Many users have reported a problem with the Razer Basilisk X cutting out and disconnecting at random. A related problem is where the mouse will go to sleep after a few seconds or minutes of inactivity – following this it will not reconnect.
Here are a few tried and tested solutions to the problem.
Table of Contents
Update the Firmware
As a first step, we recommend doing the easiest thing – that is to update the firmware to the latest version.
Check the battery
Ensure that the battery is charged. A red flashing light indicates that the battery is low. Either replace or recharge the battery. Note that the battery provided with the Basilisk X cannot be recharged. If not working, it has to be replaced.
If the battery levels are healthy and you suspect an issue, take the AA battery out of it’s slot and reinsert it.
Clean the Optical Sensor
Over time the Optical sensor under the mouse collects dirt. This could result in the mouse cutting out at random. To resolve this, the sensor needs to be cleaned.
Switch the Wireless Mode of Operation
The Basilisk X operates using either one of two Wireless protocols:
- Hyperspeed or 2.4 GHz
- Bluetooth
A switch under the mouse allows to pick one. Note that 2.4 will require the USB dongle receiver to be connected to the PC.
Does switching wireless mode solve the problem?
If so, then continue to use the wireless mode which allows uninterrupted operation. You can choose to debug the problematic mode when time permits.
Move any USB 3 devices away from the Mouse
Most peripheral devices such as hard drives support a USB 3.0 connection. This is much faster than a USB 2.0 interface. However this speed comes at a cost.
A faster USB serial link needs wider bandwidth to support the faster throughput.
USB 3.0 ports are therefore very noisy from a Radio perspective. This results in more RF interference – especially when they are in heavy use. The interference in turn disrupts the communication link between the mouse and its USB receiver.
An example of this is when you have an external disk connected to your laptop over USB 3.
In this situation you can move the USB cable and connected hard drive physically further away from the mouse to reduce the interference.
Use a USB Extender Cable
As the mouse moves further away from the dongle, the strength of the communication signal between the two decreases. In other words, the signal gets weaker.
The weaker the signal the higher the likelihood of the mouse cutting out.
Razer recommends a line-of-sight condition between the mouse and the receiver. Put simply this means the mouse should be able to see the USB dongle during operation.
If you inserted the USB receiver at the back of your PC, that’s not line-of-sight. In this case, the PC itself is an obstacle to communication.
You can do one of two things:
- Move the USB receiver to a port that’s on the front of the PC.
- Use a USB extender cable to move the USB dongle closer to the mouse. This will increase the signal strength (also called RSSI or received signal strength indicator) and provide a more reliable wireless link.
Move Wireless Router and Phone
Wi-Fi routers transmit very strong wireless signals that interfere with the operation of wireless mice. Even a phone with Wi-Fi on can have the same effect.
The primary reason for this is that they operate in the same 2.4 GHz frequency band. To reduce interference:
- Move any nearby access points or routers away from where the Basilisk mouse is being used
- Turn the phone’s Wi-Fi Off
Change the Wi-Fi Band to 5 GHz
Most Wi-Fi routers operate on the 2.4 GHz band by default. This is the same frequency range that is used by the Basilisk X mouse. As a result signals from your router interfere with signals between the mouse and the USB dongle.
You should be able to configure your router to operate on the 5 GHz band. This will reduce the amount of interference to the Razer mouse.
Summary
In this post we have presented the reader with 7 potential solutions to the problem of a wireless mouse cutting out. These solutions can be applied to any mouse. Although in this post we have focused on the Razer Basilisk which is very popular.
As a recap here are the 7 techniques for solving the Basilisk X mouse cutting out problem:
- Update the Firmware
- Check the battery
- Clean the optical sensor
- Switch the Wireless Mode of Operation
- Move any USB 3 devices away from the Mouse
- Use a USB extender cable
- Move Wireless Router and Phone
- Change the Wi-Fi Band to 5 GHz
