Question Recommendations for a USB wireless adapter ?

[Lafong]

I need a recommendation for a wireless adapter. Preferably USB rather than internal, but I’ll consider anything. Some connect by cable, some connect directly into the USB port. Lots of them at Amazon and Newegg; from around 15 on up to over 100.

Doesn’t have to be latest and greatest. Just compatible with an aging Windows 10 PC. I see some have antennas and some just look like a small flash drive, no bigger than a jelly bean. Do I need antennas?

I don’t need much range, just reliable and simple. Usage will be within 10 or 20 feet of a PC and its wireless enabled router. Won’t be used constantly as I have good Ethernet connection. Will use at times in conjunction with a smart phone to avoid data charges.

Do I need to be concerned with the various USB variants?

 

[bill001g]

In general usb things that have similar "speed" numbers are the same. Almost no company that make wifi chips sells end devices.....intel it kinda the exception but I don't think they make USB devices even though many companies use intel chips in usb devices.

So more or less you will be getting the software drivers and support from the maker of the chipset. So more or less all wifi things are the same.

The key BUT here is physical size and thing like hardware warranty make lots of difference. You can buy garbage off aliexpress for less than $1.00. You can even get things on amazon for $5.00. All this stuff will likely work but it will perform poorly and if it breaks sure they will replace it but only after you spend $20 shipping it to china.

For desktop use avoid those tiny devices. They are designed for portable use where small size and low battery power usage are important. They trade performance for these features. If you take one of those tiny USB adapters and use it on a desktop you almost put it inside a big metal box that blocks wifi signals.

The best USB adapters tend to be the ones that come with USB cables and stands that allow you to mount the device away from the desktop. The larger antenna also help. Which brand you buy is not going to make huge difference but I would stay with larger better known brands. TP-LINK tends to be cheaper than say Asus but still has good support.

 

[Lafong]

Thanks Bill. I was hoping you would reply.

Amazon.com

Take a look at the above TP Link. Circa 23 bucks. I am cheap.

Anything overtly wrong with it? I would be an average user and not highly demanding as long as it "worked" without issues. I'd use it only when I use a phone at home to avoid data charges and would rely on PC/Ethernet most of the time. I'd throw it away before I made a warranty claim.

I know nearly nothing about networks or wireless.

I see this one has 2 models; one of which is "dual band". A dollar difference in price. Should I care at all about dual band or just flip a coin?

My phone supports 4g and 5g, if that matters. Will be used in a good coverage metro area in a single room in my apartment. Phone, router, and this device all within 15 feet of each other.

Very new to smart phones. I don't understand the antenna situation. Do the antennas on the adapter make the antennas on the router redundant or useless or conflicting in any way?

Does it matter which type of USB port I connect to on the PC?

I'm just trying to avoid config headaches since I am clueless on the topic.

Did not see much from Asus brand.

 

[bill001g]

Both are dual band. The one with 2 antenna I am not sure really is much difference.....would have to read all the fine print.
Technically the one with 2 antenna like that might support mimo better because of the spacing between the antenna.

The single antenna one if I remember correctly is actually 2 antenna mounted in the same stick.

Either will likely give you about 300mbps in the same room as the router. This is still much slower than most USB ports.

The phone so called 4G and 5G has nothing to do with wifi. 5G is just a name where 5G on wifi means it runs on the 5ghz radio band. The phone actually has multiple radios. One that does wifi and likely runs on 2.4 and 5ghz and another radio chip that run on the cell network. Most 5G is a lie on phones but it has a bigger number. In a lot of cases it is what is called "4G LTE advanced" that they renamed 5G. Attention span of users could not handle the extra words in the name


I am unclear what you plan to do related to the phone.

Are you planning to use the wifi on the pc to connect to the phone hotspot...in effect using your phone as a internet.

