Most USB receivers for wireless mice and keyboards operate in the 2.4Ghz band. When connecting the receiver to any USB 3.0 port there is potential for interference that can affect the devices performance. The most effective method is to add a short USB 2.0 extension cable between the hub and the receiver to mitigate the effect, and many wireless keyboards and mice come with such a cable for this reason.

What is the 2.4GHz ISM Band and why is it "crowded"?

This is a range of radio frequencies from 2.400 to 2.4835 GHz set aside for industrial, scientific, and medical equipment. It is most commonly used for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other consumer radio electronics. Many devices sharing the same narrow radio frequency range has caused this to become very noisy, imagine being in a small room with 20 other people having their own conversations, some are screaming, others are whispering. Like you in that room, consumer wireless devices have to be close to, and speak loud enough to be heard over the din.

USB 3 devices can also emit radio noise in the same band, this is created by data streaming through the USB host controller in a computer, or hubs in docking station, and emitted generally from the USB 3 port where shielding is limited by the need to connect a device. This noise is like turning on a high velocity fan in the room full of people, now there is a background hum that everyone has to talk over, those who can't speak loud enough are simply drowned out.

This can occur with wireless mouse and keyboards, they generally don't have very powerful radios for communication and require direct line of sight with the transceiver in order to provide a strong enough signal to be responsive.

What is the recommended setup?

We recommend using a USB 2.0 extension cable to connect the wireless transceiver to the docking station, and placing the transceiver as close as possible to the mouse an keyboard, normally with direct line of sight about 3ft is a good maximum distance. If the mouse and keyboard are on a pull-out tray under a desk it can be helpful to put the transceiver over the back end of the desk for better line of sight.

If the transceiver is on the opposite side of the computer from the mouse/keyboard this can cause reduced performance, similarly placing it behind a power supply, or radio source ( like a Wi-Fi access point ) can cause connectivity issues. We generally recommend keeping any radio sources away from the work area as much as possible. Just as USB 3 devices can emit Radio interference, they are also susceptible to radio interference from other devices.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at support@plugable.com and we'll be happy to help!