Top Reasons Why Your Bluetooth Device Fails. How to Fix it.

Do you know what is the number one complaint of all Bluetooth devices? Drumroll..... It is the range. This device _____ (fill in the blank) only gets 5 or 10 feet and the connection drops. Since this happens on so many devices then either the different tech manufacturers are all making lousy devices or something else is at play. I believe the latter. And with millions more now using wireless devices; Smart Home devices, headsets, headphones, earbuds, speakerphones, and more it's about time to reveal why this is happening and provide some guidance that is effective at solving this problem.

Background on Bluetooth Signal

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication technology standard. Bluetooth uses short-wavelength UHF radio waves of a frequency range between 2.4 and 2.485 GHz. The purpose of this signal is to allow peripherals like headsets, speakerphones, mice, keyboards to communicate with each other transferring data and voice. The latter being the most tricky when having a back and forth conversation using a Bluetooth device. The reason for complications is that although Bluetooth is a standard the implementation of that standard among the various manufacturers is any but standard. You also have different components like chipsets, antenna placement on the peripheral, and operating systems which all work differently depending on the make, model, and Bluetooth versions (4.2 vs. 5.0). Not to mention all the devices using the same frequency as Bluetooth which creates interference.

If you really want a deep dive and get very technical about specifications, the signal strength from different smartphones as well as the human body's own interference with Bluetooth signals I highly recommend this article by Paul-Olivier Dehaye.

Bluetooth was designed to transfer data packets, similar to how the internet functions. In recent years, Bluetooth has come to be commonly used for transferring media, (streaming audio, audio and video conferencing, audio calls) and the timing of these small data packets is important for maximum performance. (Source: Audio Technica)

Physics and Bluetooth Signals

The most problematic issue with Bluetooth for your everyday office or home worker is physics. Standing in your way to getting a good signal on your Bluetooth device are the many objects that are on your workstation; monitors, speakers, tables, plants, coffee mug, books, walls, and yes even your own body. Not to mention that Bluetooth peripherals tend to have low-power signals that can be prone to interference from physical objects as well as other sources emitting RF (radio frequency) signals that can interfere with your peripheral. Bluetooth works best when your peripheral is closest to your mobile phone or your PC/MAC AND has a line of sight.

Commons Sources of Interference

• Microwave ovens.
• Cabling and connectors for cable and satellite service.
• Poorly shielded power lines in the wall.
• 4 GHz cordless telephones.
• Wireless RF security video camera.
• Wireless Wi-Fi speakers.
• Neighboring Bluetooth device (device in a close apartment/home may connect through walls)
• Neighbors' Wi-Fi (for highly dense neighborhoods)
• Wi-Fi Routers
• Wireless Smart Home devices
• USB-3.0 Port on Computer- Intel White Paper (22 pages of very detailed geek speak)

Sources: Audio Technica and Intel

According to Audio Technica, "Many Wi-Fi routers transmit on multiple channels simultaneously, and if there are excessive Wi-Fi signals in close proximity taking up most of the spectrum, your Bluetooth devices may not have any open spectrum to frequency hop to. This is a common cause of Bluetooth interference".

So what do you do if you have interference with other devices like Wi-Fi routers? Move the router if possible or move to a location away from the Wi-Fi router. If you move away from the router and your Bluetooth peripheral works now you know the source of your interference.

Why The Built-in Bluetooth on Mac and PC also fails

For those working from home or the office who are now connected via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, RingCentral or other Unified Communications platforms you probably have either had the pleasure of working effortlessly with your Bluetooth headset or the nightmare of getting your Bluetooth headset to work properly.

For those that have had the nightmare scenario understand that your issue could have been one of the interference sources previously mentioned or that your Bluetooth peripheral is not able to get a line of sight with your computer. And this lack of line of sight prevents a good quality signal for proper business communications. Listening to a podcast or music on your computer with Bluetooth headphones is not the same as having a conversation on Microsoft Teams with that same device. This is because voice communications using Bluetooth connections are not the primary function of computers. Bluetooth multi-media connections (like Microsoft Teams or Zoom) require very little delay in the delivery of your data packets. Although your computer may have Bluetooth built-in, a full-duplex (two-way conversations) using a Bluetooth headset can be problematic for even the latest versions of Windows or Macbook especially if you have a USB 3.0 port. According to Intel's research, an unshielded USB port can cause interference with Bluetooth peripherals because USB 3.0 uses the same frequency as Bluetooth peripherals. What a mess!

The delay in the delivery of data packets is often the reason for signal buffering and audio drops in the Bluetooth signal (source: Audio Technica)

Recommendations

To help prevent the delay of data packets and improve signal strength we always recommend using a Bluetooth Dongle when connecting any Bluetooth peripheral with a computer. Many of the mainline manufacturers such as Plantronics (now Poly), Jabra, Sennheiser (now EPOS), Bose, Yealink, and Logitech have Bluetooth Dongles that allow many of the peripherals to perform better when using a computer.

When using a Bluetooth peripheral with a mobile phone always keep it within line of sight of the mobile to have an optimal connection and reduce the likelihood of it disconnecting. Try plugging in the Bluetooth Dongle into a different USB port given the interference caused by unshielded USB ports. Some laptops and computers will treat USB ports differently and sometimes may not properly work with certain devices depending on the operating system and/or hardware used.

To improve the range, signal strength, and line of sight of these Bluetooth dongles we recommend the Blue Beacon Range Extender. This practical and low-cost device has the ability to improve the performance of your Bluetooth connection when used with your Bluetooth Dongle. This helps move your dongle away from the common interference points on or near your computer such as an unshielded USB port. Want to see how easy it is to use this adapter? i Check out the video on Global Teck Worldwide.