Similarly, if you have a Wi-Fi 6 router and Wi-Fi 5 adapter, your device will only be able to utilize the Wi-Fi 5 protocol-but if there are other devices on the network with Wi-Fi 6 support, they’ll still see the full benefit of the most recent standard.įor more information, take a look at the BestReviews buying guide for wireless routers. What that means is, if you have a Wi-Fi 4 router and a Wi-Fi 5 adapter, you’ll only be able to take advantage of Wi-Fi 4 speeds and features. The various Wi-Fi protocols are all backward-compatible and the router sets the ceiling for the version each device will effectively use. What to know before you buy a USB Wi-Fi adapter for PC How Wi-Fi versions work

In real-world testing, it matches or exceeds the actual throughput of just about every other option on the market. The best USB Wi-Fi adapter for PC is the TP-Link Archer T9UH because of its clever two-piece design that consists of the dongle and its stand. A USB Wi-Fi adapter is a good workaround for either of those situations. However, not every PC motherboard has a Wi-Fi controller onboard, and from time to time, a laptop’s wireless chipset can act up or completely break.

The bandwidth provided by relatively recent standards like Wi-Fi 5 is enough to take advantage of the fastest home internet connections, even if you’re lucky enough to have a gigabit-class connection. Thanks to modern, high-speed wireless connectivity, most consumers don’t need to run Ethernet cables to every room of their house. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated.

Best usb wireless adapter for pc