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haravikk

macrumors 65832
Original poster
May 1, 2005
1,501
21
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:

  1. 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?
  2. 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?
  3. Will a USB dongle still allow me to use my keyboard to wake my computer?
  4. Will a USB dongle still allow me to enter my password for Filevault decryption during startup?
  5. 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).
On a related note; where is the Bluetooth aerial situated for a 2018 Mac-Mini? Does the Mac-Mini use the case as an aerial at all? If so, is it possible to attach an aerial to improve the signal?

My previous machine was a hackintosh, and while having an external aerial was ugly, it was very convenient for avoiding obstructions!
 
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