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Tech 6 important factors in choosing the right Wi-Fi adapter for your needs Finding the right Wi-Fi adapter in the midst of numerous viable choices can be overwhelming. Wireless protocols Wireless routers all have the number Wireless frequency: 2. Build Quality The market is filled with low-quality models that promise great performance but hardly last a month.
Conclusion Finding the right Wi-Fi adapter in the midst of numerous viable choices can be overwhelming. Related Topics. Headlines Trending Videos. While almost any laptop you find on the market today will have a Wi-Fi card built into it, not all desktop PCs have the same luxury.
If you're building a gaming PC , you may be shocked to discover that many of the best motherboards don't include Wi-Fi. Even those that do offer Wi-Fi often have a cheaper version available that leaves it out. These simple adapters are generally a plug-and-play solution. All it takes is plugging them into the USB port on your computer and maybe installing a driver , and your computer will then gain Wi-Fi.
Most USB Wi-Fi adapters even offer solid speed, with some supporting dual-band wireless for connections to both 2. To get the most out of a high-speed adapter, you'll want to pair it with a USB 3. We've picked out several options that can get your computer up to speed, letting you pick which will best fit your setup and needs — and click here to find them in the UK. To upgrade even more of your networking hardware, check out these certified refurbished routers on eBay.
In an ideal world, you could upgrade the Wi-Fi adapter inside your laptop or add a PCIe-based wireless networking card to your desktop, but that won't always be an option.
This means you can get some serious speeds, with the 2. With an optional dock, beamforming, and an adjustable antenna array with four antennae inside, it can help ensure you get a strong signal. This is a great solution if you're using Wi-Fi in a challenging situation with a weak signal. When it comes to the best gaming routers, there are few names as ubiquitous as the Netgear Nighthawk. Netgear has been producing excellent gaming routers for some time, and the Nighthawk AC brings that same performance to a portable USB adapter.
This won't necessarily get you a blazing fast connection in your local coffee shop, but at home, you can use the included magnetic desktop cradle to ensure your rig is getting the best possible connection from your router a couple of rooms away.
The Nighthawk AC is a remarkably powerful and portable adapter but is somewhat bulky when compared to its peers; there were occasions where I was mildly concerned about snapping it off in one of my laptop's USB ports, and its size means that it may not always find a vacant port with the necessary clearance.
It supports USB 3. The results are a bit of a mixed bag as this Asus adapter lags in the 2. While the 5 GHz tests are much more reliable, it still wasn't the fastest at either the close or far distance tested. The adapter includes a cradle for use at home but can be plugged directly into a USB port for easy travel. Installation was straightforward, with Windows 10 managing the settings.
While it is similar in size to other mainstream adapters, it cleverly features a small deployable piece that contains three antennas to increase range and throughput, along with support for both MU-MIMO and Beamforming technology. The EWUAC smoked the competition, with class-leading throughput on four of the six tests, which included both the 2.
We came away particularly impressed on the close 5 GHz test of The only real weakness was on the far tests where this adapter gave up a little ground to the competition. To be fair, it is quite small. The WUSB balances its small size against decent range and throughput. Both types can offer good wireless signal and speeds, so choose whichever you prefer or is right for your setup , but they do have pros and cons explained below.
A USB adapter is going to be cheaper in general, and is more convenient as mentioned. They may also be good enough in terms of signal strength, and a decent USB model will allow for fast-enough speeds to match a good router. Although to be fair some good USB adapters do have multiple and good-quality antennas. Also, another little benefit to internal adapters albeit small is having an extra free USB port. Just don't forget to make sure you have the room for an internal card if you go that route, as you'll need a spare PCI Express slot inside your rig or PCI for older motherboards; in which case you'd need to buy a PCI adapter.
Plus, make sure there's enough room in your computer case, especially if you get a bulky card that takes up a lot of space. We like being as objective as possible here at BGC and looking at both sides of the coin, but when push comes to shove, you may wonder what's our subjective opinion on internal network cards vs USB adapters.
In other words, if we were building a new computer today in and wanted WiFi capability for online gaming assuming that choosing a higher-end motherboard with built-in WiFi is out of the equation , what would we personally do? As a PC builder we'd favor buying and installing a good internal PCI-E network card for the most reliable WiFi possible, and not have to worry about the oftentimes-finicky reliability that USB adapters often have.
But even in saying that, don't hesitate to get a USB stick as there are indeed some good ones in especially ones with an antenna. A USB adapter might actually be a necessity for your particular setup, such as if you have a small form-factor mini ITX motherboard with only the one expansion slot that's already been taken up by your graphics card.
What features should you look for when choosing the best wireless adapter for desktop gaming? Let's discuss, and we'll keep things as simple as possible as discussing wireless technology can get into what-the territory all too easily. There's no need to understand all the specs in detail, but if there's a certain feature you must know more about it, we hope you'll find enough nuanced guidance below.
This is simply the version of wireless technology that an adapter or router supports, with the current latest standard being Wireless technology advances every few years or so, with the biggest recent changes being the following:. Should you always just get the latest and fastest version Well, yes, if at all possible, but getting the standard before that, People still buy Although, even if you have an older This is what I would do, as there isn't going to be a huge price difference in just getting the latest and greatest adapter.
Summary: Buy a wireless adapter with the latest Otherwise, an Keep in mind the maximum speed of When you look at a particular wireless adapter, the speed will be listed using the AC or N naming convention, such as AC or N However, this isn't the actual maximum speed you can get.
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