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Simon R.

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2006
409
131
I have the same problems as you all seem to experience. Good thing that it isn't specific for me, but bad if Apple don't find a solution. I found the mouse (4 feet from Mac Pro) immediately totally unusable. I thought this was just how bluetooth mice worked. So I plugged in a USB mouse instead and am using that. The keyboard hasn't given me that many problems, just recently. Maybe because I filled all my harddrive bays, caused transmission to be worse? Dunno, but now I get the stuck keys and "connection lost" from time to time. Totally unacceptable. If this doesn't get solved soon I will get a USB keyboard. But pretty lame I shelled out for this wireless solution which works like crap then. I wonder if this is fixable by Apple at all by a firmware update. I would assume it is a hardware problem :/
 

freezerburrn

macrumors member
Aug 20, 2006
79
0
La Habra, CA
Simon, did you read the previous posts? Someone found a solution for us BT users and it works great. My mighty mouse works just as good as my usb mouse now.
 

YoYoMa

macrumors 6502
Aug 3, 2006
420
28
I have the Mac Pro Installation Guide that the geniuses use and it definitely says to connect the BT wire. I find it very strange that the #1 wire works instead of one that is labeled BT. I'll be buying another bluetooth upgrade chip and trying it out tonight.
 

waremaster

macrumors 6502
Aug 27, 2006
406
2
waremaster said:
Just thought I would chime in on this one. I just went down to my local Apple store and picked up the Bluetooth module, Keyboard and Mouse and installed the module myself. I used wire labeled #1 on the module and range is no problem at all as others have stated at 15ft I can barely see the screen but all still works fine and installation was a snap. Both keyboard and mouse working great in Mac OSX and windows in Bootcamp.


Just thought I would remind you of my install details.
 

Simon R.

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2006
409
131
Freeze, yes now I did:) However... This is my first Mac ever, 2 weeks old. I know my way perfectly around PC's interior, but I got this Mac with BT + WiFi pre-installed, and it seems like quite a daunting task to fiddle around with the antennas inthere. I dont even know how to get them off the modules, or if I should take out the modules before unmounting the antennas. I don't feel like fiddling around with a screwdriver 2 mm's from the motherboard... I wonder if this is something I should expect Apple's support to fix for me? I live pretty close to an Apple Store, maybe I should call them up. I really don't want to screw anything up or lose my warranty here. I just wonder if they ever heard of this problem here in Denmark yet or if they are gonna tell me to go f*ck myself...
 

waremaster

macrumors 6502
Aug 27, 2006
406
2
Simon R. said:
Freeze, yes now I did:) However... This is my first Mac ever, 2 weeks old. I know my way perfectly around PC's interior, but I got this Mac with BT + WiFi pre-installed, and it seems like quite a daunting task to fiddle around with the antennas inthere. I dont even know how to get them off the modules, or if I should take out the modules before unmounting the antennas. I don't feel like fiddling around with a screwdriver 2 mm's from the motherboard... I wonder if this is something I should expect Apple's support to fix for me? I live pretty close to an Apple Store, maybe I should call them up. I really don't want to screw anything up or lose my warranty here. I just wonder if they ever heard of this problem here in Denmark yet or if they are gonna tell me to go f*ck myself...

Worst case ask the people at the apple store to attach #1 wire to the bluetooth module as evedentally somehow either the wires are mislabeled or somehow the apple techs got confused by the wire labeled BT. Or mabe a call to applecare would help in that maybe you will get lucky and they will just walk you though changing to the right cable.
 

YoYoMa

macrumors 6502
Aug 3, 2006
420
28
All the cables are bunched together slightly behind the motherboard right above where the bluetooth chip goes. They are very thin but you should beable to find them. Try putting the puter on it's side.
 

Simon R.

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2006
409
131
YoYoMa said:
All the cables are bunched together slightly behind the motherboard right above where the bluetooth chip goes. They are very thin but you should beable to find them. Try putting the puter on it's side.

Was that for me? If so, I have no problem finding the cables/antennas, but I dare not remove them (dont even know how to) and re-arrange them - don't you need to unscrew them or something?
 

freezerburrn

macrumors member
Aug 20, 2006
79
0
La Habra, CA
When I switched the wires around I just used a needle nose plier to gently pull out the wires from the attachments and then used the pliers in combination with my index finger to push the connectors into the appropriate sockets.

So now, as stated before my wires are as follows:

BT: disconnected
1: connected to BT module
2: connected to top of Airport
3: connected to bottom of Airport

It really works like a charm now, I'm really suprised.

