Please recommend a Bluetooth USB

[grommet]

HI, I need help. I have a tiny USB plug in for the Bluetooth on my PC and the reception is very poor. It cuts out and re-connects and my Apple AirPods Pros won't work at all. I am still learning about computers. I found out there could be better quality USB plugins. I wanted to use TP-Link because they seem well known but they only have the small plugin like I have now. It might be much better because they are higher quality, I do not know. But I also saw listings for long-range ones and thought they might be even better. I stay close to my PC I just want a stronger more steady connection and I would also like to use my AirPods if possible.

What should I do, get the small one from TP-Link or a long range one like the photo I will insert? I want to get something good that will help.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Outdated]

TP-Link have a fairly good reputation and they're generally lower priced than other brands too. Buying one with a proper aerial is a good idea, you'll get more reliable connections to it and a longer range as well.

I use a TP-Link wireless card in my desktop and my router is also TP-Link. I've had no issues with either of them, unlike the more expensive NetGear items I've had before.

 

[grommet]

Thank you. Would it be better for me to get one with an antenna, the long-range kind? TP-Link does not seem to make one for Bluetooth, only for Wi-fi.

 

[Outdated]

I just had a look at their website and you're right, they only make the "nano" variety, or internal adapters for desktop computers. They only cost $10 though, it might be worth buying one and trying it. Your existing adapter might just be on it's way out.

You will get a more reliable connection with a device that has a better aerial, but the simple fact that they're not common suggests that they're usually not needed.

 

[Outdated]

Just another quick idea, something you could easily try as an experiment. A common issue with laptops is that the USB plug holes get "scooped out" a bit simply by the fact of the way our wrists work. Constantly changing what's plugged in makes the issue more severe.

A way of getting around this issue is to slightly close over the plug on your device so that it makes a tighter fit. I do this simply by biting them very gently, you only want to close them over by a few microns, not bend them so that they don't fit.

 

[grommet]

Just another quick idea, something you could easily try as an experiment. A common issue with laptops is that the USB plug holes get "scooped out" a bit simply by the fact of the way our wrists work. Constantly changing what's plugged in makes the issue more severe.

A way of getting around this issue is to slightly close over the plug on your device so that it makes a tighter fit. I do this simply by biting them very gently, you only want to close them over by a few microns, not bend them so that they don't fit.

It is for my desktop PC. I looked at the reviews for the TP-Link and people say it installs easily but did not say it had very strong signal strength. They did not say it was weak but not especially strong. I would install something internal or use one with an antenna if they give more signal strength.

Gaming on the PC is not nice because I cannot use my earbuds, I have to use wired headphones. The Apple earbuds will not work with the PC. Also I have haptic gear that uses Bluetooth and works well but can lose its connection a lot. I do not know if it is because of the gear or the Bluetooth USB dongle.

 

[blitzkrieg]

What type of PC do you have - do you mean a desktop computer?

If so, the most reliable bluetooth option is an internal wireless/bluetooth card that would fit into a PCIe slot inside your desktop.

An example of this type of product:

Amazon.com

 

[grommet]

What type of PC do you have - do you mean a desktop computer?

If so, the most reliable bluetooth option is an internal wireless/bluetooth card that would fit into a PCIe slot inside your desktop.

An example of this type of product:

Amazon.com

I am glad to install something internally. Does this plug into the same place as a GPU? I think I can figure it out.

There are so many choices for this kind I do not know how to decide. You recommended this one and the reviewers say it works instantly with Windows, which is great for me, I have trouble installing drivers. My router is right up against my PC, I do not worry about wifi. I do want the better Bluetooth though and it seems like this would do it. Do you know how much better internal Bluetooth is than a USB dongle?

 

[blitzkrieg]

I have used internal cards from experience and they are 100% reliable, whilst bluetooth usb is less reliable.

 

[blitzkrieg]

I am glad to install something internally. Does this plug into the same place as a GPU? I think I can figure it out.

There are so many choices for this kind I do not know how to decide. You recommended this one and the reviewers say it works instantly with Windows, which is great for me, I have trouble installing drivers. My router is right up against my PC, I do not worry about wifi. I do want the better Bluetooth though and it seems like this would do it. Do you know how much better internal Bluetooth is than a USB dongle?

I think it is a similar slot yes. Most motherboards on desktop computers have several PCIe slots rather than just one. You should be fine in adding a product like this one if you have a motherboard that is no more than 10 years old or so.

