Why USB can affect your wireless peripherals and what you can do about it
10.1.2023
Translation: Eva Francis
Your wireless mouse has an unstable connection? Your PC’s USB 3.0 ports could be to blame. They produce interfering noise.
Wireless gaming mice with a 2.4 GHz receiver are great – no annoying cable and almost no differences in latency compared to wired mice. That’s if the connection is stable. In my case, it isn’t. Instead, it keeps interrupting. The culprit? My PC’s USB 3.0 ports.
What’s going on?
Intel published a whitepaper on this problem back in 2012. The specification of USB 3.0 requires data to be scrambled. In this process, a narrowband signal is converted into a signal with a wider bandwidth than is necessary for transmitting information. This creates noise, which is particularly pronounced in the range many wireless devices operate in – between 2.4 and 2.5 GHz
The noise can come from an unoccupied 3.0 port. However, it can also radiate from a peripheral device or cable connected to it. If there’s a receiver of a wireless device nearby, this will cause delays or interruptions of the wireless connection.
A solution that hasn’t really worked for over 10 years
Intel’s solution is shielding USB 3.0 devices and/or ports and placing Wi-Fi antennas as far away from USB 3.0 ports as possible. For the connection between my router and PC, that’ fine. However, the problem persists with mice and keyboards, even ten years after Intel’s whitepaper.
How’s that possible? Either the solution isn’t good enough or the manufacturers of motherboards and peripherals aren’t taking the problem seriously. Some manufacturers do at least include so-called extenders with their wireless mice. This amplifies the signal, allowing you to place the 2.4 GHz receiver further away from the PC. If no extender is included, USB extension cables can help.
Whatever you do, never connect your 2.4 GHz receivers to USB 3.0 ports. This is guaranteed to cause connection problems. Lower or higher USB standard ports are fine. How’s it possible that the problem still exists after all these years with USB 3.0? After all, the first devices were launched as early as 2010. The last hope seems to be that the standard will eventually die out and no longer cause problems.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
