Poor connection between Mac mini & wireless keyboard/mouse

[dubv23]

I have the Apple keyboard and trackpad hooked up to a 2014 Mac mini running the lastest stable release of Yosemite.

The connection between the peripherals and Mac is very unreliable as the connection drops and the mouse skips or the keyboard misses keystrokes or inputs way more than I pressed.

The keyboard and mouse are brand new and are used from about 8-10 ft away as the mini is connected to my tv.

I've moved the mini around my entertainment center to try and achieve a better connection but it seems the only thing that works is placing the keyboard and mouse directly in front of the mini

Is there a limit to their reach or is it something software I'm not aware of?

 

[hallux]

Are you using a USB 3.0 external drive with it? Some reported interference between USB 3.0 externals and the BT radio in the 2012 Mini, you may be seeing the same thing.

 

[dubv23]

I have both a usb3.0 disc drive and external hdd plugged in. I will test later to see if disconnecting these devices helps

 

[dubv23]

I unplugged both drives from the usb ports and the mouse and keyboard work great now.

Is there a remedy for this? I have already plugged my hdd into my AirPort Extreme but does this mean I will have to leave my blu Ray drive unplugged?

 

[Fishrrman]

[[ Is there a remedy for this? ]]

Well, perhaps the best "remedy" of all is a WIRED USB keyboard.

If you move the keyboard around, and the built-in USB cable isn't quite long enough, get a "USB extension cable" like this:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030309&p_id=6505&seq=1&format=2

 

[dubv23]

Poor connection between Mac mini & wireless keyboard/mouse

While you are most certainly correct and that would be the obvious fix. However, I am using the Mac mini in my living room connected to my tv running a permanent wire across my living room is far from ideal.

 

[hallux]

OWC sells this kit for the 2012 model. I can not say if it would work on a 2014 model, maybe if you contact them they could tell you.

 

[Osamede]

But Thunderbolt or firewire adapter cables and plugs your USB stuff into that. This way your wireless keyboard and mouse can be used without interference from the USB 3.

 

[Osamede]

But Thunderbolt or firewire adapter cables and plugs your USB stuff into that. This way your wireless keyboard and mouse can be used without interference from the USB 3.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I had the same issue, and it was the USB 3.0 drives fault. I first attempted to fix it by using an aftermarket USB dongle and putting that very close to the Apple wireless keyboard + mouse. That worked OK, but I lost some OS X features like Handoff.

I ended up re-using an old CalDigit ThunderBolt station, connected to the mini with a 2M Thunderbolt cable. I put the dock as far away from the mini as I could, then connected the drives to the dock via USB 3.0. That took care of 99% of my issue. I think the other 1% of the time is just BT gremlins in general. It's not a cheap solution, but it works.

 

[LiveM]

[[ Is there a remedy for this? ]]

Well, perhaps the best "remedy" of all is a WIRED USB keyboard.

If you move the keyboard around, and the built-in USB cable isn't quite long enough, get a "USB extension cable" like this:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030309&p_id=6505&seq=1&format=2

The Apple wired keyboard actually does come with an extension cable.

 

[hfg]

This is an old thread, but for others seeking a solution:

You might try better shielded USB 3.0 cables to your disk drives. I have also had luck snapping ferrite beads (available from Amazon) on one or both ends of my USB 3.0 cables to cut down on the radiation.