 

[blitzkrieg]

I use an internal bluetooth card with my laptop for bluetooth devices and I have never had an issue with anything I have used, ranging from headphones to Xbox One controllers, whereas with a USB dongle I could barely get it to work. It is definitely worth a try with the bluetooth/wireless card, I think.

 

[Outdated]

Gaming on the PC is not nice because I cannot use my earbuds, I have to use wired headphones.

It's exactly the same for me, except I just never got around to getting a bluetooth card yet. I have very sensitive hearing and I don't have the speakers up very loud, plus where I live is very quiet.

I'm playing Elder Scrolls Skyrim at the moment and I really wish it had subtitles for the voices, it doesn't matter if the sound is really loud there, I still have a lot of trouble understanding them and have to go to the game's wiki pages to read what they said.

Sometimes I'll use the headphones but as you say, it's annoying being figuratively chained to the computer.

 

[grommet]

I think it is a similar slot yes. Most motherboards on desktop computers have several PCIe slots rather than just one. You should be fine in adding a product like this one if you have a motherboard that is no more than 10 years old or so.

My motherboard is about two years old. Are there different kinds of USB headers? I watched an installation video and it just said to pick one.

 

[grommet]

It's exactly the same for me, except I just never got around to getting a bluetooth card yet. I have very sensitive hearing and I don't have the speakers up very loud, plus where I live is very quiet.

I'm playing Elder Scrolls Skyrim at the moment and I really wish it had subtitles for the voices, it doesn't matter if the sound is really loud there, I still have a lot of trouble understanding them and have to go to the game's wiki pages to read what they said.

Sometimes I'll use the headphones but as you say, it's annoying being figuratively chained to the computer.

So many people like that game I will have to remember to try it. My TV has a Game setting. I am thinking of connecting it through HDMI. I think the delay would be a problem for FPS games but I am hoping for most other kinds it would work.

 

[Outdated]

HDMI isn't the best choice for running games on your TV, it carries a limited bandwidth and struggles with high resolutions and fast frame rates, but on the other hand it also carries sound on the one handy connection so it has advantages as well.

For a bluetooth or a wireless card it doesn't matter which PCIe slot you use. The difference between them is bandwidth - how much information they can carry, and connecting to another device doesn't use anywhere near as much as a graphics card.

Which slot you use will most often be decided simply by how much physical space you have available between other cards, graphics cards are quite thick and often cover the slot next to the one they're using.

Just insert the card while your computer is shut down, when you start up again Windows or MacOS will ask for the disk with the drivers for it. If you're using Linux there's no need for a driver disk, just plug it in and it works.

 

[grommet]

HDMI isn't the best choice for running games on your TV, it carries a limited bandwidth and struggles with high resolutions and fast frame rates, but on the other hand it also carries sound on the one handy connection so it has advantages as well.

For a bluetooth or a wireless card it doesn't matter which PCIe slot you use. The difference between them is bandwidth - how much information they can carry, and connecting to another device doesn't use anywhere near as much as a graphics card.

Which slot you use will most often be decided simply by how much physical space you have available between other cards, graphics cards are quite thick and often cover the slot next to the one they're using.

Just insert the card while your computer is shut down, when you start up again Windows or MacOS will ask for the disk with the drivers for it. If you're using Linux there's no need for a driver disk, just plug it in and it works.

Thank you for explaining so much, this helps me a lot. I use Windows 11. One person in a review said to go to TP-Link's site and download the drivers first. I do not understand where to download the drivers to, I do not know how to use directories in Windows very well. I am also wondering if Windows 11 somehow could get the drivers for me.

For money I will have to wait until next month to buy this but I am looking forward. I think it will be fun to put the parts in. I have not added mods to my games because I cannot understand how but if I can learn to do things like this then I think it will teach me more about directories and how to change things.

 

[Outdated]

One person in a review said to go to TP-Link's site and download the drivers first.

Downloading the drivers first isn't such a bad idea, I forgot that devices often don't come with a disk anymore.

It doesn't matter where you download the drivers to as long as you can remember where they are. (to the desktop is good) When you start up with the new card in place Windows will ask you where it can find drivers for the new device, just use it's 'browse files" feature to direct it to the drivers you downloaded.

Quite often driver downloads are compressed in to a Zip archive, you might have to "unzip" or extract the files from the archive before Windows can find them.