Thought this should be brought to the attention of a broader audience. What theyre doing is revolting.<br>

<a href="http://www.overclock.net/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down">http://www.overclock.net/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down</a><br><br><br><br><br><br>

This really took me by surprise. Just bought a new Naga 2012 mouse, installed the software and get greeted by a login screen right after. No option to bypass it to use the software to configure the mouse, set the options, sensitivity, shortcuts, macros etc.<br><br>

So I go ahead and create an account and try to log in. Nothing. Try several more times, and still nothing. Try to make new accounts with different email addresses and it still wont work.<br><br>

Finally call Razer who tells me the activation server is down, and I wont be able to use the mouse until it goes back up and will only be able to use it as a standard plug and play mouse til then. I ask about a workaround to use the mouse offline and they say there is none. Supposedly once the mouse is activated on the computer offline mode will work, but it needs to upload my profile and activate my account first and since their server is down its not going to happen. I ask for a supervisor to confirm this is the case and ask again for a workaround to use it offline. He said sorry theres nothing they can do, tells me the call center is closing and hangs up on me.<br><br>

Im pretty shocked Razer thought it was a good idea to do this to customers. Nowhere on the box does it say anything about needing an internet connection to "activate" a mouse. If the servers go down in the future, anyone who buys this mouse is out of luck.<br><br>

Honestly the last time I buy a Razer product. Absolutely ridiculous.<br><br><br><br>

**Update**<br><br><br>

Thought I would clarify a few things since Ive been asked about this a lot.<br><br>

Razer forces you to create an account with them before you can use the software with the mouse. You cant configure the mouse in any way until you make an account with them and activate your computer and account through their server. If they decide to take down their activation server for any reason, you will never be able to use the software. If you live somewhere without access to internet, you will not be able to activate and use the software. If you work somewhere that has a network behind firewalls, chances are even though you can download the Synapse software, the firewall may also block you from activating and using the software as well.<br><br>

If your connection drops out for any reason, the Synapse software will make a habbit of locking up on you while it transitions to offline mode. During that time your settings may revert or possibly not be saved.<br><br>

Yes, you can use the mouse as plug and play with basic functionality if you choose not to make an account and activate your computer, but who pays $80 for a basic plug and play mouse? The reason people buy the Naga 2012 is the configurable buttons and to change the DPI, polling rate, set up macros and profiles along with everything else. Razer has no right to lock this away from customers who paid for these features. For the Naga 2012 mouse, there is no other offline drivers to revert to. Synapse 2.0 is your only option.<br><br>

Razers Synapse 2.0 software is always online. If you have an internet connection active, Razer will be constantly using it constantly downloading updates and interrupting your full screen applications. Not only that, as I suspected, the Synapse 2.0 software is spying on you<br><br><br>

From the Razer Synapse TOS agreement:

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>

<div class="quote-block"><b><br>

“User Generated Information” means any information made available to Razer through your use of the Software. Subject to the Privacy Policy mentioned above, you expressly grant Razer the complete and irrevocable right to use, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from, distribute, transmit, broadcast, and otherwise communicate, and publicly display and perform the User Generated Information and derivative works thereof in any form, anywhere, with or without attribution to you, and without any notice or compensation to you of any kind.<br><br>

By using Razer Synapse 2.0 (“Synapse”), the Subscriber agrees that Razer may collect aggregate information, individual information, and personally identifiable information. Razer may share aggregate information and individual information with other parties. Razer shall not share personally identifiable information with other parties, except as described in the policy below.</b></div>

</div>

<br>

<a href="http://www.razerzone.com/synapse2/subscriber-agreement" target="_blank">http://www.razerzone.com/synapse2/subscriber-agreement</a><br>

<a href="http://www.razerzone.com/synapse2/privacy-policy" target="_blank">http://www.razerzone.com/synapse2/privacy-policy</a><br><br>

The Synapse 2.0 software was not created to benefit customers in any way. It was a ploy to get into your computer and watch what you do and profit off this info.<br><br><br>

Edit #2<br><br>

Oh, the irony<br>

<a href="http://i.imgur.com/nCpsH.png" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/nCpsH.png</a><br><br><a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.overclock.net/content/type/61/id/1113634/"><img alt="" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="1113634" data-type="61" src="http://www.overclock.net/content/type/61/id/1113634/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL" style="; width: 480px; height: 142px"></a><br><div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/t/1323093/razer-razer-synapse-2-0-used-for-always-on-data-mining/90_90#post_18519663" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false"><span>Quote:</span>

