Hub is connected to the outermost USB-A connection on the back of the Mac Mini.
I've read people talking about the USB-A connections here, and I don't understand the relationship between USB and Bluetooth. Can someone please explain?
Also, do we have a definite solution to this problem yet?
I'm thinking of trying with an older 2015 Bluetooth dongle I own to see if that helps when connected to a USB-A Hub. However, the USB-A Hub is connected to the outermost USB-A connection on the back of the Mac Mini.
I've read people talking about the USB-A connections here, and I don't understand the relationship between USB and Bluetooth. Can someone please explain?
Also, do we have a definite solution to this problem yet?
My understanding is that the BlueTooth board is on the same bus as that USB port.
USB 3 devices can create interference In the 2.4GHz range that Bluetooth uses.
I have an ASUS USB-BT400 Bluetooth Dongle since before (I've never used it with a Mac but supposedly it's one of the more popular ones for Hackintosh).
I tried today to insert the dongle into a USB hub connected to the Mac Mini, but couldn't seem to get it to work. I managed once to get MacOS to recognise the dongle by disabling Bluetooth, waiting 3 seconds, connecting the dongle, waiting 3 seconds and then enabling Bluetooth. By option-clicking the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, I could see that it displayed a new Bluetooth MAC adress different from the built-in Bluetooth MAC address. However, I was not able to connect successfully to my Magic Keyboard nor AirPods.
Checking around the Internet, some people have suggested to do this to ask the system to use the external Bluetooth dongle, but it didn't help me:
Does anyone have a clue about how to make this (or any) Bluetooth dongles work?
I tried today to insert the dongle into a USB hub connected to the Mac Mini, but couldn't seem to get it to work. I managed once to get MacOS to recognise the dongle by disabling Bluetooth, waiting 3 seconds, connecting the dongle, waiting 3 seconds and then enabling Bluetooth. By option-clicking the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, I could see that it displayed a new Bluetooth MAC adress different from the built-in Bluetooth MAC address. However, I was not able to connect successfully to my Magic Keyboard nor AirPods.
Checking around the Internet, some people have suggested to do this to ask the system to use the external Bluetooth dongle, but it didn't help me:
Does anyone have a clue about how to make this (or any) Bluetooth dongles work?
I had no issues with Blue tooth, Magic Keyboard and Track Pad and Beats Solo Head Phones....Until I took my WD 1TB Passport Time Machine and changed it from plugging into the the Thunderbolt 3 port (cable change) and then plugging it into the outside USB-A port. Immediately my Beats headphone kept dropping out while I was trying to exercise and watch a ball game. I stopped and changed the cable and put it back to TB3, problem gone.
The Blue tooth on Mac Mini is finicky and sometimes you just have to change things up for it to work to your satisfaction.
The Blue tooth on Mac Mini is finicky and sometimes you just have to change things up for it to work to your satisfaction.
[QUOTE
Does anyone have a clue about how to make this (or any) Bluetooth dongles work?[/QUOTE]
There is a developer tool called "Bluetooth Explorer" which enables you to select which bluetooth device you wish to use.
https://developer.apple.com/download/more/
You may be able to find it elsewhere?
Does anyone have a clue about how to make this (or any) Bluetooth dongles work?[/QUOTE]
There is a developer tool called "Bluetooth Explorer" which enables you to select which bluetooth device you wish to use.
https://developer.apple.com/download/more/
You may be able to find it elsewhere?
I've seen this on two Mac minis. The Magic Mouse would stutter every once in a while. Moving the external USB 3 Time Machine drives one foot away from the Minis resolved it completely on both devices.
I have had this issue after switching from a 2014 mac mini to a 2018 mac mini purchased yesterday.
I basically exchanged the mini's - kept all other things the same - apple usb keyboard, magic mouse II A1657, dual display and a few other desk peripherals.
The mouse was unusable - visible but not able to connect.
So I've done two things.
Located the toshiba 1.5T external drive (time machine etc) connected through usb, further (1ft) away from the mouse than the mini, on another shelf.
Moved my cordless phone base unit further (2ft) away from the mouse than the mini, suspecting the 2.4GHz range is congested.
Improved bt performance to usable level, but not as good as previous model.
