Wifi network adapter laptop

Лучшие адаптеры USB-Wi-Fi 2023 года

Хороший сигнал Wi-Fi в настоящее время является почти предметом первой необходимости. Особенно это относится к домам или квартирам, где проживают более одного пользователя интернета. Если размещать источник сигнала в неудачных местах, Wi-Fi может работать не во всех помещениях. Даже если квартира маленькая, но в ней толстые кирпичные стены, покрытие может оказаться неполным. В таком случае одного маршрутизатора Wi-Fi может быть недостаточно и компьютеру потребуется антенна Wi-Fi. Специалисты Inetme вместе с нашими аналитиками составили рейтинг Wi-Fi адаптеров, рассмотрев преимущества каждой модели.

Лучшим способом улучшения сигнала Wi-Fi является использование не одного маршрутизатора, а ячеистой сети. Вот только стоить она может дорого. Другим вариантом станут удлинители Wi-Fi, но из-за них могут расти помехи и задержка. Если требуется Wi-Fi для одного ноутбука или компьютера, USB-адаптер станет значительно более дешёвой альтернативой.

Такие адаптеры работают по простому принципу: от улучшения антенны улучшится и сигнал. Тестирование разных моделей проводилось в четырёх местах: рядом с маршрутизатором; в домашнем офисе, всего в нескольких метрах от маршрутизатора, но через две стены; в грузовом лифте ещё в нескольких метрах и за ещё одной стеной; этажом выше. Также тестировался новый адаптер Wi-Fi 6.

Все эти адаптеры совместимы с Windows-компьютерами, а некоторые с Linux. У них нет официальных драйверов для версий macOS более поздних, чем 10.15 (у некоторых даже для неё), поскольку производители мало заботятся о поддержке macOS. Один независимый программист создал драйверы под macOS 11 и macOS 12 для многих адаптеров, но их работа не гарантирована. Адаптеры на macOS скорее всего не будут работать с другой бытовой электроникой, поскольку для этого нужны соответствующие драйверы.

Спецификация 802.11ac Wi-Fi сложна, имеет более дюжины уровней производительности, обозначаемых AC и числом. Рассмотренные адаптеры работают на уровнях AC1200, AC1300 и AC1900. Выше показано, что означают те или иные параметры AC в плане потенциальных скоростей в двух основных диапазонах частот Wi-Fi: 2,4 ГГц и 5 ГГц. Чем выше число, тем лучше.

USB-адаптеры Wi-Fi 6

Стандарт Wi-Fi 6 обещает более высокие скорости, больший радиус действия и уменьшение помех в корпоративных и домашних сетях, но до воплощения этих обещаний в реальность пока не дошло.

Прошлым летом был выпущен первый такой адаптер, за ним последовали ещё несколько. Среди них модели Asus USB-AX56, D-Link DWA-X1850 и несколько брендов Amazon. В этой статье рассмотрена модель D-Link DWA-X1850. Все нынешние адаптеры используют версию AX1800 спецификации Wi-Fi 6. Это значит, что они не быстрее лучших протестированных адаптеров 802.11ac. В обзоре X1850 сказано, что мощность сигнала у него лучше по сравнению с адаптерами Wi-Fi 5 в сети 2,4 ГГц в условиях слабого сигнала, но это не дало реального повышения скорости или надёжности сигнала в сети в других условиях.

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Best USB WiFi 6 Adapters for Laptop and PC – 2023

Are you looking for a USB WiFi Adapter? But there are different kind of options available in the market, like dual band, triple band, WiFi 6 / 6E etc. I will help you to choose the best USB WiFi adapter for your desktop or laptop.

1. When a USB WiFi Adapter is required?
2. Which WiFi version adapter should I choose?
3. Best USB WiFi Adapters
4. Best tri-band USB WiFi 6E adapters
   • 1. NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter (A8000)
   • Pros of WiFi 6E adapters
   • Cons of WiFi 6E adapters
   • Is it worth Buying the 6E WiFi adapter?
5. Best WiFi 6 dual-band USB WiFi adapters
   • 1. ASUS WiFi 6 AX1800 USB WiFi Adapter (USB-AX56)
   • 2. D-Link USB WiFi 6 Adapter AX1800 USB 3.0 (DWA-X1850)
   • 3. TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter for PC (Archer TX20U Plus)
   • 4. Tenda U18 USB WiFi Adapter
   • Pros of WiFi 6 USB adapters
   • Cons of WiFi 6 USB adapters
   • Conclusion
6. Best Dual Band WiFi 5 USB Adapters
   • 1. TP-Link USB WiFi Adapter (Archer T3U Plus)
   • Pros of WiFi 5 USB adapters
   • Cons of WiFi 5 USB adapters
   • Conclusion
7. Best small size USB WiFi adapters for laptop
   • 1. Asus WiFi 6 mini USB adapter (USB-AX55 Nano)
   • 2. TP-Link nano USB WiFi 5 adapter
   • 3. Netgear mini WiFi 5 stick
   • 4. D-Link USB WiFi 5 adapter
8. What to look for in the best USB WiFi adapters?
   • 1) WiFi Generation and Band
   • 2) Antennas
9. Things to consider before buying a USB WiFi adapter
10. List of best USB WiFi dongles / receivers

When a USB WiFi Adapter is required?

Is your laptop’s built-in wifi failing? or your PC doesn’t have a wireless network card. Or is your built-in WiFi get outdated and you need to upgrade it to the most recent WiFi version? In these cases, a USB WiFi adapter is a quick way to get rid of these issues. A WiFi adapter is a device that allows a desktop or laptop computer to connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Which WiFi version adapter should I choose?

In this post I have listed 4 types of wifi adapters, should which one should you choose? Actually, it depends on many factors and choice but I am here simplifying the things to help you to choose the best. Below comparison table will help you.

WiFi adapter type	compatibility
WiFi 6E adapters	To utilize the 6GHz band you require Windows 11 and 6E router
WiFi 6 adapters	It give best performance with Windows 10 or above and require WiFi 6 router
WiFi 5 adapters	It is compatible with mostly all the newer and older Windows and routers

Let’s find out the best WiFi adapters that can be plugged into USB port.

Best USB WiFi Adapters

I recommend that you only use well-known brand names. Unknown brands may make claims that they do not actually provide. After a lot of research, I have only found a few branded USB WiFi adapters. I categorized them to make it easy to find the right WiFi adapter.

Best tri-band USB WiFi 6E adapters

Latest WiFi Standard: WiFi 6E was introduced with a new 6 GHz band. So I searched for a tri-band WiFi adapter and found only one option from Netgear ( Nighthawk A8000 ) It is a little bit costly, but it is worth it. It can be easily used with a laptop or a desktop. WiFi 6E has a maximum speed of 2.4 GB/s.

1. NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter (A8000)

With the Nighthawk WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter, you can take advantage of the increased speed, power, and capacity of WiFi 6E. The A8000 improves the efficiency of file sharing, gaming, and streaming in high definition. It is compatible with both the newest WiFi 6E routers and the older WiFi platforms. The antenna can be folded up for easy transportation and storage, making it suitable for usage at home or on the go. Connect your 6E-enabled devices to the 6GHz fast lane for the best possible WiFi performance. Check Price on Amazon.com

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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:

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