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. Add-in cards are an option for Wi-Fi, but by far the easiest way to give computers a wireless connection is with a USB Wi-Fi adapter.
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 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. To get the most out of a high-speed adapter, you'll want to pair it with a USB 3.0 port or above, ensuring maximum bandwidth for a fast and stable internet connection. 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.
TL;DR – These are the Best USB Wi-Fi Adapters:
- Netgear Nighthawk AC1900
- TP-Link Archer T3U Plus
- TP-Link N150 TL-WN725N
- Asus USB-AC68
- D-Link DWA-192
- TP-Link Archer T4U Plus
- Net-Dyn AC1200
- Netgear A6150 AC1200
1. Netgear Nighthawk AC1900
Best USB Wi-Fi Adapter
The Nighthawk AC1900 from Netgear is the USB Wi-Fi adapter that offers a bit of everything. 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. In those scenarios, the USB-based Nighthawk AC1900 can step in, and you won't feel like you're missing out on much.
The Nighthawk AC1900 supports Wi-Fi 5 with a dual-band connection, letting you connect over 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. This means you can get some serious speeds, with the 2.4GHz connection capable of hitting up to 600Mbps and the 5GHz connection going as high as 1,300Mbps. With an optional dock, beamforming, and an adjustable antenna array with four antennae inside, it can help ensure you get a strong signal. Just make sure you're connecting this beast to your computers over USB 3.0, or you'll be leaving performance on the table.
2. TP-Link Archer T3U Plus
Best Budget USB Wi-Fi Adapter
If you just went to spend a little bit of cash to get a capable Wi-Fi adapter that you can slap onto the back of your PC and forget about, then you should be after the TP-Link Archer T3U Plus. Even though this upgrade is just $30, it can offer you a worthy Wi-Fi connection for regular use. The USB portion of the unit is about the size of your typical flash drive, so it won't have to stick out too far from your computer. But, TP-Link has also attached a lengthy and adjustable antenna to the adapter to give it stronger reception.
The Archer T3U Plus supports dual-band AC wireless, giving you the option to connect to 2.4GHz networks for speeds up to 400Mbps or to 5GHz networks for speeds up to 867Mbps that can keep up with just about whatever you throw at it.
3. TP-Link N150 USB WiFi Adapter (TL-WN725N)
Best Ultra Cheap USB Wi-Fi Adapter
The TP-Link N150 is the USB Wi-Fi Adapter to get if your wireless networking needs are fairly basic. Perhaps your gaming PC is already hardwired to the router and you just need to occasionally connect wirelessly, or maybe you just have a fried Wi-Fi chip in a laptop and want a simple, affordable fix. In either case, the TP-Link N150 can provide it for just under $10, and it'll take up almost no space.
The TP-Link N150 is absolutely tiny, with most of its volume consisting of the USB connection itself. So, it's definitely a plug-and-forget solution you can just leave inserted. The internet connection it offers is a bit dated, with a simple 802.11n wireless connection on the 2.4GHz band and max speeds of 150Mbps, but that may be sufficient if you're running a modest router and don't have a premium home internet plan. For the record, 150Mbps is plenty for streaming HD video, and even for 4K HDR video, Netflix only calls for 25Mbps.
4. Asus USB-AC68
Best USB Wi-Fi Adapter For Gaming
When you’re gaming, you can’t settle for a sub-par internet connection. The Asus USB-AC68 steps things up with dual-band Wi-Fi support, high throughput, and some serious flexibility. For the fastest connection, you’ll want to take advantage of this USB adapter’s 5GHz band, which can support speeds up to 1,300Mbps. That’ll help you make the most of your internet connection, keeping lag down while you play and downloading games and updates at max speeds.
To support those extra speeds, the Asus USB-AC68 uses a USB 3.0 connection. You might plug the adapter directly into your laptop or desktop’s USB port. From there, it could get a good signal using the two large antenna built on, but Asus provides another option. There’s a cradle with an extension cable that will allow you to wire up this USB Wi-Fi adapter somewhere that it’s likely to get better signal and thus more stable connectivity for gaming.
5. D-Link DWA-192
Fastest USB Wi-Fi adapter
You don’t have to let your PC’s lack of a built-in Wi-Fi card keep it from accessing high bandwidth networking. The D-Link DWA-192 can provide some stunning speeds whether you opt to connect over its 2.4GHz band or jump up to the 5GHz band. That’s right: this is a dual-band Wi-Fi adapter.
