The Basilisk X is a very popular wireless gaming mouse from Razer. It has many bells and whistles and is an excellent product.
Sometimes however it can be challenging to establish reliable connectivity.
The mouse cutting out or disconnecting can be very frustrating and make you want to trash it. But before you do that, check out our list of tips and tricks.
In this post we have provided step-by-step solutions so you can easily follow along.
Now without further ado, let’s get your mouse connected!
Contents
The Basics
Razer Basilisk is a wireless mouse. It connects to the PC in two ways
- Bluetooth
- Hyperspeed
This Basilisk X does not have a wired mode of operation.
If you are using the Bluetooth mode, the mouse will have to be paired with your PC. If using Hyperspeed, the dongle must be inserted into a USB port. Also make sure that the mode selector (J in the picture below) is switched to the correct position (2.4 or BT).
Update the Firmware
As a first step, we recommend doing the easiest thing – update the firmware to the latest version.
Check the battery
The Basilisk uses a non-rechargeable AA battery.
Ensure that the battery is working
The status indicator will blink red twice in repeated intervals to indicate a level of less than 5%. This will repeat until the battery is fully drained and after that it will not blink. We recommend changing the battery at this point to avoid unexpected loss of connectivity
Is the battery inserted correctly?
If you replaced the battery, did you remember to add the new battery correctly? The picture below shows how this should be done.
Clean the Optical Sensor
Over time the Optical sensor (I in the picture below) under the mouse collects dirt. This could result in the mouse cutting out at random. To resolve this, the sensor needs to be cleaned.
Check Wireless Dongle
Try another USB port on your PC
Check to see if the USB port is faulty by moving the wireless dongle to another port.
Move the wireless dongle to another PC
Try a USB port on another PC to see if it’s your PC that’s the problem or the wireless dongle.
Note that Hyperspeed dongles can be replaced. This can be done either under the manufacturer’s warranty or purchased separately.
Move any USB 3 devices away from the Mouse
Most peripheral devices such as hard drives work with USB 3.0. This is much faster than a USB 2.0 interface.
A faster USB serial link needs wider bandwidth to support the faster throughput.
USB 3.0 ports are therefore very noisy from a radio frequency 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 wireless signal between the two gets weaker. And at some point it disconnects.
Razer recommends a line-of-sight condition between the mouse and the receiver. In other words, 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 will block 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.
- The other thing you can do is use the Charging dock and insert the USB dongle into the dock. The charging dock should be moved closer to the mouse.
Move Wireless Router and Phone
Wi-Fi routers transmit very strong wireless signals that interfere with the operation of wireless mice. Even a nearby phone with Wi-Fi on can have the same effect.
To reduce the amount of interference:
- Move wireless access points or routers away from where the mouse is being used (gamers will often have their router on the same desk as their laptop/PC to maximize connection speed)
- Turn your 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 mouse and 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 mouse.
Switch Wireless Mode
Use the mode selector to switch between Bluetooth and Hyperspeed.
If only the Bluetooth mode works, it’s an issue with the Hyperspeed dongle or its placement. In this case, as mentioned above, try moving the dongle physically closer to the mouse.
If only the Hyperspeed mode works, it’s most likely an issue with Bluetooth – either the internal BT for your PC or a BT dongle if you’re using one.
Summary
In this post we have presented 9 potential solutions to the problem of the Basilisk X cutting out. These solutions can be applied to any mouse.
As a recap here are the nine tips for solving the problem:
- Update the firmware
- Check the battery
- Clean the optical sensor
- Check the USB dongle
- 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
- Switch Wireless Mode
If you experience any other problems not covered in this article please write to us.