Some people try crazy stuff like using internet connection sharing so they could share the internet you connected via ethernet with other devices. It is messy way to do this tends to be easier to a actual AP rather than trying to make your pc into a router. In your case your phone should be able to connect directly to the router with wifi if it is in the same room.

 

[Lafong]

Both are dual band.

Either will likely give you about 300mbps in the same room as the router. This is still much slower than most USB ports.



I am unclear what you plan to do related to the phone.

Are you planning to use the wifi on the pc to connect to the phone hotspot...in effect using your phone as a internet.

This will be my first smart phone.

My intent is to gain familiarity with the entire mobile phone concept as I know NOTHING about them. It will be a secondary phone "backup" to my land line (telephone calls per se) and a way to access the Internet when my ISP is down for whatever reason. Amazon shopping, paying bills, interacting with my bank, etc.

No gaming, watching movies, "entertainment", or anything semi-intense

My aging motherboard does NOT have WiFi capability. My router has wireless capability and I have established that although I am running on Ethernet right now as I type this from my PC. I have no wireless devices right now and won't till the phone arrives later this week.

I'm told that smart phones chew through data while maintaining the OS and pre-installed apps, so I hope to be able to assign data downloads to this wireless connection rather than to the phone's data plan (Tracfone; 1.5 GB per year). It may turn out that 1.5 GB per year is adequate..that's a complete unknown to me.

The phone will rarely be used away from home and I will likely go weeks at a time without using it at all after I gain a basic understanding. It will be sitting on a charger.

Will either of those 2 devices likely be satisfactory? If not, do you have anything else in mind? I'd much prefer something under $50 considering my modest requirements.

 

[lantis3]

Wifi frequencies used in PC/laptop are 2.4GH/5GHz/6Ghz(6E)

Smartphone comes with 2 different technologies. Its wifi also uses 2.4GH/5GHz/6Ghz like PC that connects to home routers, however its 4G and 5G wireless means 4th gen and 5th gen technology that connects to towers outside of your home. Do not confuse them. How much data you can use depends on the data plan you pay for the wireless providers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verzion)

 

[Lafong]

Wifi frequencies used in PC/laptop are 2.4GH/5GHz/6Ghz

Smartphone comes with 2 different technologies. Its wifi also uses 2.4GH/5GHz/6Ghz like PC that connects to home routers, however its 4G and 5G wireless means 4th gen and 5th gen technology that connects to towers outside of your home. Do not confuse them. How much data you can use depends on the data plan you pay for the wireless providers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verzion)

My cell data plan with Tracfone (Verizon network) is only 1.5 gb per year.

That's why I want to get data by wireless rather than through my data plan when at home.

My PC motherboard does NOT support WiFi at all.

Do you have a fairly inexpensive recommendation for a USB wireless adapter?

 

[lantis3]

Do you have a fairly inexpensive recommendation for a USB wireless adapter?

The TP-Link one you linked should work good.

 

[bill001g]

You do not need a wifi nic for your pc unless you want one. The ethernet will always be superior.

The phone will connect to your router not your pc. It should be as simple as turning on the wifi and selecting your wifi network and putting in your password.

Although I have not used tracphone almost all cell phones have a way to tell it to use wifi instead of the cell plan. The best way to ensure you don't accidentally use the wrong thing is to turn off the mobile broadband when you are in the house. Only have the wifi option enabled. That way if something very strange would happen and the router would go down it will not switch to the mobile plan. You just have to remember to turn on the mobile broadband data when you are out of the house. You could also use public wifi like mcdonald or starbucks has when you are away from the house to avoid using your data plan.

 

[USAFRet]

Although I have not used tracphone almost all cell phones have a way to tell it to use wifi instead of the cell plan.

I use Tracfone, and even at the base phone and account level, you can use WiFi.

What the base accounts do NOT let you do is hotspot.

OP...you'll have to check your account details regarding hotspot functionality.

 

[Lafong]

@bill001g:

Thank you for your continued support.

