What Is a Wi-Fi Adapter?
Ryan Dube is a freelance contributor to Lifewire and former Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, senior IT Analyst, and an automation engineer.
Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years’ experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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A Wi-Fi adapter lets you convert a desktop computer or a laptop into a wireless-capable device. Once installed, it enables you to use the internet without the need for a network cable.
There are several kinds of Wi-Fi adapters, both internal and external. The one you choose depends on the type of computer you have, available ports, and how much you’re willing to spend.
What Does a Wi-Fi Adapter Do?
A Wi-Fi adapter allows you to connect your desktop or laptop computer to your wireless router so that you can access your home network and the internet.
Without a Wi-Fi adapter, you would need to run an ethernet cable from the router to your computer and plug it into your computer’s ethernet port.
These days, most newer computers come with Wi-Fi capability built-in (as an internal Wi-Fi adapter card). However, if you still have an older computer that only has an ethernet port and no Wi-Fi capability, you’ll need to use a Wi-Fi adapter to connect to your router wirelessly.
Does a Wi-Fi Adapter Give You Wi-Fi?
There are two things you’ll need for a Wi-Fi adapter to work correctly. Just installing a Wi-Fi adapter on your computer won’t give you a Wi-Fi network. You’ll also need:
- A working internet connection to your home (typically from an Internet Service Provider or ISP)
- Modem (usually provided by the ISP) to connect to the live internet cable or DSL wire
- A router that handles wireless communication between your devices, the network, and the internet
Many ISPs provide one device that serves as both the modem and router. But in either case, you’ll need a router capable of providing a Wi-Fi network. You’ll connect the Wi-Fi adapter to the network provided by the router.
Types of Wi-Fi Adapters
There is a wide variety of Wi-Fi adapters available, depending on your needs. Choose the adapter that’s best suited for your computer setup and how you want to use your wireless network.
A PCI adapter is a card you’ll need to slide into one of the PCI slots inside your desktop computer. Before you buy one of these, open your computer case and ensure that an empty PCI slot is available. These are long, narrow slots near one side of the case where you can remove a metal covering to open up an external hole where the external antenna usually screws into the card.
A PCMCIA adapter fits into the PCMCIA slot on the side of laptops that support it. It may also include an antenna. The adapter looks like a thick credit card. It’s convenient because you can easily remove it and use it on any other laptop that supports PCMCIA adapters.
A MiniPCI or MiniPCI express adapter inserts into a PCI slot inside your notebook. You’ll need to open your notebook case and ensure you have an available PCI slot to install the adapter. The adapter is all internal and will enable wireless functionality for your notebook without having to use one of your PCMCIA slots.
A USB Wireless adapter is one of the most convenient Wi-Fi adapters because it works with both desktop and laptop computers, so long as you have an available USB slot. It’s the best option if you don’t want to open up your computer case and want a plug-and-play solution. However, you may need to install driver software that comes with the USB adapter when you buy it.
An ethernet port adapter either plugs directly into your computer’s ethernet port or comes as a box with an ethernet port and antenna. If you buy the box version, you’ll also need an ethernet cable to connect your computer’s ethernet port to the box. This solution is best for older computers that have an ethernet port but no wireless functionality.
If you choose a Wi-Fi adapter that requires internal installation, remember to follow proper grounding practices, such as wearing a grounding strap, which will protect from damaging any internal components due to static charge.
Do I Need a Wi-Fi Adapter?
If your computer is close enough to your router that a network cable will reach it, use the cable as this is usually the best option. Using a wired connection like this eliminates Wi-Fi range and interference issues and, as a bonus, allows faster transmission of data.
However, if you’re too far from the router, a Wi-Fi adapter is the best option. It lets you use your computer or laptop at any location, as long as you’re within range of the wireless router.
As mentioned earlier, most computers sold today have Wi-Fi capabilities built-in, so make sure to turn on your Wi-Fi before you decide to buy a Wi-Fi adapter.
The Best USB Wi-Fi Adapters for 2023
If one computer in the farthest reaches of your home has trouble seeing your Wi-Fi network, you don’t have to drop hundreds on a mesh networking system. A USB Wi-Fi antenna is a much more affordable alternative.
I’m that 5G guy. I’ve actually been here for every «G.» I’ve reviewed well over a thousand products during 18 years working full-time at PCMag.com, including every generation of the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S. I also write a weekly newsletter, Fully Mobilized, where I obsess about phones and networks.
(Photo: Sascha Segan)
Good Wi-Fi is a modern necessity, especially for homes where multiple people are trying to work, learn, or be entertained. As you carve out odd spaces for home offices, you may end up in weird corners of kitchens, attics, or basements where your Wi-Fi doesn’t reach. I live in a pretty small apartment, but two thick, 1928-era walls separate my home office from my Wi-Fi router. The router itself is perfectly adequate for the space; my computer’s Wi-Fi antenna is what falls short.
The best way to improve your Wi-Fi signal is to switch from a single router to a mesh network system, but mesh systems can be expensive. Wi-Fi extenders are another option, even though they can create interference and add latency; I wasn’t thrilled when I tried one. If you just need to eke a little bit more Wi-Fi out to one laptop or desktop, a USB adapter is a much cheaper alternative.
These adapters work on a simple principle: If you improve your antenna, your signal will improve too. In 2021, we purchased three adapters from TP-Link, one from Netgear, and two random low-cost Amazon brands. We tested those models in four locations: right next to my router; in my home office, only a few feet away but through two walls; by my building elevator, which is another 20 feet away and through another wall; and on the next floor up. Recently, we purchased the first available Wi-Fi 6 adapter and tested it against some of the best-performing models from the earlier bunch.