Apart from this annoyance, I am really happy with the new mac mini.
I basically exchanged the mini's - kept all other things the same - apple usb keyboard, magic mouse II A1657, dual display and a few other desk peripherals.
The mouse was unusable - visible but not able to connect.
So I've done two things.
Located the toshiba 1.5T external drive (time machine etc) connected through usb, further (1ft) away from the mouse than the mini, on another shelf.
Moved my cordless phone base unit further (2ft) away from the mouse than the mini, suspecting the 2.4GHz range is congested.
Improved bt performance to usable level, but not as good as previous model.
Apart from this annoyance, I am really happy with the new mac mini.
I've just posted in the Apple Watch forum about how my series 4 no longer unlocks my Mac mini (has been going on for many weeks, I just never got around to posting about it until now). Anyway, I think it's also related to all this BT nonsense we're all suffering through.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/series-4-no-longer-unlocking-mac-mini-2018.2176592/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/series-4-no-longer-unlocking-mac-mini-2018.2176592/
So it seems that my Logitech trackball receiver thingy (plugged into the Mac mini) was interfering with the Apple Watch unlocking the mini. I went back to my Magic Trackpad and removed the receiver thingy and my watch has magically starting unlocking the Mac again.
Man, this mini is subject to all kinds of interference every which way but loose!
Just had to restart my AirPort Extreme, and while it was rebooting the Mini naturally was searching for a wifi network to join/prompt about. Sure enough, during this time my mouse had the responsiveness of a baby seal on the ice.
Will aim to run some ethernet around the wall from the router soon.
Will aim to run some ethernet around the wall from the router soon.
Yep, we are ethernet on our 2 mac minis and have no magic mouse our magic trackpad 2 issues. Each mac mini is in a different building on 2 completely different internet providers and wifi systems. I think wifi is on for airdrop.
I'm hardwired for internet too, but have WiFi on for other functionality and have BT issues multiple times a day
Another mac mini 2018 owner. Bluetooth mouse was doing weird things. Finally switched to wired ethernet and got rid of my USB 3.0 hub. With my USB 2.0 keyboard as the only USB peripheral, the bluetooth mouse finally stabilized and has been acting fine. Don't trust it yet, though. And want to be able to use a USB hub. So I'll most likely end up going with the "bluetooth dongle on a USB extender cable" solution for the long term.
I've no problem during the day with my MX Revolution. No lags, good connectivity, better than my Macbook Pro .
The only problem is during the login screen, where only the magic keyboard is detected...
The only problem is during the login screen, where only the magic keyboard is detected...
I did have some issues, but after reading here re elevating & cordless phone:
I moved the phone base further away,
Plus purchased NewerTech NuStand Alloy: Desktop Stand for Apple Mac mini
https://www.newertech.com/products/nustandalloymacmini.php
No problems now.
I moved the phone base further away,
Plus purchased NewerTech NuStand Alloy: Desktop Stand for Apple Mac mini
https://www.newertech.com/products/nustandalloymacmini.php
No problems now.
Okay, just noticed that my USB keyboard has a USB port at either end. So I plugged a USB bluetooth dongle into the USB connector on the end of the keyboard closest to the mouse, about 6" away. About 3' away from the mac. Switched the mac to use that bluetooth source, and now I can have my USB 3.0 hub connected to the mac mini, no problems with the mouse.
Just that easy *smile*. Although I have to say, this is the first desktop computer that I've had that's had this problem...but I suppose that weird things can happen with a small form-factor computer like the mac mini. Should have been remedied before these were in customer hands.
Just that easy *smile*. Although I have to say, this is the first desktop computer that I've had that's had this problem...but I suppose that weird things can happen with a small form-factor computer like the mac mini. Should have been remedied before these were in customer hands.
I have spent hours on the phone for mouse connectivity issues since I purchased my Mac Mini in December, and they are worthless. I had 2 previous Mac Mini units with no Bluetooth issues, with the computer in the same location. Mac support people are blocked from looking at sites like this, and are relying on the same technical staff that created this poorly designed product. What USB Bluetooth plug in is the most reliable with the current operating system?
This is the one that I’m using:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FCK307I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Thank you!
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