Best Long Range Wifi Adapter for Pc – Maybe your home or office router is in an odd place and doesn’t give good network coverage. Maybe your house has thick walls and your devices keep losing Wi-Fi signal. Perhaps your built-in Wi-Fi or network card has broken, and you’re not too keen on spending hundreds of dollars to get a new one installed.
A good USB Wi-Fi adapter solves all these issues and more. Today we’re looking at several of the best USB Wi-Fi adapters across a range of different categories, helping you choose the one that suits your specific set of requirements.
ROUND UP
1.NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart
Pros & Cons
- Fast wifi performance: Get up to 1800 square feet wireless coverage with AC1900 speed (Dual band up to 600 + 1300 Mbps)
- Recommended for up to 30 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices
- 4 x 1 gigabit Ethernet ports ; 1 x 3.0 and 1 x 2.0 USB ports
- NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial
- NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)
- Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a 1GHz dual core processor, 3 amplified antennas, Beamforming+, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, Amazon Alexa Voice Controls, and more
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.NETGEAR AC1200
Pros & Cons
- Easily upgrade your existing laptop or desktop computer's WiFi to high-performance WiFi
- Dual Band AC WiFi Speed up to 1200Mbps
- Works with 802.11 a/b/g/n and ac WiFi routers
- Multi-User MIMO for faster data transfer with all capable routers
- Compatibility: Windows OS or Mac OS computer, USB1.1/USB2.0 compatible, Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10: (32/64-bit), Mac OS 10.9~10.13
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.
3.BrosTrend 1200Mbps
Pros & Cons
- ULTIMATE WI-FI SPEED: You Can Get 867Mbps Wireless Speed on 5GHz WiFi Band or 300Mbps Speed on 2.4GHz WiFi Band, Excellent for Online 4K Video, Gaming, High Quality Music and Facebook by Using this Dual Band USB WiFi Adapter
- BOOST YOUR RANGE: Comes with 2 pieces of 5dBi High Gain Wifi Antennas, this Long Range WiFi Adapter Ensures Range Extended WiFi and Superior Stability on Your Desktop, Laptop, PC
- FLEXIBLE DEPLOYMENT: Equipped with a USB 3.0 Cradle with Extension Cable of 5 Feet, Connect it to Any USB Ports of Your Desktop, Laptop or PC and Put this USB WiFi Network Adapter in Spot with Optimal WiFi Signal Reception; Or You Can Also Plug this USB WiFi Dongle Directly to Any USB Port of Your Desktops or Laptops
- USB 3.0 PORT WITH GOLD PLATED: Comes with USB 3.0 Port which Works 10 Times Faster than USB 2.0; USB Port with Gold Plated Ensures More Stable and Solid Internet Connection; And it is Backward Compatible with USB 2.0 Port; Your Best WiFi Adapter for PC of Desktop and Laptop
- UNIVERSAL COMPATIBILITY: This Wireless Adapter Works with Any WiFi Routers; Support Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7; *To Get OPTIMUM WIFI SPEED, Please Download Latest Driver on BrosTrend Official Web; Offers 7X24 Technical Support
- ADVANCED WPA3 SECURITY: Secure Your Devices and Network Privacy by Supporting the Latest Wireless Encryption: WPA3-SAE, WPA2/WPA/WEP, AES/PSK/TKIP, 802.1x. Note: The chipset model number is Realtek RTL8812BU or RTL8822BU
The promise of better network coverage is one of the main reasons people buy a USB Wi-Fi adapter. Sometimes it’s just impossible to find the perfect spot to put your router to ensure strong connections and fast speeds in every corner of the home or office.
It’s even more difficult when you’re in a concrete building or especially large house. In such cases, you’ll need a USB Wi-Fi adapter that not only provides fast speeds, but significantly extends your network range as well.
4.Edimax EW-7811Un
Pros & Cons
- Supports 150 Mbps 802.11n Wireless data rate - the latest wireless standard. Permits users to have the farthest range with the widest coverage. (Up to 6 times the speed and 3 times the coverage of 802.11b.).
