Multiple bluetooth Adapters

This is extremely convoluted. You're only 5 feet away. Why do you need the D-Link or the adaptor at all?


Again, curious as to why. What are you trying to do from that far away? If it is home theater related, instead of that bluetooth setup you have going, wouldn't an iPad as remote control work much more seamlessly?

OK, there's a big difference between 60" and 60' and you meant to type the latter.


OK, understood.


Here's where I'm still not following you, what is forcing you to go bluetooth?


Why? I had an Apple wireless keyboard and mouse in my home theater for about a month and NEVER used them because they are awkward anywhere but on a desk that you happen to be sitting at. I quickly found out it was easier to screen share in from a laptop or use an iOS app. What is special about your distribution and setup...what are you looking at while you are typing on your keyboard in that second location 60 feet away? It can't be convenient to look up at a big screen or HDTV and move a mouse around or type on a keyboard, is it?

So, back to my original question, why do you need to have bluetooth in that second location, why can't you do your mouse and keyboard commands for that iMac from an iPad in your lap--no messing around with a physical keyboard and mouse, it's very easy to "screen share" into any Mac or PC in your house and emulate your mouse or keyboard that way (not to mention any number of good remote apps for audio and video that work wonderfully on an iPad.)

My favorite app of the screen-sharing variety is simply called "Screens," I use it all the time on our iPads to remote control distant Macs.

What commands, what tasks, will you be controlling from that living room 60' location? Do you have any iOS devices? If you do not, return all the bluetooth USB dongle crap, return the second set of wireless keyboard and mouse, and buy a refurb iPad 2 from Apple with a 1 year warranty for $319.

By the way, I'm sorry I don't know the answer about setting up two different sets of bluetooth devices, but without more specific info from you about your setup, I'm pretty sure you'd be much better off changing your approach, dumping that USB bluetooth dongle, making things less complicated, and relying on iOS devices and wireless for your remote control.

Even if it can you should go in a different direction. The direction I laid out for you would be a good start. Sometimes whether you can do something is less important than whether you should.

Perfectly understand, krassyg, the nature of discussion forums is a free exchange, we're sharing real world advice based on years of experience solving problems with Macs in home theater situations. Many other people will happen upon this thread over time, so I'm sharing some thoughts based on my experience which I hope might help others quickly move past what you're hung up on. They might be faced with a similar issue--trying to control a Mac remotely from a different room--and not be so narrowly focused as you.

I already apologized for not knowing the answer to your very specific "can two BT keyboards be paired simultaneously" question. I won't apologize, though, for advising you to go in a different direction right now--not only to drop the bluetooth and USB dongle dance but also to move beyond a physical keyboard and mouse from 60 feet in your living room. I'm just trying to be helpful, and I completely understand if you aren't able to appreciate my advice at the moment.


That might work better for you, I've rarely had reliable bluetooth pairing much past 15 feet but I've read of some successfully using a Logitech 2.4 GHz RF Gyration mouse & KB at your 60' distance and beyond. If you do go this route, please come back and post how it worked in your real world environment controlling your iMac.

(My advice remains, though, for those other than krassyg trying to control a Mac remotely from a different room entirely: you really don't want a keyboard and mouse in your living room home theater, and why willingly limit yourself to physically awkward remote control of your system from only those two fixed locations? What about the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, the front porch?

So take the $69 you'd spend on a second Apple mouse, the $69 you'd spend on a second KB, the $125 or so you'd spend on a Logitech Gyration, and whatever else you'd be tempted to spend on dongles, cables, extenders and adaptors and put it toward your first iPad. You'll quickly realize what an amazing and adaptable device it is for all sorts of audio and video related tasks, from whatever room of the house you happen to be in and wish you had done it sooner. If you don't already have an iPad and budget is a bit of a concern, don't be put off at all from buying that iPad 2 refurb from Apple, at $319 it's a steal, refurbs carry the same warranty as new from Apple, and that 2 will still be actively supported for a very long time. You'll quickly start using it for much more in the home theater than mere remote control KB and mouse gestures.)

Why do you need two bluetooth adapters? If you have two keyboards and two mice, you should be able to use either depending on where you are in the house/room. I'm pretty sure you can pair multiple input devices via a single adapter...

This forum is really quite "niche" compared to the panoply of capabilities that an iMac has.

Since bluetooth isn't really specific to HTPC, you might find more help available at a different site. E.g. I often browse the MacRumors forums, where you might find more people who are familiar with bluetooth capabilities and limitations.