My network knowledge is near zero. One PC household. No wireless. No mobile phones. No network ever in my lifetime beyond an Ethernet connection to the Internet via Cox.

My wireless knowledge is near zero due to always having been on Ethernet and never having owned a mobile phone.

My 8 year old PC motherboard does NOT have wifi capability.

I have been told (elsewhere) in words of one syllable that I need "wifi" to receive "data" on my phone at home IF I don't want to use the Tracfone plan to receive that data. I don't want to receive data via Tracfone plan at home due to it being limited to 1.5 g per year and I might need that 1.5 on rare occasions when I am not home.

You say "You do not need a wifi nic for your pc unless you want one. The ethernet will always be superior. The phone will connect to your router not your pc. It should be as simple as turning on the wifi and selecting your wifi network and putting in your password."

For all I know, you are absolutely correct and all I need at home is my wireless capable router.

Others have said no, I need a USB adapter precisely because my motherboard does not support wireless.

My TP-Link router does have wifi capability and I have it turned on within the router's software I believe at 192.whatever it is I can't recall.

I know the SSIDs on the router. I know the PIN/password on the router.

But I have no wireless devices to connect to it to confirm anything and won't till the phone arrives within a week.

I certainly would never buy a wireless adapter if I in fact did not need one and can rely exclusively on my wireless-capable TP-Link router.

So, confusion continues to reign because I get conflicting advice.

Looking forward to re-assurance of some kind while the phone is in transit.

 

[Lafong]

I use Tracfone, and even at the base phone and account level, you can use WiFi.

What the base accounts do NOT let you do is hotspot.

OP...you'll have to check your account details regarding hotspot functionality.

@USAFRet

I have never even touched a smart phone. Literally.

I don't know a hotspot from Adam.

So, I have no idea if I need one or would even appreciate one.

I know I can use wireless with a Tracfone plan.

The primary question at the moment is the hardware requirements.

My Asrock Z170M Extreme 4 board doesn't support wireless as far as I know. Bill above implies it doesn't need to and I can use wireless via my router ALONE without any adapters.

All I want to do is be able to use a Samsung phone, almost entirely at home. No other devices involved beyond my PC and router and maybe a wireless adapter.

No gaming, minimal use; no streaming; needed primarily for emergencies if my Internet connection is otherwise unavailable.

I will have an ordinary Tracfone data plan: 1500 phone minutes, 1500 texts, 1.5 gb of data. All of that per year, not per month. I want to avoid using that 1.5 as much as possible and instead receive the data over wireless outside of the Tracfone plan after configging the phone to go along with that.

The phone is allegedly unlockable after 60 days and I may or may not unlock it. With any luck, I will stay with Tracfone at least for the first year.

Hope you better understand the situation and can further advise me.

 

[USAFRet]

In your house, wireless is between your PC and the router.
Or phone and the router.

TracFone does not come into it.

Outboard of that, is whatever ISP you have.

I will have an ordinary Tracfone data plan: 1500 phone minutes, 1500 texts, 1.5 gb of data. All of that per year, not per month. I want to avoid using that 1.5 as much as possible.

I have that same plan.
Done right, it works out to $7.50/month.

Again, your phone will connect tot he router no problem, and do its thing via WiFi.
Only when you are out of range of your router do you use text/minutes/data.

 

[Lafong]

In your house, wireless is between your PC and the router.
Or phone and the router.

TracFone does not come into it.

Outboard of that, is whatever ISP you have.


I have that same plan.
Done right, it works out to $7.50/month.

Again, your phone will connect tot he router no problem, and do its thing via WiFi.
Only when you are out of range of your router do you use text/minutes/data.

@USAFRet

Thanks USAF.

My ISP is Cox, via coaxial cable. 90 a month. No cable TV.


You say "Outboard of that, is whatever ISP you have."

I have no idea what that implies in the context of my situation.

Tell me point blank: do I need a wireless adapter of any type? Plenty have told me I do because my motherboard doesn't support wireless.

