Wireless Keyboards and Mice - Possible Interference

[Guest]

Hi,

My husband and I have just bought two PCs (our very first!) and are very happy with them.

I have a wireless keyboard and mouse included with mine and love the freedom it gives me on my desk.

My husband has a wired keyboard and mouse and is now jealous of my wireless set up

So, he wants to buy a wireless keyboard and mouse, and being complete novices, we are curious if there is such a thing as interference between sets of wireless keyboards/mice. Sorry, I know you to guys this is basic in the extreme, but I would be grateful if someone can give me any advice on this.

PS Apologies if this is posted in the wrong section, I couldn't find anything for keyboards/mice.

Thanks,
J

 

[thechief73]

Hi Jenn14, Welcome to THW.

There is a possibility of the devices causing problems with each other. From what I have know most are designed to work up to about 6ft and it is recommended to have at least a distance of 10ft between two sets. The best thing to do to prevent problems is to buy a model that allows you to change the frequency's of the device. Also it is recommended if ever setting up two at the same time, to install them at least 30min apart from each other because in that time they are in search mode after setup/installation and may pick up on the other signals.

What model are you using now or planning to get?

 

[Guest]

Hi thechief73,

Many thanks for the information. There is no exact model numbers on either keyboard or mouse, but it's HP branded, whereas my husband has his heart set on a Logitech combo.

Unfortunately, we don't have enough space (we share a desk) to allow for the 10ft you recommend, so he may have to stick with wired. Actually, the main reason he wants to go wireless is because there's not a lot of give between the keyboard and base unit (cable is on the short side).

Thanks again,
Jenn

 

[thechief73]

Hey, Your Welcome.

I will not say with a 100% certainty, but going with two different brands may work. The best advice I can give you is to contact the Logitech Support team through their website and ask them about interference between your HP keyboard/mouse and the model your husband is interested in buying. It may take a day to get an answer but it will most likely be the most accurate information you can get, that is if the tech answering has good knowledge on the issue.

 

[hairystuff]

Normally hp and microsoft use logitech rebadged hardware, the logitech wirelesses normally have 255 sub channels and can channel hop between them if need be, the new logitech wirelesses normally come with the unified nano usb dongle which sorts all the issues out.

 

[Guest]

Thank you both of you for the replies and information.

hairystuff: for the new keyboard/mouse we should look for the bundle with the unified nano usb dongle, then I wouldn't have to replace my HP keyboard/mouse?

 

[thechief73]

Hi Jenn,

I do not know much about the Unified receiver, as it is new to me, but here is the Logitech site that has detailed information on the technology: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/349/6072?WT.ac=ps|6248

and here are the Logitech products that support Unified Receivers: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/349/6126?pcid=6072

Also another option would be to go with a blue-tooth setup, I had not thought of that earlier. But Logitech only seems to have one Keyboard and mouse set which is quite pricey at $170 MSRP : http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/mice-keyboard-combos/devices/3481

 

[Guest]

Brilliant, thechief73! Many thanks for that info

J

 

[thechief73]

Your Welcome, Glad to help.