All of these adapters are compatible with Windows PCs and several also work with Linux. None of them have official drivers for macOS versions later than 10.15 (and some don’t even have that), because the chipset vendors don’t bother to support macOS. An enterprising independent programmer has developed macOS 11 and macOS 12 drivers (Opens in a new window) for many of the adapters we’ve reviewed, but you should yse these at your own risk. Adapters also likely won’t work with other home electronics, as they require the right drivers.
The 802.11ac Wi-Fi spec is disturbingly complicated, with more than a dozen different performance levels referred to by AC and a number. The adapters we found perform at the AC1200, AC1300, and AC1900 levels. Here’s how all of those AC numbers in that range translate into potential speeds on the two main Wi-Fi frequency bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. If this chart makes your head hurt, just remember that higher numbers are better.
Wi-Fi 6 USB Adapters
Wi-Fi 6 promises to bring better speeds, better range, and less interference to business and home networks, but so far, that experience hasn’t materialized in real-world environments.
Since the first one launched last summer, a few other Wi-Fi 6 USB sticks are now available, including the Asus USB-AX56, the D-Link DWA-X1850, and several shifty-looking Amazon brands. We reviewed the first model to hit the market, D-Link’s DWA-X1850. All of the current adapters use the AX1800 version of the Wi-Fi 6 spec, so they aren’t inherently faster than the best 802.11ac adapters we tested. In our full review of the X1850, we found that while it showed better signal strength than the Wi-Fi 5 adapters on a 2.4GHz network in a weak signal situation, that characteristic didn’t at all translate into actual speed or reliability improvements in other situations.
All the other adapters we tested support Wi-Fi 5, or 802.11ac. Your laptop probably supports 802.11ac—most laptops released since 2013 do—but if yours doesn’t, that’s another reason to get an adapter. 802.11ac is a massive improvement over the previous 802.11n and can give you a boost even without the benefits of the bigger antenna on an adapter.
No, there are no Wi-Fi 6E USB adapters yet.
Testing Wi-Fi Adapters
Of the adapters we’ve tested, our pick is the TP-Link Archer T9UH. For the price, this AC1900 adapter strikes the best balance between cost and signal-boosting. The Netgear Nighthawk adapter is even more powerful, but costs more. The other adapters are cheaper but didn’t improve the connection as significantly in testing.
I tested Wi-Fi 5 performance with a 500Mbps symmetrical Verizon Fios fiber connection using a Verizon Fios G1100, an AC1750 router. When I tested the Wi-Fi 5 adapters against each other earlier in 2021, my whole family was working and learning from home. Top speeds were unreliable because congestion kept changing. So, I focused on the signal strength and the speed loss when moving the laptop quickly from one location to another.
When I tested the D-Link Wi-Fi 6 adapter more recently, I could do so in a more controlled environment. As such, I was able to compare speeds between that adapter, the TP-Link Archer T9UH, and the TP-Link Archer T4U Plus. Those results are in the full D-Link DWA-X1850 review.
In terms of pure signal improvement, the more expensive adapters with better specs performed better. The below chart shows how each Wi-Fi 5 adapter affected pure 5GHz signal strength on my laptop, averaged over the four locations I tested it.
Of course, what you should most care about is the data download speed you’ll get in places where you were previously having Wi-Fi trouble. In my tests, those two locations were in my office (bad speeds) and by the elevator (really bad speeds). The chart below shows how each adapter affected speeds in those two locations, relative to the speeds I got right by the router. The Y-axis is flipped, so a higher point indicates better performance and less speed lost.
Here are the detailed breakdowns of each antenna’s pros and cons:
Wifi and wireless network adapter
- Смартфоны
- Смартфоны
- Носимая электроника
- Ноутбуки
- Для дома
- Для работы
- Для творчества
- Для учебы
- Для игр
- Приложения
- Технологии и инновации
- Windows 11
- Гарантия
- Мониторы, настольные ПК
- Мониторы
- Проекторы
- Моноблоки
- Настольные ПК
- Игровые ПК
- Мини ПК
- Рабочие станции
- Компоненты ПК
- Материнские платы
- Одноплатные компьютеры
- Корпуса для игровых ПК
- Системы охлаждения
- Видеокарты
- Блоки питания
- Звуковые карты
- Оптические приводы
- Внешние накопители
- Сети, IoT, серверы
- Wi-Fi 6
- Беспроводные маршрутизаторы
- Ячеистые системы Wi-Fi
- Повторители
- Маршрутизаторы с модемом
- Адаптеры
- Проводная сеть
- Серверы
- Аксессуары
- Клавиатуры
- Мыши и коврики
- Гарнитуры и аудиоустройства
- Комплекты для стриминга
- Одежда, сумки, аксессуары
- Защита экрана, чехлы
- Зарядные устройства
- Док-станции и кабели
- Внешние аккумуляторы
- Стилусы
- Контроллеры
- Аксессуары для мониторов
- Смартфоны
- Смартфоны
- Носимая электроника
- Ноутбуки
- Для дома
- Для работы
- Для творчества
- Для учебы
- Для игр
- Приложения
- Технологии и инновации
- Windows 11
- Гарантия
- Мониторы, настольные ПК
- Мониторы
- Проекторы
- Моноблоки
- Настольные ПК
- Игровые ПК
- Мини ПК
- Рабочие станции
- Компоненты ПК
- Материнские платы
- Одноплатные компьютеры
- Корпуса для игровых ПК
- Системы охлаждения
- Видеокарты
- Блоки питания
- Звуковые карты
- Оптические приводы
- Внешние накопители
- Сети, IoT, серверы
- Wi-Fi 6
- Беспроводные маршрутизаторы
- Ячеистые системы Wi-Fi
- Повторители