Tips/Techniques Bluetooth antenna questions

[PeterT]

I have this 5.0 antenna dongle thingy plugged into my PC which is under my desk, like 2 feet distance & not what I would expect to any/much Bluetooth blocking/reflecting material (wood desk with glass top). Long story but something is not right with my motherboard Bluetooth. A while back I got a nice headset as a gift & was unable to make it function without like really bad interference sound effects. Tried re-binding BT many times, all the headset adjustments, upgrading BT drivers, running BT diagnostics... to the limit of my sparse IT knowledge. I decided to try a plug-in dongle (5.0 below) & that solved most of the issues. Turns out I really don't like headsets anyway. My earbuds which I use all the time on iPhone work good. I tried it on PC watching YouTube vids, sound was OK but a perceptible, irritating lag. Now that i think of it I may have had lag with the headset too.

- would the later BT v5.3 be better in this regard or is there some other limitation?

- this particular 5.3 has a longer stick out antenna. Its not in a great position on my PC, I'm always in & out of that area plugging in camera cards & USB stuff. I have many spare USB slots on the back of my PC but now signal would go from my earbuds through the desk; longer distance & more stuff in between. I also have USB ports on back of my monitor which would be no problem for longer antenna. But presumably now longer line path via monitor cable into PC if that makes any difference.

- any comments in this regard? its not a lot of $ to gamble & try, but just wondering if this is the issue or barking up the wrong tree. Right now I'm an old school 3.5mm wired plug guy. I just replaced my keyboard with wired over BT. On my laptop the BT mouse seems to work reasonably well but new but I also don't do CAD or finicky stuff on it. i tried a few BT mice on PC & I just don't like it over wired. Wondering if its all related. (Win-10 if that makes any difference)

5.0 https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0DKFXGR21?ie=UTF8&th=1
5.3 https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0DKFXGR21?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[PeterT]

some Gemini links

Bluetooth latency and how to minimise it | Audio-Technica

Bluetooth latency and how to minimise it Latency on Bluetooth products is something that comes with the territory, though there are steps that can be taken to minimse it. The ...

www.audio-technica.com

How to Fix Headphone Latency or Audio Delay [Ultimate Guide]

Ever been bothered by Bluetooth latency? Find out how to fix headphone latency and why there is a delay when using Bluetooth headphones in our instructive blog.

www.soundcore.com

 

[David]

Interesting. I have a cheap BT headset and Logitech mouse for my personal laptop and a Plantronics BT headset for my work laptop. I have never experienced any perceptible lag with any of them. I’m just using the supplied dongles.

 

[Susquatch]

I am the same as David. I have tons of Bluetooth stuff running all the time. Even my watch uses Bluetooth to attach to my phone. It's a huge list of devices. Hearing Aides, headsets, PC Speaker, key board and mouse, phone to PC, Firestick to TV, phone to TV, car/truck, etc etc.

I've never had problems with Lag or connections. It just works. In fact, it works so well that I don't even know what versions I'm using.

 

[PeterT]

Do you think being quite close to my cable in WiFi box is an issue? Its sitting on the same desk essentially behind the monitor.

 

[David]

Do you think being quite close to my cable in WiFi box is an issue? Its sitting on the same desk essentially behind the monitor.

Maybe?

 

[PeterT]

Under devices I see this. I assume all the BT symbols correspond to 'available' Looks like I disabled Intel wireless (corresponding to motherboard?) but the TP-Link BT USB adapter is ON so functional.
Also checking USB, I think the TP is into USB 3.0 (that was another thing to check where older v# USB may be limiting)

This might be a deeper rabbit hole. Some links refer to specifying low audio latency codec, having APTX... stuff like that. And of course my 29$ ear buds might be complicating matters but it was teh sam eissue on my better headset. Maybe I'll just have to look elsewhere other than peoples mouths so the lag isn't irritating LOL

 

[Susquatch]

Do you think being quite close to my cable in WiFi box is an issue? Its sitting on the same desk essentially behind the monitor.

Yes, that's a potential issue. I wouldn't want a wifi router anywhere near other wireless devices - even ones operating on different frequencies. The power level of any non-directional signal is inversely proportional to the cube of the distance.

 

[PeterT]

and yet my ever so slightly slightly newer laptop also on Win-10 sitting in exact same proximity to Wifi has no lag. Odd. Time to move on with life Grrr

 

[Susquatch]

And of course my 29$ ear buds might be complicating matters but it was teh sam eissue on my better headset. Maybe I'll just have to look elsewhere other than peoples mouths so the lag isn't irritating LOL

Why do you have so many controllers and hubs? In the old days, that would have caused interrupt confusion (spell that latency or total failure). I don't know how that works now. But it can't be good!

