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Wireless Mouse Booster

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kjward

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i'd like to build an rf amp @ 2.4GHz to boost the outgoing signals of my wireless mouse and keyboard. it's very frustrating to be bound to within 12 inches of the pc due to limited signal strength...i mean, what's the point of "wireless", eh? it's like alcohol-free beer, right?

anyway, either something to augment the existing circuits in the mouse/keyboard, or a small repeater near where i'm working that grabs the almost negligible signal and pumps it up and sends it out to the pc across the room (10').

ideas? thanks
 
I recently purchased a wireless keyboard/mouse set ... It has a USB pluggable RF dongle.

It seems that if I plug the RF dongle into the rear of the Computer case, the performance of the mouse is very limited ... possibly due to the interference of the metal case with the RF transmissions.

However, when I switched the RF dongle from the rear/back position, to the front side USB port, the mouse performance improved significantly .....

One other possibility would be to obtain a USB extension of some sort, and arrange the RF dongle to plug into it so that it would be closer to your work space .... avoiding any metal or electromagnetic obstructions .....whatever they may be.

Also be certain that you have the correct driver and software installed .... Look on the bottom of the mouse for the correct name or model.
 
thanks for the info. the ms set i have came with a little usb antenna-puck which can be placed a fair distance (24") from the pc. my scenario is not the typical pc-on-a-desk one. i have the pc in an entertainment center connected to the tv and i sit across the room (10-15') from it. i really don't want to run wires across the hardwood floor, so i'm thinking if there was a way to capture the kb/mouse signal near where i'm sitting and send it out a wee bit bigger, the antenna across the room would be much happier. :)

hence my interest in designing and building a repeater to grab and boost the signal.
 
thanks for the info. the ms set i have came with a little usb antenna-puck which can be placed a fair distance (24") from the pc. my scenario is not the typical pc-on-a-desk one. i have the pc in an entertainment center connected to the tv and i sit across the room (10-15') from it. i really don't want to run wires across the hardwood floor, so i'm thinking if there was a way to capture the kb/mouse signal near where i'm sitting and send it out a wee bit bigger, the antenna across the room would be much happier. :)

hence my interest in designing and building a repeater to grab and boost the signal.

A repeater is not very easy to do proposition, lots of $$$ and lots of problems to be solved. You might do as already suggested and get a USB extension cable and plug the PC dongle into the end of it. You can then play around with it's height and orientation, perhaps stick it up above the PC where it could have line of sight to where you are sitting, I'm sure that would improve matters.
 
okay, i'll have a go and see if things improve. thanks.

how 'bout units like the linksys Wireless-G Range Expander? they work at the same frequency and seem to do exactly what i'm looking for...would something like that work?
 
thanks for the info. the ms set i have came with a little usb antenna-puck which can be placed a fair distance (24") from the pc. my scenario is not the typical pc-on-a-desk one. i have the pc in an entertainment center connected to the tv and i sit across the room (10-15') from it. i really don't want to run wires across the hardwood floor, so i'm thinking if there was a way to capture the kb/mouse signal near where i'm sitting and send it out a wee bit bigger, the antenna across the room would be much happier. :)

hence my interest in designing and building a repeater to grab and boost the signal.



I think I know what you are talking about .... the 'hockey puck' transceiver .... I had one of those also. As you imply, the range of these devices is only 2 to 4 ft. or so.

If you are willing to modify the existing hockey puck transceive, consider this suggestion.:
... Basically, there should be a circuit board on the hockey puck, as well as a short length of copper trace or possibly something else that presently serves as an antenna. By disassembling the hockey puck, and accessing the circuit board, it might be possible to cut, remove, or isolate in some manner the existing antenna component. Once the OEM antenna is out of the circuit, you could solder a so-called quarter wave antenna to the appropriate solder pad. This would consist of a piece of rigid wire, cut to an appropriate length ...probably a few inches or so at 2.4 Ghz.

You should be aware that the suggested modification could violate some sort of FCC legal constraint.
You would not want to be transmitting into adjacent households in your neighborhood.
I think the FCC also issues tickets for violations.
 
thanks, it's worth a try. but i thought the puck was simply the receiver? so extending its antenna shouldn't increase the range of my mouse's transmission, only its ability to pickup the mouse's weak signal, right?

although i'd love to be a fly on the wall in the house next door when their pc starts doing "ghostly" things all on its own, eh?
 
thanks, it's worth a try. but i thought the puck was simply the receiver? so extending its antenna shouldn't increase the range of my mouse's transmission, only its ability to pickup the mouse's weak signal, right?

although i'd love to be a fly on the wall in the house next door when their pc starts doing "ghostly" things all on its own, eh?

Increasing the sensitivity of the receiver has the same effects as increasing the transmitter's power of the mouse, and a whole lot easier and cheaper to do. Give it a try.

Lefty
 
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