How to Fix Perixx Perimice-718 Wireless Mouse Lagging on Linux

If you are using a Perixx PERIMICE-718 wireless mouse on Linux, you may have experienced a frustrating lagging issue. The mouse cursor may stutter, freeze, or skip when you move it, making it difficult to use your computer. This problem can affect your productivity, gaming, and overall user experience.

In this article, I will explain what causes this issue and how to fix it in a few simple steps. I will also answer some frequently asked questions related to this topic. By the end of this article, you should be able to enjoy a smooth and responsive wireless mouse on Linux.

The Problem

The problem is caused by the power management feature of the USB port that the mouse receiver is plugged into. This feature is designed to save energy by reducing the power supply to the USB port when it is not in use. However, this also affects the performance of the wireless mouse, as it may not receive enough power to communicate smoothly with the receiver.

To verify that this is the cause of the problem, you can run the following command in a terminal:

lsusb -t

This will show you a tree-like structure of your USB devices and their attributes. Look for the line that corresponds to your mouse receiver. It should look something like this:

/:  Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/10p, 5000M
    |__ Port 2: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M
    |__ Port 2: Dev 2, If 1, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M

The important part is the last number, which indicates the speed of the USB port in megabits per second (M). In this example, the mouse receiver is using a USB 2.0 port with a speed of 12M. This is too low for a wireless mouse, and may cause lagging or stuttering.

What Causes the Wireless Mouse Lagging Issue?

The Perixx PERIMICE-718 is a wireless mouse that connects to your computer via a USB receiver. It uses a 2.4 GHz radio frequency to communicate with the receiver. However, this frequency can be interfered by other wireless devices, such as routers, keyboards, speakers, or phones, that use the same or similar frequency. This can result in a poor signal quality and a lagging mouse cursor.

Another possible cause of the lagging issue is the polling rate of the mouse. The polling rate is the frequency at which the mouse reports its position to the computer. A higher polling rate means a more accurate and responsive mouse movement, but it also consumes more CPU resources and battery power. A lower polling rate means a less accurate and responsive mouse movement, but it also saves CPU resources and battery power.

The default polling rate of the Perixx PERIMICE-718 is 125 Hz, which means it reports its position 125 times per second. This may be too low for some users who prefer a faster and smoother mouse movement. However, increasing the polling rate may not be possible on some Linux systems, as the mouse driver may not support it.

How to Fix the Wireless Mouse Lagging Issue?

There are two main ways to fix the wireless mouse lagging issue on Linux: changing the wireless channel and changing the polling rate.

Solution 1: Changing the Wireless Channel

The first method is to change the wireless channel of your router or other wireless devices that may interfere with your mouse signal. A wireless channel is a specific frequency range within the 2.4 GHz band that your device uses to communicate with other devices. There are 14 channels available in this band, but only three of them are non-overlapping: channels 1, 6, and 11.

To change the wireless channel of your router, you need to access its web interface and look for the wireless settings. You can find the IP address of your router by typing ip route in a terminal and looking for the default gateway. For example, if your default gateway is 192.168.1.1, then you can type http://192.168.1.1 in your browser to access your router’s web interface.

Once you are in the web interface, look for the wireless settings and find the option to change the channel. You may need to enter your username and password to access these settings. If you don’t know them, you can check the manual of your router or contact your internet service provider.

Try changing the channel to either 1, 6, or 11 and see if it improves your mouse performance. You may need to restart your router and your computer for the changes to take effect. You can also try changing the channel of other wireless devices that may interfere with your mouse signal, such as keyboards, speakers, or phones.

Solution 2: Changing the Polling Rate

The second method is to change the polling rate of your mouse. This can be done by editing a configuration file in your system. However, this method may not work on all Linux systems or all mice models, so use it at your own risk.

To change the polling rate of your mouse, you need to open a terminal and type sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/usbhid.conf. This will open a text editor with an empty file. You need to enter the following line in this file:

options usbhid mousepoll=2

This will set the polling rate of your mouse to 500 Hz (1000 / 2 = 500). You can change the value of mousepoll to adjust the polling rate according to your preference. For example, if you want a polling rate of 250 Hz, you can use mousepoll=4. The lower the value of mousepoll, the higher the polling rate.

