USB Wi-Fi Adapter 101
Just as no man is an island, a computer needs to be connected to its network, and in turn the Internet, to be truly useful. While a wired Ethernet cable is preferable for many applications, the reality for many is that Wi-Fi is more convenient.
The wireless network starts with a broadband modem able to communicate with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), which facilitates your access to the Internet. Unless that modem has wireless functionality built-in, it’ll probably be attached to a wireless router through an Ethernet cable. Most Wi-Fi-enabled routers also give you a handful (in the neighborhood of four) Ethernet ports for wired devices close by. It’s what broadcasts your wireless signal.
In turn, the client devices connecting to the network (say, your workstation, tablet and smartphone) need to have wireless radios integrated and enabled in order to transmit and receive data over the network. If your PC doesn’t already have a wireless adapter, you have several options for adding one. Given the ubiquity of USB, many folks find that interface to be the easiest. The attached Wi-Fi adapter allows the computer to communicate wirelessly with the router, and in turn the modem.
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I got this far, then tuned out. okay, I see you don’t get what the intended audience in this article is. i’ll re-word that for you: «a multimedia family / office work computer needs to be connected to its network. «
USB extension cables are often causing problems. I’d never extend a cable by more than one meter and make sure it is a very high quality cable or the voltage will lower dramatically causing the device not to work properly anymore. Or you have to get yourself an active USB expander which is usually quite a bit more expensiv.
On the other hand, antenna cables are even worse to extend.
You think you need USB3 to drive a 802.11ac network adapter at full speed? Please. You couldn’t have been more confused. Let’s say we’re talking about a two stream AC device, so theoretically it’s capable of 867mbps throughput in 5GHz band. However, much of that number pertains to the «physical layer» information transfer, the chatter that ensures that your data is transferred accurately, under optimal condition (e.g. 6 ft from the router). At TCP/IP level, the throughput will be much lower, even if the distance is short, somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-300mbps, depending on your luck. In other words, a lot less than USB2 can handle.
You see, the wireless data transfer rates are basically a big marketing scam because half of more of that data transfer rate will disappear due to weakening signal with distance or on the physical layer chatter. Wireless is not like wired Ethernet, where saying 100Mbps really means that you will actually see TCP/IP data transferred nearly at that rate. In the wi-fi world, the marketing can say they sell you a «gigabit ac1750 router (or adapter)», and in real life you may well end up with just 100Mbps or slower data throughput. If you get 200mbps or more, you should be jumping from joy.
I’m using a dual band PCI Express wi-fi module. For some reason, it’s much better than my ethernet connection. Could be because my killer port is only single band rather than dual. I’ve not lagged one bit with this accessory and I’ve been using it for at least 8 — 9 months now.
Id like to point out that having an external usb wifi can get really hot and malfunction. Its not inside of an air circulated case, so mine tends to get blazingly hot. i have the n600 which i can game on and have no problems. Moslty
How To Use A USB WiFi Adapter
Most USB WiFi Adapters these days are plug-and-play (PnP). This means you simply plug them into an available USB port and your PC can now connect to the WiFi. Yes, it’s that simple.
That’s not to say this will always be the case though. Some will only start functioning after you manually install the drivers. Others might get detected initially, but keep disconnecting or provide mediocre performance.
And if you haven’t bought one yet, you likely have a few questions in mind. Will it be good enough for gaming? Is it the same as a WiFi Dongle? Which one should I get? And so on. We’ll try to answer all such queries in this article.
How to Install USB WiFi Adapter
USB WiFi Adapters come in various shapes and sizes, but ultimately, the process of installing and using them is the same.
- Connect the adapter to a USB port on your PC.
- You may see a “Device Detected” or similar message. Press Win + X and select Device Manager. Expand the Network Adapters section to confirm it’s detected. If it’s not detected at all, try a different USB port.
- The adapter likely came packaged with a CD containing the driver files. Insert this CD into your CD-ROM and install the driver.
- Or, go to the manufacturer’s site, download the adapter driver from there, and install it.
USB WiFi Adapter Recommendations
As stated, adapters can vary a lot in terms of price and performance. Nano-adapters are the most compact and discreet. If you don’t want your WiFi adapter to stand out, definitely go for these. They’re easily misplaced though, so do keep that in mind.
Standard-sized adapters are all-rounders, being both affordable and portable. The ones without antennas will suffice for basic usage.
But if you have specific needs like gaming, we recommend going for higher-end adapters (dual-band with at least one external antenna). They don’t come cheap, but the performance benefits are usually worth it.
WiFi Dongle vs USB WiFi Adapter
Vendors use these terms interchangeably, and they definitely look similar, but they’re not the same thing. A USB WiFi Adapter simply adds WiFi functionality to your PC. After installing it, you still need an existing WiFi network to connect to.