<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>5entinel</strong> <a href="/t/1323093/razer-razer-synapse-2-0-used-for-always-on-data-mining/90_90#post_18519663"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif"></a><br><br>

Razer's response to the whole situation<br><div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>

<div class="quote-block">We invented onboard memory for gaming mice many years ago and called it Synapse to allow gamers to bring their profiles with them on the go. However, we realized that we ran into another issue where we had to keep increasing the amount of memory onboard to provide for more storage and this resulted in higher and higher prices for gamers.<br><br>

We then invented Synapse 2.0 where we could provide almost limitless amount of storage for profiles, macros, etc in the cloud as opposed to being limited by physical memory.<br><br>

We wanted to avoid raising prices to gamers for higher memory space onboard (think about it like having to buy bigger and bigger hard drives as opposed to having all your storage on the cloud) and provide a much better service for our users.<br><br>

Synapse 2.0 is NOT DRM. Our products work perfectly well out of the box without Synapse 2.0. Synapse 2.0 provides ADDITIONAL functionality of almost limitless memory in the cloud as opposed to taking away functionality (which is what DRM is).<br><br>

We recognize that gamers will want to be able to use their gear without an online connection, and that's why Synapse 2.0 has an OFFLINE mode. Basically you have to register, create an account, save your initial settings and if you so prefer, you can stay in offline mode all the time without going online.<br><br>

I realize that we have had issues with the activation server, and we're making sure we get that sorted out.</div>

</div>

<br><br>

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/minliangtan/posts/439763436081444" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/minliangtan/posts/439763436081444</a></div>

</div>

<br><br>

Update#2<br><br>

Since the issue has pretty much gone viral and a lot of news outlets are reporting on this story its a bit disappointing to see them reporting Razers response as truth.<br><br><div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down/50#post_18533925" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false"><span>Quote:</span>

<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Razer</strong> <a href="/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down/50#post_18533925"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif"></a><br><br>

Our products work perfectly out of the box. Unlike DRM games or other media that require an always‐on connection, you can use any of our peripherals right out of the box, even if someone doesn’t install Synapse 2.0, and whether a user is offline or online..</div>

</div>

<br>

This is a lie. The product does not work perfectly out of the box unless you count basic plug and play with all its advertised features stripped away as working right out of the box.<br><br><div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down/50#post_18533925" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false"><span>Quote:</span>

<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Razer</strong> <a href="/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down/50#post_18533925"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif"></a><br><br>

Synapse 2.0 works OFFLINE<br><br>

One of the biggest misunderstandings is the equation of Synapse 2.0 to always‐on DRM. It’s a popular notion that anything requiring a login has DRM included in it, and this misconception is one that easily gets the community fired up. In this case however, it’s incorrect.<br><br>

Once registered, Synapse 2.0 works offline and never needs to be online again. So basically, a user creates an account, saves initial settings, and if there’s no internet connection, it doesn’t matter ‐ settings are saved on the client PC and are not synced to the cloud. Synapse 2.0 works offline.</div>

</div>

<br>

Wrong. What do you call restricting use of a product until you activate and register it while agreeing to an invasive TOS? There is no offline toggle function. If you are online, then Synapse 2.0 is as well. There is no option to turn it off. If you lose your internet connection the software and mouse can freeze up while it transitions to offline mode when it doesnt detect a connection to the internet any longer. How does this possibly benefit the consumer?<br><div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down/50#post_18533925" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false"><span>Quote:</span>

<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Razer</strong> <a href="/t/1319323/razer-synapse-2-0-software-mouse-unusable-if-you-dont-have-an-internet-connection-or-their-servers-are-down/50#post_18533925"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif"></a><br><br>

Server Outages<br><br>

Finally, as far as the Synapse 2.0 activation server goes, we realize that we have had intermittent issues with it due to server usage spikes and, most recently, because of Hurricane Sandy – not uncommon challenges with server‐based functions, especially given the severity of the storm – and we’re working on increasing server reliability.<br><br>

We had an issue for four hours recently when users were unable to register for new Synapse 2.0 accounts. Current users of Synapse 2.0 were unaffected. We are working on new ways to keep these types of issues from occurring.</div>

</div>

<br>

This shouldnt be an issue in the first place. A mouse should not have to be activated to get full use of all its features. I also reported the problem long before Sandy hit. Dont blame a disaster on your incompetence.<br><br>

In the end it all boils down to being forced to do what Razer wants you to do. We paid for our expensive Razer products, just let us use them how we want. All of this could have been avoided by simply allowing a user to click "no thanks" to the account creation and online drivers and just let them use the mouse offline like all your previous products.