After entering the line, press Ctrl+O to save the file and Ctrl+X to exit the editor. Then type sudo update-initramfs -u in the terminal to update your system configuration. You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Solution 3: Increase the speed of the USB port

The solution is to increase the speed of the USB port that the mouse receiver is using. This can be done by changing a parameter called autosuspend in the sysfs file system. Sysfs is a virtual file system that provides information and configuration options for various devices and drivers in Linux.

To change the autosuspend parameter for your mouse receiver, follow these steps:

Step 1: Find out the device ID of your mouse receiver by running the following command in a terminal:

 lsusb

This will show you a list of your USB devices and their IDs. Look for the line that corresponds to your mouse receiver. It should look something like this:

 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 062a:4101 MosArt Semiconductor Corp.

The important part is the ID, which consists of two hexadecimal numbers separated by a colon. In this example, the ID is 062a:4101.

Step 2: Find out the device path of your mouse receiver by running the following command in a terminal, replacing ID with your actual device ID:

 find /sys/bus/usb/devices/ -name *ID*

This will show you the path to the sysfs directory of your mouse receiver. It should look something like this:

 /sys/bus/usb/devices/2-2

Step 3: Change the autosuspend parameter of your mouse receiver by running the following command in a terminal, replacing PATH with your actual device path:

 echo -1 | sudo tee PATH/power/autosuspend_delay_ms

This will set the autosuspend parameter to -1, which means disabling it completely. You will be asked to enter your password for sudo.

Step 4: Restart your system or unplug and replug your mouse receiver for the changes to take effect.

You should now notice that your mouse cursor moves smoothly and without lagging or stuttering.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions related to fixing Perixx Perimice-718 wireless mouse lagging on Linux:

Question: How do I check the polling rate of my mouse?

Answer: You can use a tool called evhz to measure the polling rate of your mouse. You can install it by typing sudo apt install evhz in a terminal. Then type sudo evhz to run it. You will see a list of input devices and their polling rates in Hz. Look for your mouse device and check its polling rate.

Question: How do I revert the changes I made to the polling rate?

Answer: You can revert the changes by deleting the file you created. Type sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/usbhid.conf in a terminal and press Enter. Then type sudo update-initramfs -u to update your system configuration. You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Question: What are the pros and cons of changing the polling rate?

Answer: Changing the polling rate can have both positive and negative effects on your mouse performance and your system performance. Here are some of them:

Pros:

• A higher polling rate can improve the accuracy and responsiveness of your mouse movement, especially for fast-paced games or applications that require precise cursor control.
• A lower polling rate can save CPU resources and battery power, as your mouse reports its position less frequently to your computer.

Cons:

• A higher polling rate can consume more CPU resources and battery power, as your mouse reports its position more frequently to your computer. This can affect your system performance and battery life, especially if you have a low-end CPU or an old battery.
• A lower polling rate can reduce the accuracy and responsiveness of your mouse movement, especially for fast-paced games or applications that require precise cursor control. This can affect your user experience and gaming performance.

Question: Will this solution work for other wireless mice or devices?

Answer: Yes, this solution should work for any wireless device that uses a USB receiver and suffers from lagging or stuttering due to low power supply from the USB port. However, you will need to find out the device ID and path of your device and use them in steps 1-3.

Question: Will this solution affect other USB devices or ports?

Answer: No, this solution only affects the USB port that your mouse receiver is using. Other USB devices or ports will not be affected by this change.

Question: Will this solution increase my power consumption or battery drain?

Answer: Yes, this solution will increase the power supply to your USB port and thus increase your power consumption or battery drain. However, this should not be significant unless you have many USB devices plugged in at once.

Conclusion

The Perixx PERIMICE-718 wireless mouse lagging issue on Linux can be fixed by changing the wireless channel or changing the polling rate. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, so you should experiment with them and find the best settings for your mouse and your system.

I hope this article was helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author is not responsible for any damages or losses that may result from following the instructions in this article. Always backup your data before making any changes to your system settings or files. Use this solution at your own risk.