A Dongle is more like a portable modem. It connects your device to the service provider’s mobile network using technologies like 3G, 4G, and 5G. It’s commonly called a WiFi Dongle but it doesn’t actually let your device connect to WiFi networks.
Troubleshooting USB WiFi Adapter Problems
The main problem we’ve found with USB WiFi Adapters is that they don’t get detected. If you followed our installation steps covering switching ports and updating drivers, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Sometimes the adapter works initially but keeps getting disconnected or disabled afterward. We recommend checking your power management preferences in such cases. Here’s how you can do this on Windows:
- Press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter.
- In the Network Adapters section, double-click the USB WiFi Adapter.
- In the Power Management tab, ensure the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power option is unchecked.
Click on Change advanced power settings.
Expand Wireless Adapter Settings and set the Power Saving Mode setting to Maximum Performance.
Expand USB Settings and set USB selective suspend setting to Disabled.
Anup Thapa primarily covers Windows systems, networking, and computer hardware at TechNewsToday. Anup has been writing professionally for almost 5 years, and tinkering with PCs for much longer. His love for all things tech started when he got his first PC over 15 years ago. It was a Pentium IV system running Windows XP on a single 256 MB stick. He spent his formative years glued to this PC, troubleshooting any hardware or software problems he encountered by himself. Professionally, Anup has had brief forays into a variety of fields from coding and hardware installation to writing. In doing so, he’s worked with people of different backgrounds and skill levels, from average joes to industry leaders and experts. This has given him not just a versatile skill set, but also a unique perspective for writing that enables him to concisely communicate complex information and solve his reader’s problems efficiently. You can reach out to him at anup@technewstoday.com.
USB Wi-Fi Adapter 101
A USB Wi-Fi adapter is a computer peripheral, and as such requires a software driver to function. This is why, when you plug the adapter into a USB port, it doesn’t always start up automatically.
This can be a frustrating challenge if Wi-Fi is the only available technology for getting your system online. Thankfully, most (but not all) Wi-Fi adapters come with software on a CD. Even this can be a limitation though, as an increasing number of laptops and desktops do not have optical drives. The other issue is that the software on the CD is often not the latest version of the driver. It is best to always check for newer builds on the Wi-Fi adapter manufacturer’s website. Consider the version provided in the package only as a starter to get you up and running.
Workarounds for the initial download of the software on a system with no optical drive and no other Internet access include downloading it to another system and copying it to a flash drive, moving the machine in question to a location where it can be plugged into a wired connection or using an external USB optical drive.
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Join the experts who read Tom’s Hardware for the inside track on enthusiast PC tech news — and have for over 25 years. We’ll send breaking news and in-depth reviews of CPUs, GPUs, AI, maker hardware and more straight to your inbox.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Jonas P. DeMuro is a freelance reviewer covering wireless networking hardware.
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I got this far, then tuned out. okay, I see you don’t get what the intended audience in this article is. i’ll re-word that for you: «a multimedia family / office work computer needs to be connected to its network. «
USB extension cables are often causing problems. I’d never extend a cable by more than one meter and make sure it is a very high quality cable or the voltage will lower dramatically causing the device not to work properly anymore. Or you have to get yourself an active USB expander which is usually quite a bit more expensiv.
On the other hand, antenna cables are even worse to extend.
You think you need USB3 to drive a 802.11ac network adapter at full speed? Please. You couldn’t have been more confused. Let’s say we’re talking about a two stream AC device, so theoretically it’s capable of 867mbps throughput in 5GHz band. However, much of that number pertains to the «physical layer» information transfer, the chatter that ensures that your data is transferred accurately, under optimal condition (e.g. 6 ft from the router). At TCP/IP level, the throughput will be much lower, even if the distance is short, somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-300mbps, depending on your luck. In other words, a lot less than USB2 can handle.
You see, the wireless data transfer rates are basically a big marketing scam because half of more of that data transfer rate will disappear due to weakening signal with distance or on the physical layer chatter. Wireless is not like wired Ethernet, where saying 100Mbps really means that you will actually see TCP/IP data transferred nearly at that rate. In the wi-fi world, the marketing can say they sell you a «gigabit ac1750 router (or adapter)», and in real life you may well end up with just 100Mbps or slower data throughput. If you get 200mbps or more, you should be jumping from joy.
I’m using a dual band PCI Express wi-fi module. For some reason, it’s much better than my ethernet connection. Could be because my killer port is only single band rather than dual. I’ve not lagged one bit with this accessory and I’ve been using it for at least 8 — 9 months now.
Id like to point out that having an external usb wifi can get really hot and malfunction. Its not inside of an air circulated case, so mine tends to get blazingly hot. i have the n600 which i can game on and have no problems. Moslty