The only negative thing I have to say about switching the wires is I lost the darn insulator tube that went over the previously unconnected 2 wire.
 

waremaster

macrumors 6502
Aug 27, 2006
406
2
Simon R. said:
Was that for me? If so, I have no problem finding the cables/antennas, but I dare not remove them (dont even know how to) and re-arrange them - don't you need to unscrew them or something?


The Cables are just clipped on no screws for that.
 

scoopz

macrumors member
Sep 27, 2006
62
29
UK
freezerburrn said:
BT: disconnected
1: connected to BT module
2: connected to top of Airport
3: connected to bottom of Airport

I've got mine set up that way too now. See image attached.
 

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YoYoMa

macrumors 6502
Aug 3, 2006
420
28
I've got my cable connected to the #1 wire and things have been going great so far. An interesting note on this third Mac Pro though is that my BT cable seems to be connected somewhere behind the motherboard.

Also, I find it very strange that the Mac Pro installation manual says to connect the BT wire to the chip, yet it's the #1 wire that works. Is there anyone out there who gets good range with their bluetooth MM and has the BT wire connected?
 

scoopz

macrumors member
Sep 27, 2006
62
29
UK
Right I used my Apple BT Keyboard to do a rough range test when connecting the module to wire #1 and BT wire. Also did a base run with no wire connected at all.
  • With no wire connected to the BT module i can continue to use my keyboard up to 2m away at most.
  • With wire labelled BT connected it vastly increases the range from 2m to roughly 6.5m including one plasterboard wall.
  • With wire #1 connected i reached the extents of the inside of my house and ended up at the far end of the driveway. As the crow flies only 9m from the base but bear in mind that's gone through the same plasterboard wall as above and then gone through a double skinned brick wall.

Next time i bring my laptop home from work I'll try and do some more scientific tests including signal db/accurate distance/graph.
 

waremaster

macrumors 6502
Aug 27, 2006
406
2
Jeewhizz said:
What's the score on this in regards to warranty/applecare? Am I likely to void either of them by swapping the wires?

Honestly how would they know? Worst case if you are worried about that if you ever have a problem swap them back before you either take it in or applecare comes to fix it.
 

Mundy

macrumors regular
Sep 8, 2006
144
13
Question:

After switching the wires so that they are connected as depicted in the picture above, is the AirPort range still good? Everyone is talking about how it has improved their BlueTooth range, but I want to be sure that my AirPort range doesn't suffer before I do the mod myself.
 

scoopz

macrumors member
Sep 27, 2006
62
29
UK
Mundy said:
Question: I want to be sure that my AirPort range doesn't suffer before I do the mod myself.
I cannot comment on whether airport range changed because I installed airport and btoot at the same time but I did note that the airport has strongest signal when connected as per my photo above. I think the only testing left for me to do is to try switching wire 2 and wire 3 with each other on the wirless card.

See this thread about issues I have been having with my wirless signal but completely unrelated to the wires, problems with a microwave.
 

Jeewhizz

macrumors regular
Nov 30, 2003
121
0
London, UK
I've spent about 10 mins gingerly moving round the inside of the case and can't find wire 1 :( I'm not going to play with it anymore - I'd rather apple fix it.

Hopefully they'll just send someone out!

Jee
 

Macinposh

macrumors 6502a
Jun 7, 2006
700
0
Kreplakistan
Jeewhizz said:
I've spent about 10 mins gingerly moving round the inside of the case and can't find wire 1




Spent the same amount of time too.


Found out that I have only 3 cables, and NONE of them are marked..


Could it be that my pooper is from another plant,than yours guys?
Like from ireland (comp is in europe)?Is that plant even running anymore?


I mean,i have had some irregularities with BT MM,but nothing serious.
Just some occasional lagging under Rosetta programs.
 

salz

macrumors newbie
Sep 30, 2006
1
0
Upgrade to 10.4.8 helped

I have a intel mac pro 2.66. My first Mac. I was experiencing sluggish bluetooth mouse response as well. I was going to follow some of the advise in this forum right after the upgrade to 10.4.8. But to my surprise right after the upgrade my keyboard and mouse problems cleared up. Hope the helps someone else.
 

Jeewhizz

macrumors regular
Nov 30, 2003
121
0
London, UK
I have spoken to applecare. The first guy I spoke too hadn't heard of the issue before. But when he spoke to another guy to get a second opinion on the matter, the other guy confirmed that apple are aware of the issues, and it's being classed as a Rev A. issue. They are keen to sort the problem out I was told!

They did want me to take it into an apple auth service center, but i refused as I have applecare, and it's barely 2 weeks old. In the end they agreed to send someone out, but they still might just take it back for testing if they can't do it onsite!

Any tips on backing up my mac pro?
 
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