I bought this portable USB WIFI adapter to help with a computer that was located in a corner of the house which did not receive a good wifi signal. This unit definitely helped and this computer is now getting a better signal. I bought a used version of this wifi adapter as a new unit was too expensive for my liking. Overall, I would recommend this unit at the used price point, I am neutral about its price point as a new unit. Here are some of my observations:
PROS: The unit does help increase week wifi signals. I can’t tell how much definitely but my signal level increased about two bars. The unit is stable with no signal breaks or drop offs. The unit is larger than most portable wifi units that I have used in the past. With its base, I would not use this unit at a coffee shop as it is very obvious and large. However, without its base, you can connect the unit directly to your laptop with no obvious issues. The base unit also has magnets which you can use to position it on a metal surface if you have one. The unit’s driver, which was described as rather large in the comments section, is divided into two types. One type is standalone and a complete suite. I just used the standalone and it worked just fine with no issues noted thus far. The installation was relatively simple with no hang ups noted. Thus far, I have encountered no issues with this unit.
CONS: The unit is larger than most. If you use the base, it will use a portion of your desktop that otherwise would be vacant. Not a big issue if you have a normal desk; however, if you are in cramped quarters just be aware. I wish they provided a longer cord for the base unit and made the chord a little thinner; although, not a significant issue thus far. The unit is not plug and play. You have to download the driver, its in a zip format, then decide what driver unit you want to use. It has a standalone and a suite format. I just used the standalone and it worked fine, for me not an issue, but some may find it confusing. The unit uses USB 3 or 2, but for best performance you have to have a USB 3 port open. For some laptops, this may be an issue, especially if you have other devices already attached to the laptop. I use this unit on a desktop so I don’t have this issue.
I have used this unit continuously for about two weeks thus far with no issues noted. Thus far, it works as advertised.
| Wireless Type | 801.11ac |
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