 

[bill001g]

You currently hook your pc to the router with a ethernet cable....correct.

If this is true you do not need wifi on your pc.

You would need wifi on your pc if for example the router was downstairs and you could not run a ethernet cable to the room. You would have use wifi instead of a cable. It is still a connection to the router just via radio waves.

Your phone is completely seperate. You could have just a phone and no pc at all and your phone could access the internet via its wifi to connect to your router.

 

[Lafong]

You currently hook your pc to the router with a ethernet cable....correct.

If this is true you do not need wifi on your pc.

Your phone is completely seperate. You could have just a phone and no pc at all and your phone could access the internet via its wifi to connect to your router.

@bill001g

Yes.

Traditional network cable from NIC port on PC to a TP-Link WDR3600 wireless capable router that is now connected only by Ethernet, but with its "wireless radios" enabled.

I think I understand you, but correct me if any of the following is wrong:

For my purposes of downloading data to a Samsung smart phone WITHOUT using the 1.5 gb data allotment on my Tracfone plan, I do NOT need wireless capability on my motherboard, nor do I need any type of wireless adapter. All I need is a properly configured wireless capable router to which I will connect the phone. My PC could drop dead and I could still download the data to the phone.

Is there anything in wrong in that paragraph?

I have no wireless devices as of this moment.

Is there any way to test my wireless router capability as it is now configured before the phone arrives?

I am wondering if I pull the network cable between PC and router and reboot, will Windows "auto-detect" my allegedly configured router and give me a working Internet connection without Ethernet? If it fails, then shut down and reconnect the cable and reboot.

I'm a little reluctant to do that because I have NO other access to this forum or the net at large.

 

[bill001g]

Your paragraph is correct.

You can't test without a wifi device of some kind. It is not likely a large issue. You can log into the router using your ethernet and confirm the wifi is configured the way you think it is and is activated. Wifi tends to be on by default and use SSID and passwords that are set at the factory. You can change this if you do want them to be different.

In general it just works. There are many people that do not have a pc and only use phones/tablets etc on wifi and it works out of the box.

If you goal is to test the wifi you could buy the USB nic for your pc.

Although it is not recommended you can have both the USB wifi connected and the ethernet. What it does "mostly" is if both are connected it will use the ethernet. If you unplug the ethernet it will switch over to the wifi...with a tiny outage but you do not have to reboot. When you plug the ethernet back in it will switch back to the ethernet. This is pretty much how most laptops work unless you were to turn off their wifi radios. When it works it is almost magic you do not have to reboot or do anything.

It mostly works very well but the reason it is not recommended is sometime it is too smart and will try to really use both and send some traffic over the ethernet and other over wifi. You get cases where traffic goes out the wifi and back on the ethernet. Causes all kinds of strange performance issues. It is always best if you are using ethernet to not have the wifi active which in your case you could just unplug the wifi USB adapter.

 

[Lafong]

Your paragraph is correct.

You can't test without a wifi device of some kind. It is not likely a large issue. You can log into the router using your ethernet and confirm the wifi is configured the way you think it is and is activated. Wifi tends to be on by default and use SSID and passwords that are set at the factory. You can change this if you do want them to be different.

In general it just works. There are many people that do not have a pc and only use phones/tablets etc on wifi and it works out of the box.

If you goal is to test the wifi you could buy the USB nic for your pc.

Although it is not recommended you can have both the USB wifi connected and the ethernet. What it does "mostly" is if both are connected it will use the ethernet. If you unplug the ethernet it will switch over to the wifi...with a tiny outage but you do not have to reboot. When you plug the ethernet back in it will switch back to the ethernet. This is pretty much how most laptops work unless you were to turn off their wifi radios. When it works it is almost magic you do not have to reboot or do anything.

It mostly works very well but the reason it is not recommended is sometime it is too smart and will try to really use both and send some traffic over the ethernet and other over wifi. You get cases where traffic goes out the wifi and back on the ethernet. Causes all kinds of strange performance issues. It is always best if you are using ethernet to not have the wifi active which in your case you could just unplug the wifi USB adapter.