- Power Saving designed to support smart transmit power control and auto-idle state adjustment
- Supports WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) Standard so that you can let different types of data have higher priority. It would allows better streaming of real-time data such as Video, Music, Skype etc
- Includes multi-language EZmax setup wizard
- Spec Standards IEEE 802.11n; backward compatible with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi Certified. Security 64/128 bit WEP Encryption and WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK security; WPS compatible IEEE 802.1X
- Port 1 x 2.0 USB Type A. Wireless Data Rates Up to 150 Mbps. Modulation OFDM: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, DSSS. Frequency Band 2.4GHz - 2.4835GHz. Antenna internal chip antenna
- Channels (FCC) 2.4GHz : 1~11. Power Input USB Port (Self-Powered). Dimensions 0.28" x 0.59" x 0.73". Temperature 0 -40 degree C (32-104 degree F). Humidity 10 ~ 90% Non-Condensing. System XP/Vista/Win7, Mac, Linux
So this entry is something a little bit different. Not everyone is looking for wireless connectivity for their laptop so they can do the things on the move they do at home. What if you’re trying to build something and want an affordable way to take it online? This could be the answer you’ve been looking for my friend…
150 Mbps is undoubtedly slow when you compare it to the rest of the list, but who cares? If you’re trying to take your Raspberry Pi or Arduino projects online, then you’re not so worried about speeds. You’re just learning and going with it. Just a few years ago we’d have all had our mouths opened in disbelief at the thought of this being regarded as slow. It really isn’t!
5.Linksys
Pros & Cons
- Supports Microsoft Windows 10, 7, 8, XP, Vista
- Lightning fast HD Video and Gaming
- Up to 867 Mbps speed on Wireless AC 5 GHz band or Up to 300 Mbps speed on Wireless N 2.4 GHz band
- Compatible with all Wireless AC 802.11ac routers, access points and extenders (Linksys, Belkin and others)
- Supports up to 128 bit encryption (WEP, WPA and WPA2)- Comes with Linksys Seal
Linksys is one of the veterans of the wireless world, so the AC1200 was a no-brainer to include on my list. I think you’re going to be excited by just how compact this little speedster is!
Yes, it sure does folks! This little speedster may be only the size of your trusty old USB stick that you relied upon before the Cloud, but it contains a lot of fire-power. The great thing is how compact it is and the fact it doesn’t require an external wire. That makes it ideal for popping in your laptop’s slipcase.
6.ASUS USB-AC68 AC1900
Pros & Cons
- Instantly upgrades desktops/laptops to Dual-Band AC1900 Wi-Fi for extended coverage and higher throughput
- Powerful 3x4 MIMO design with Dual 3-position external antennas, Dual internal antennas and ASUS AiRadar beamforming
- Included USB 3. 0 cradle provides additional placement options to optimize coverage for desktops. Transmit/receive: 2. 4 GHz 3 x 4, 3 x 4 5 GHz
- Foldable external antennas provide enhanced reception for laptops when open, and portability when closed
- Increase Wi-Fi speeds by up to 300% vs. Previous Gen N900 adapters. Os support- Mac OS X 10. 10, Windows 8, Mac OS X 10. 9, Windows 8. 1, Windows 7, Mac OS X 10. 8, Mac OS X 10. 11, Windows 10, Mac OS X 10. 7
Asus is what you would call wireless royalty. They’ve been around since day one ,and they know a thing or two about getting the job done. With plenty of firepower on offer, I couldn’t wait to see what the AC68 could do when put to the test.
Ask a pro, and they’ll tell you that you can run your WiFi on two distinct bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. While this may not mean much to the laymen in you the take-home point is it’s seriously fast folks! By getting rid of interference and increasing the bandwidth, your devices will work faster than ever. It’s all about giving your network more freedom and flexibility to do what it does best. That way you’ll never have to buffer again!
7.TP-Link AC1200
Pros & Cons
- Super-Fast Speed – Make full use of your network with AC1200 WiFi speeds (867 Mbps on the 5GHz band and 300 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band)
- Bluetooth 4.2 – Achieve 2.5× faster speed and 10× more packet capacity than Bluetooth 4.0
- Broad Wireless Range – Connect to your WiFi from further away with two external high-gain antennas ensuring greater range and enhanced stability
- Easy Installation – Plug the adapter into an available PCI-E slot to upgrade your desktop (both standard and low profile brackets included)
- Windows Compatibility - Supports Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7 (32/64-bit)
- Please note that to utilize the Bluetooth function, the Bluetooth USB cable must be connected to a F_USB connector
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.
WRAP UP
Best Long Range Wifi Adapter for Pc – USB Wi-Fi adapters are a simple solution to annoying wireless connection problems. They’re a compulsory device for many desktop PC users: while almost every laptop has a built-in Wi-Fi card, you can’t say the same for all desktops. That’s not the only reason you’ll need an adapter like this, though.
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