Bluetooth range dropped to near zero

[InTheMood]

Hey everyone,

Cosmos IX owner here. I've got a Killer AX1650.
I have been using my Bluetooth speakers ever since I got the laptop without any issues but tonight, the range has dropped to the point where if I move my speaker away from the case of the laptop to say, 10cm away, the sound will drop completely and the unit disconnect. I tried some BT headphones, same issue.

I uninstalled the Intel Bluetooth driver and let W10 reinstall them. No luck. Checked everything is up to date including Killer drivers. No luck either.

I really don't understand what could have gone wrong here! Literally nothing has changed. Only thing I did before the issue manifest itself was opening the laptop to check the internal speakers as per advised by PCS for another concern I raised here a few days ago. I mean I literally opened the case, checked the speakers were seated and closed it back up. I struggle to see how I would have broken the BT along the way. But I am really out of ideas as to what to try to fix it? Ha!

Weirdly, my phone manages to stay connected properly even at distance. I tried to send a file from the laptop (transmitting, same as when audio is playing) and it was working at a much longer distance than the BT speakers and headset.

 

[ubuysa]

Do you have any other Bluetooth devices you could pair with the laptop as a test?

From what you've described I'd say the problem was with the speakers? Are they battery powered?

 

[InTheMood]

Do you have any other Bluetooth devices you could pair with the laptop as a test?

From what you've described I'd say the problem was with the speakers? Are they battery powered?

I tried Bluetooth headphones and Bluetooth speakers. Both same issue. Both have near full batteries.

My phone though seems to be working quite far from the laptop. Maybe it transmits at a much larger range. Many of the devices my phone's picks up during a BT scan aren't seen by the laptop (though they are over 5m away)

I'm really out of ideas!

 

[ubuysa]

I tried Bluetooth headphones and Bluetooth speakers. Both same issue. Both have near full batteries.

My phone though seems to be working quite far from the laptop. Maybe it transmits at a much larger range.

I'm really out of ideas!

Replace the speaker and headphone batteries (or recharge them). I've seen nearly new batteries fail suddenly and when anything battery powered fails I change the batteries.

Yesterday afternoon the remote on our aircon started playing up. Everything worked ecxept the button to start/stop the vertical swing. New batteries straight away and all working normally.

 

[InTheMood]

They are rechargeable batteries and they have like 90% charge. There was no issue using them at 20% before...

I just tested to send a file from my phone at a greater distance (but still short, 2m), and that failed. So yeah, definitely something not working as it should on the laptop end.

 

[InTheMood]

Sorry for double post.
Some updates.

I reopened the chassis and checked if I could find anything wrong. I looked specifically at the connections around the killer network adapter and there are two wired connection, aux1 and main2. They are both connected and there is some sort of small clear tape on it. I checked if the connection was a little loose and both of them are kinda loose but it looks ok.

Upon restarting laptop, impossible to connect to my WiFi anymore. The network adapter is picked up in Device Manager but something's wrong with it clearly.

 

[ubuysa]

Sorry for double post.
Some updates.

I reopened the chassis and checked if I could find anything wrong. I looked specifically at the connections around the killer network adapter and there are two wired connection, aux1 and main2. They are both connected and there is some sort of small clear tape on it. I checked if the connection was a little loose and both of them are kinda loose but it looks ok.

Upon restarting laptop, impossible to connect to my WiFi anymore. The network adapter is picked up in Device Manager but something's wrong with it clearly.

That kind of sounds like the antennae aren't connected properly. If they're the type that pop on to the card they need to be pressed pretty firmly to get them to lock in.

 

[InTheMood]

Yes! I actually just checked once more before seeing your post. Both antennas were disconnected.

Here what I reckon has happened. The clear tape that was used to secure the antenna connections to the laptop was twisted and some of its sticky part was exposed to the chassis when it was closed up the first time after built. When I opened it for the first time yesterday, the tape must have moved because of the chassis being removed and it popped Aux1 which I believe is the Bluetooth antenna.

So here it is, everything now working as it should! Hope this can help if anyone has a similar issue in the future.

 

[ubuysa]

Yes! I actually just checked once more before seeing your post. Both antennas were disconnected.

Here what I reckon has happened. The clear tape that was used to secure the antenna connections to the laptop was twisted and some of its sticky part was exposed to the chassis when it was closed up the first time after built. When I opened it for the first time yesterday, the tape must have moved because of the chassis being removed and it popped Aux1 which I believe is the Bluetooth antenna.

So here it is, everything now working as it should! Hope this can help if anyone has a similar issue in the future.

Great work, well spotted. And good advice for others. [emoji846]

 

[ubuysa]

Glad to hear that you have got it sorted out

I am a little concerned that the antennae connections are having to held in place by sticky tape though [emoji44] Admittedly I've never owned a laptop or actually seen inside one firsthand but surely connections should be more secure than that no? It could so easily come loose in transit. I'll be honest I wouldn't be happy with anything held together by tape, whether it's supposed to be or not

There was sticky tape on the antenna wires on my (2013) Optimus IV too. It seemed to be there more to stop the thin wires disappearing into the inwards of the laptop when disconnected rather than holding them in place. Those wireless card connectors grip like a limpet and no extra help is needed!

 

[InTheMood]

Glad to hear that you have got it sorted out

I am a little concerned that the antennae connections are having to held in place by sticky tape though 😲 Admittedly I've never owned a laptop or actually seen inside one firsthand but surely connections should be more secure than that no? It could so easily come loose in transit. I'll be honest I wouldn't be happy with anything held together by tape, whether it's supposed to be or not

Agreed.
It's not held by the tape, I think it's just there to add an extra layer of protection as well as cable management. It looks odd but it seems to be doing a good job. Obviously the builder should have been careful to ensure no sticky side is left on a movable part like a chassis to avoid a disconnection but it happens.
The connectors on the adapter are about 1mm large and I reckon they would stay in place on their own quite well, they feel sturdy.

 

[ubuysa]

Fair enough...though it does sound like the tape in the OPs laptop was actually holding the connector secure rather than just holding miscellaneous wires in place. Maybe it was just coincidence

I guess it's possible the builder forgot to press them home.