Thanks Bill.

I have already logged into the router via ethernet at TPLinkwifi.net and confirmed that "Wireless radio" on both Wireless 2.4 ghz and Wireless 5 ghz are shown as enabled.

In both cases, the WDS Status is shown as disabled. I hope that is normal or irrelevant for my purposes, but I don't know what it signifies.

I'm willing to simply wait for the phone to test anything.

I'd rather not complicate things with that USB wireless adapter or any other adapters and just use the phone via wireless on the router, while the PC uses ethernet on the router.

Correct me if I'm wrong: I assume that your warnings about ethernet in the last 2 paragraphs of your post would apply only if I were to simultaneously have a USB wireless adapter plugged into a USB port, which I do not anticipate.

I hope you are NOT saying that I will have issues with using the PC via the ethernet connections on the router and simultaneously having phone capability via the wireless section of the router. I certainly would not want to have to disconnect or disable one in order to use the other and would hope that both would be fully capable at any time.

Thanks again.

 

[lantis3]

You are thinking too much. KISS. If you have wired ethernet, then why use wifi? If you have cable TV, will you still want OTA TV?

Wired network is always better than wifi since wifi signal strength will always fluctuate through out 24/7, everyday but wired ethernet will not. That's a fact. What @bill001g said in the last two paragraphs was also true.

Use wifi only when you are absolutely necessarily to. No need to buy a wifi adapter unless you want to have a backup.

If you do buy a wifi adapter, using PC's wifi and smartphone's wifi at the same time will not affect each other unless one of the devices uses up all of the bandwidth, but that's very, very unlikely.

 

[Lafong]

If you have wired ethernet, then why use wifi? If you have cable TV, will you still want OTA TV?

Why? To download data to a smart phone without using the smart phone's data plan?

I have no intention of using wifi for my PC.

I don't have cable TV.

I already have OTA TV via PC to monitor.

 

[lantis3]

Why? To download data to a smart phone without using the smart phone's data plan?

I have no intention of using wifi for my PC.

I don't have cable TV.

I already have OTA TV via PC to monitor.

If you have no intention of using wifi for my PC then why asking the wifi question over and over?

I just use TV as analogy. And aren't you trying to avoid using smartphone's data plan?

I'll let other people to answer your any further questions.

 

[Lafong]

I'll let other people to answer your any further questions.

Thank you.

 

[bill001g]

WDS is a feature used for so called "mesh"/repeater systems. Does not apply at all to you.

There is another feature called WPS that you should also check to see if it disabled. This is a feature used for stupid "smart" devices...like wireless lightbulbs. You can not put a password in so they use WPS but there are major security flaw so you should disable it. Depends on the router some it is enable and other it is disabled by default.

BUT to start with I would ignore all this stuff and get your phone working properly. Then you can change stuff. With the default settings it should work very easily.

Routers are smart you can have devices connected to the 2.4g, 5g radios and ethernet. They can all run at different speeds and everything just works.

 

[Lafong]

WDS is a feature used for so called "mesh"/repeater systems. Does not apply at all to you.

There is another feature called WPS that you should also check to see if it disabled. This is a feature used for stupid "smart" devices...like wireless lightbulbs. You can not put a password in so they use WPS but there are major security flaw so you should disable it. Depends on the router some it is enable and other it is disabled by default.

BUT to start with I would ignore all this stuff and get your phone working properly. Then you can change stuff. With the default settings it should work very easily.

Routers are smart you can have devices connected to the 2.4g, 5g radios and ethernet. They can all run at different speeds and everything just works.

I found WPS tab in router's configuration.

"wifi protected setup"

It was enabled.

Changed it to disabled.

Did not change anything else.

Waiting on phone.

Will post back here if I cannot get phone working at all.

Thanks, Bill.