The TP-Link UB400 is an super-convenient way to add Bluetooth to a Windows PC. However sometimes it doesn’t work. And that can be very frustrating.
The other day I was on a conference call and the audio and video connection was flaky. It didn’t start off that way. The problem occurs at random.
Now I didn’t want to go back to a wired connection and decided to look into various solutions to the problem.
During my research I came across other issues with the UB400 and have documented them below. Hope this helps you as well.
Contents
Is Bluetooth On?
as a first step, make sure you have Bluetooth turned ON in Windows. Do this by going to Settings and Devices.
Note that If there are no connected Bluetooth devices, Windows 10 for instance doesn’t show you the option. Once you plug in the UB400 and set it up, Windows will show a Bluetooth settings icon in the system tray.
Update Drivers
As a first step make sure that the device drivers are up to date.
- In the search box type Device manager and open it.
- Click on the small arrow next to either Bluetooth or Universal Serial Bus controllers
- Right click on CSR and select Update Driver
- Select Browse my computer for driver update
- Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my Computer
- Select Generic Bluetooth Driver
If you have an older version of Windows 7 or Windows XP, download and install the driver from the TP-link website.
This should solve the problem. If it did not then let’s move to the next steps
Use a USB 2.0 port
Older laptops have USB 2.0 ports while newer ones can have both USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports.
Make sure that the UB400 is plugged into a USB 2.0 port as USB 3.0 ports can cause RF interference that can interfere with the operation of the dongle.
Remove Electronic Devices
Devices such as Wireless Routers, Microwave ovens and other Bluetooth devices operate in the same frequency band (ISM band centered at 2450 MHz) as the UB400.
Such devices can interfere with the operation of the UB400 and this results in a loss of connectivity, flaky connection and devices such as mice and headsets cutting out at random.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the UB400 Work with Raspberry Pi?
Not it does not. The UB400 is only designed to be used for Windows devices.
Will Bluetooth 5.0 devices work with UB400?
Yes BT 5 devices like keyboard and mice are backwards compatible with BT 4.0 and they will work with UB400. Note however that the speed or range won’t be as high when compared with a newer BT 5 dongle like the UB500.
Why is the range of my UB400 so low?
Sometimes your BT headset doesn’t connect to the dongle even over a short range.
Take a look around the PC – are there any Wireless Access Points around? What about a cell phone?
Move these devices away from the PC. As far away as possible – this will reduce the level of RF interference and the range of your UB400 should be increased.
Can I pair my PS4 controller with the PC?
Yes, plug the UB400 into the PC’s USB port. Connect to it using the PS4 controller using these instructions.
Can I use UB400 to pair Airpods with my PC?
No the UB400 is not able to connect Airpods to a PC using Bluetooth.