Customer support pains...

[_xxx_]

I bought the Logitech Wireless Desktop maus/keyb. combo a few weeks ago. Now I have the problem since a few days ago that the signal quality drops to almost zero if a move away from the receiver more than ~3m. I wrote to Logitech support about this and the guy answered in all seriousness: "Try the things discribed here (link to some half-baked FAQ with no real content) and if that doesn't work, send me your address and I'll ship you a USB extension cord, that should solve the problem".

Uhm, what? I buy an expensive wireless combo to pull cords through the house again? How stupid are these guys actually?

I'm returning the stuff and saying goodbye to Logitech forever. This sucks soooo badly.

 

[Captain Chickenpants]

Are you trying to use it in a different room? I ask because you mention pulling wires round the house.

I don't think it is supposed to work through walls. Class 1 and 2 Bluetooth (which I beleive the wireless destkop setup uses) only has a 10m range anyway so through a wall you would be lucky to get anything!

If you are in the same room then it does sound pretty poor, although an extension would allow you to place bluetooth receiver in a more open spot it shouldn't be needed.

I have a G7 mouse and it seems fine at a range of at least 4 metres (just tested it).

CC

 

[_xxx_]

It is in the same room without obstacles and they sell it as "20m range", which was the reason for buying it. Craps out at anything more than 3-4 m.

 

[Zaphod]

Have you tried the set at a different location or moved the transmitter around (unless it's just a dongle)? RF range can be very sensitive to other 2.4GHz 'noise' in the area.

 

[SugarCoat]

i assume you checked the battery. That would be the first thing to cause something like that. Most times they ship dead if its rechargable, or perhaps the battery was no good to begin with. If you can replace it thats problably what i would of done.


Wireless USB/blue tooth devices should have no problem going through a wall or two as long as they arent exceptionally thick load bearing walls or walls made of steel/concrete.

 

[stevem]

Grab SetPoint 3.01 & reconnect devices.

 

[_xxx_]

I tried moving it around, extension cord, new SW, new firmware for the USB stick etc. Did nothing.

But: they're sending me a new stick! Yes!

 

[_xxx_]

Have you tried the set at a different location or moved the transmitter around (unless it's just a dongle)? RF range can be very sensitive to other 2.4GHz 'noise' in the area.

I got WLAN there, but it's in another freq. range I thought?

 

[Captain Chickenpants]

I got WLAN there, but it's in another freq. range I thought?

Unfortunatly not.
http://www.edn.com/article/CA629312.html?spacedesc=features&

 

[Zaphod]

Unfortunatly not.

Yup. Virtually everything wireless that uses RF, from garage door openers via mice to WIFI, uses the unlicensed ~2.4 GHz band these days. Although devices are getting better at playing nice with each other, the rapid adoption of all things wireless means that inevitably some things can impair the functionality of other. While your transceiver may be faulty, it could very well be that the guy next door having gotten some new toys is limiting the effective range of yours.

Older mice and keyboards used 27MHz, I believe, but those had even greater problems with a limited number of available channels. It was not uncommon to see 'slow news day reporting' of people in densely residential areas about their neighbor inadvertently controlling their computer after buying that fancy new wireless keyboard.

 

[_xxx_]

Well, pulling the plug on WiFi doesn't help at all. I'm inclined to believe that the BT stick is indeed faulty.

 

[Zaphod]

If it's a Bluetooth kit with the Widcomm + SetPoint software there are signal strength indicators for all connected BT-profile/devices under My Bluetooth Places. You could check that out. Don't know about all the custom 2.4 GHz solutions, but at least some of the Logitech products are paired and locked at manufacture, in which case (in the unlucky event of interference from other devices) using a different tranciever won't work at all.

 

[_xxx_]

Already checked that, the signal goes to "weak" at about 2 meters distance and never exceeds 50% (good), even if I hold the mouse right in front of the receiver (WLAN stick and the router both powerless).

Seems like they're not paired, I think they wouldn't send me a new one just like that if that was the case. Also, I guess connecting my phone for syncronization wouldn't work either if that was the case.