 

[PeterT]

Good question. I don't think they are physical hardware, certainly no hub connected. Now I could pretend I'm smarter than I really am, but according to Gemini:

In the context of Windows 10 Bluetooth settings, the "Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator" refers to a software component that acts as a manager for your computer's Bluetooth devices.
Here's a breakdown:
Enumeration: This term essentially means "to list or count." In this case, the enumerator's primary function is to:
Discover and identify all Bluetooth devices within range of your computer.
Gather information about each device, such as its type (e.g., headphones, keyboard, mouse), capabilities, and current connection status.
Role of the Enumerator:
The enumerator acts as an intermediary between your computer's operating system (Windows 10) and the various Bluetooth devices you connect to.
It helps Windows understand which devices are available and how to interact with them.
In simpler terms: Imagine it like a traffic controller at a busy intersection. The enumerator keeps track of all the Bluetooth devices trying to connect, ensures smooth communication, and helps your computer understand which device is requesting what.
Note: The presence of the Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator is normal and essential for proper Bluetooth functionality on Windows 10.
The "Bluetooth Device (RFCOMM Protocol TDI)" in Windows refers to a key component for enabling Bluetooth communication. Here's a breakdown:
RFCOMM (Radio Frequency Communication):
This is a core Bluetooth protocol.
It essentially emulates a serial port connection over the Bluetooth link.
This means that devices can communicate with each other as if they were connected by a traditional serial cable, even though the connection is wireless.
TDI (Transport Driver Interface):


TDI is a set of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) within the Windows operating system.
It provides a standardized way for network drivers to interact with other parts of the operating system.
In simpler terms:
The "Bluetooth Device (RFCOMM Protocol TDI)" is the software that allows your Windows computer to use the RFCOMM protocol for Bluetooth communication.
It acts as a bridge between your computer's Bluetooth hardware and the applications that want to use Bluetooth (like your web browser for hands-free calling, or a file transfer application).
Key Points:
This component is crucial for most Bluetooth functionalities on Windows.
If this component is not functioning correctly, you may experience issues with connecting to Bluetooth devices, transferring files, or using Bluetooth audio.
Note: "TDI" might seem technical, but its primary purpose is to ensure that different network drivers and applications can communicate with each other within the Windows environment in a consistent and reliable manner.

 

[Susquatch]

I don't think they are physical hardware, certainly no hub connected. Now I could pretend I'm smarter than I really am, but according to Gemini:

In the context of Windows 10 Bluetooth settings, the "Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator" refers to a software

None of that dealt with the question of why so many controllers and hubs?

How many does your laptop have?

Again, in the old days, you could just delete them all and your system would rediscover them. I don't know if that is still true. Try at your own peril.

I guess, it seems logical to me that too many bosses (controllers and hubs) leads to confusion and "latency".....

 

[David]

Here's mine for reference.

 

[PeterT]

Not sure what you mean by 'hub'.

Laptop. The 2 Soundcore are headset (I should probably delete now). The 2 X08 are earbuds. That leaves the 6 on top of list I'd guess are originally there.
My understanding is they don't do really anything conflict wise, it just means it was paired once upon a time so is capable of connecting at any time subsequently? But what do I know.

My PC motherboard is Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI w/ DDR4-3200, 5.1

X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI (rev. 1.x) Specification | Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global

Lasting Quality from GIGABYTE.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards bring together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer users the absolute ...

www.gigabyte.com

 

[Susquatch]

Not sure what you mean by 'hub'.

This is what I meant. It's from your earlier post. Too many controllers and hubs there.

I think you are correct in assuming that the ones in your laptop list are just devices you connected to before. But none of those are controllers. It's all the controllers and hubs that concern me. I think they are interrupt driven. Too many layered interrupts is not a good thing. If this was Windows xp, I'd recommend deleting all of them and then rebooting. One of them would get rediscovered, but only one of each, not three.

 

[PeterT]

Gemini:
Why So Many on Your PC (Windows 10)?

• Multiple USB Controllers: Modern motherboards often include multiple USB controllers to:
  
  • Increase the number of USB ports: More ports mean you can connect more devices simultaneously.
  • Improve performance: Distributing devices across different controllers can reduce congestion and improve overall USB performance.
  • Support different USB speeds: Some controllers might specialize in specific USB speeds (e.g., USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1/3.2).
• Integrated vs. Dedicated Controllers:
  
  • Integrated: Built directly into the motherboard's chipset (often more common).
  • Dedicated: Separate chips on the motherboard (may offer higher performance or specific features).
• Driver Software: You might see multiple entries in Device Manager because Windows often installs separate drivers for each USB controller, even if they are from the same manufacturer.

In Summary

Having multiple extensible host controllers is generally a good thing for modern PCs. It enhances connectivity, improves performance, and ensures compatibility with a wide range of USB devices.

 

[Susquatch]

Multiple USB Controllers: Modern motherboards often include multiple USB controllers to:

Does your PC really have that many?

 

[PeterT]

USB ports? Yes, I believe so. Link to motherboard post #14. I need to confirm what USB version correspond to the case top front where current BT dongle is. But I'm getting a gut feel, that's not the lag issue.