I got a new Mac-Mini recently, and I'm pleased with it overall, but due to where I need to put it (behind a monitor) I'm getting less than stellar Bluetooth signal to my Magic Keyboard with Number Pad.
However, since I already have a USB hub positioned to be accessible, the obvious solution would be a USB dongle, but after looking around I have some questions:
My previous machine was a hackintosh, and while having an external aerial was ugly, it was very convenient for avoiding obstructions!
However, since I already have a USB hub positioned to be accessible, the obvious solution would be a USB dongle, but after looking around I have some questions:
- Will the dongle take over from the built-in Bluetooth device, extend its range, or something else? i.e- Can I turn off the internal Bluetooth and just use the dongle, to avoid interference?
- Are Bluetooth dongles supported by default in macOS? i.e- can I just plug-in and pair devices etc. using the regular Bluetooth preference pane/menu bar widget?
- Will a USB dongle still allow me to use my keyboard to wake my computer?
- Will a USB dongle still allow me to enter my password for Filevault decryption during startup?
- Are there are brands/hardware features I need/need to avoid? A quick search doesn't show a lot of dongles that specifically list Mac support (presumably Mac users aren't big customers since Bluetooth is built in on all current models).
My previous machine was a hackintosh, and while having an external aerial was ugly, it was very convenient for avoiding obstructions!