The D-Link DWA-192 looks like a little Death Star that you wire up to your computer. It comes on a lengthy USB cable so you can position it for the best signal reception. At its best, the 2.4GHz network can reach a speed of 600Mbps, which is more than enough for just about anything most of us do on our computers, whether that’s gaming or 4K streaming. The 5GHz network can go even faster at up to 1,300Mbps. That’s fast enough that most of us won’t even be able to tap into it because our ISP’s don’t provide enough speed for it.
6. TP-Link Archer T4U Plus
Good Balance of Power to Price
If space behind your computer is limited or you're worried about getting a good signal, then the TP-Link Archer T4U Plus offers the flexibility you need at a good price. This USB Wi-Fi adapter may plug into your PC over a USB 3.0 connection, but the bulk of the unit is actually a special base station that you can position out in the open thanks to its three-foot cable. The base station includes two large antennas you can tweak to find the best reception available.
Like its smaller sibling, the Archer T4U Plus offers up dual-band AC wireless. This will support up both 2.4GHz and 5GHz connectivity options, so you can go for range or for speeds. On a 5GHz network, the Archer T4U Plus offers speeds up to 867Mbps, which should do just fine for even 4K video streaming.
7. Net-Dyn AC1200
Best Dual-Band USB Wi-Fi Adapter
The Net-Dyn wins a place on this list by perfectly balancing size and speeds. It can reach up to 100 yards without the speed suffering badly. It’s also USB 3.0, which (so long as your computer supports it) will maintain low latency at those higher speeds.
Speaking of which, there’s dual-band connectivity with support of speeds up to 867Mbps at 5GHz and 300Mbps at 2.4GHZ. Works with both Windows and Mac.
8. Netgear A6150 AC1200 WiFi USB Adapter
The Best Compact USB Wi-Fi Adapter
You don't have to rely on a chunky USB dongle to add Wi-Fi to your PC. Netgear's A6150 AC1200 Wi-Fi USB adapter is about as small as they come. This adapter weighs just five grams and will barely stick out from your USB port, so you don't have to worry too much about accidentally hitting it and damaging it or your USB port.
Despite its small size, the Netgear AC6150 adapter is ready for high speeds. It supports dual-band connectivity, letting you hop onto either 2.4GHz or 5GHz networks, and it can achieve up to 867Mbps speeds on the faster band. This adapter even supports beamforming and MU-MIMO connections. The size of the adapter may not give it the best reception if you're trying to use this far away from a router in a different room, but for shorter-distance connections where you want to avoid a mess of cables, this will get the job done.
Where to Get the Best USB Wi-Fi Adapters in the UK
What to look for in a USB Wi-Fi Adapter?
2.4GHz vs 5GHz: Know the difference
You’ll see these numbers a lot when researching anything to do with home Wi-Fi. Quite simply, they refer to the network standard your device is operating on; it all comes down to speed and range.
We all know that a signal only reaches so far, and as you move further from the source of that signal, generally the connection is going to get worse.
2.4GHz is a more dated standard that doesn’t get the blazing speeds of 5GHz, however, it has a better range. 5GHz gives you a much faster connection, but the range isn’t as good.
USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and 802.11 standards
The difference here depends on a few other factors. First, does your computer have USB 2.0 or 3.0 ports? If it’s USB 2.0, your maximum speed (in theory) is lower, as USB 3.0 allows for greater throughput. Data speeds on USB 2.0 can reach up to 480Mbps whereas USB 3.0 can reach 5Gbps.
But that’s not all. In order to make use of those blazing higher speeds your router will need to be able to also push out a signal above 60MB/s (otherwise, what’s the point?). If your router uses 802.11g then it won’t go above 54MB/s.
However, for routers with an 802.11ac standard, along with higher connection speeds, USB 3.0 can be beneficial – but only for intense use cases where you want less latency. In those cases, make sure you’re looking for an 802.11ac wireless adapter to make the most of it.
Hugh Langley is a tech journalist who’s fascinated by wearables, health tech, the smart home, and more. You can find him tweeting (often nonsense) over at @hughlangley.
