Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Wireless keyboards are activated only when you press a key or use the scroll wheel avail-
able on some models, so they tend to have longer battery lives than mice. Conventional
ball-type mice also have longer battery lives than optical mice, but ball-type mice have
largely been discontinued, as the convenience and accuracy of optical mice outweigh
battery-life issues for most users.
Troubleshooting Wireless Input Devices
If your wireless input device does not work, check the following:
•
Battery failure
—The transceivers attached to the computer are powered by the com-
puter,buttheinputdevicesthemselvesarebatterypowered.Checkthebatterylifesug-
gestions published by the vendor; if your unit isn't running as long as it should, try
using a better brand of battery or turning off the device if possible.
•
Lost synchronization between device and transceiver
—Both the device and the
transceiver must be using the same frequency to communicate. Depending on the
device, you might be able to resynchronize the device and transceiver by pressing a
button, or you might need to remove the battery, reinsert the battery, and wait for sev-
eral minutes to reestablish contact.
•
Interference between units
—Check the transmission range of the transceivers in
your wireless units and visit the manufacturer's website for details on how to reduce
interference. Typically, you should use different frequencies for wireless devices on
adjacent computers.
•
Blocked line of sight
—If you are using IR wireless devices, check the line of sight
carefully at the computer, the space between your device and the computer, and the
deviceitself.YoumightbedanglingafingerortwoovertheIReyeandcuttingoffthe
signal—the equivalent of putting your finger over the lens on a camera.
•
Serial port IRQ conflicts
—If the wireless mouse is connected to a serial port and it
stops working after you install another add-on card, check for conflicts using the Win-
dows Device Manager.
