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UPDATED: August 21, 2013 (Update section below)
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Installed January 14, 2011 and still excellent.
Here's my take on the TP-Link TL-WN722N Wireless USB Adapter:
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POSITIVES:
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** It really, really works like mad. ** I get constant download speeds of 12Mbps+, which is close the the max of my internet bandwidth.
- It's very cheap cost-wise for the great performance it gives you
- It's small(ish), though it will look big connected to your laptop
- Comes with a 3' USB extension cable which I definitely recommend using. It helps position the device, and keeps it from crowding your laptop or from being destroyed by being knocked out of your PC's front USB port.
- Has a diffused green LED under the white plastic to let you know it's working, instead of the blinding blue LEDs that everyone uses these days. The light turns off when it's not powered (like when you hit Standby on your PC). NOTE: It's still annoying in a dark room when I'm trying to sleep, but a few post-it notes helps that.
- The software is relatively simple to install and use, and allows you to use other products to manage your WiFi instead.
- The current driver, software, and documents come on a mini CD and are all up to date with what's available on TP-Link's web site
- The documentation is good, but it could use some more detail.
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MINOR NEGATIVES:
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- The TP-LINK Wireless Client Utility is functional but could be more intuitive. A configuration "wizard" would be a good improvement for manual configs. (It has been updated as of Jan 5, 2012 - see below)
- Manual configuration (which you need if your network is securely hidden and requires a pass code) isn't well-documented, though you will be able to get it to work with the document, and maybe a little trial and error. If your setup is totally open security-wise (this would be BAD), you will have no problem with the software.
- Even if the driver is installed incorrectly, the client utility may report enough information to make you think it is installed. When in doubt, do a complete removal of the software and drivers and re-install.
- The QSS software that comes with the device is ONLY usable with other TP-Link products. Don't bother installing it unless you have a TP-Link Router/Access Point that has QSS built in. (As of the client update on Jan. 5, 2012, it appears to be installed automatically)
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UPDATED 08-21-2013
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Nothing new to add! This thing still rocks. No news is good new, right?
Thank you everyone who chose to mark my review helpful!
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UPDATED 01-23-2012
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- I've kept track, and this device has worked well even with interference from Coronal Mass Ejections from the sun (sunspot activity), though I have noticed that the performance decreases (could be other things along that long internet path, as well).
- I now have a TP-Link TL-WA901ND 2.0 Access Point, which this device works well with. Unfortunately is does NOT connect at the advertised "150Mbps" potential speed when it's configured to do so, but I never really expected it to. My max internet connection of 13Mbps is far below that high rating, anyway.
- The latest WiFi utility for this device is up on TP-Link's web site as of Jan. 5, 2012, and I'm a bit disappointed with it. On the plus side, it is probably simpler to use - which is a good thing for most users, but it's been dumbed down to remove all of the extra connection info power users like me appreciate. The message windows are also annoying and the English grammar is sometimes embarrassingly wrong. It also looks a bit cheesy compared to the previous utility version. At least it works well.
- It is difficult to tell if the actual hardware drivers have been updated, because software info on the page for this device is really incomplete. It looks like they are not updated since I originally posted this review.
- I still benefit from disconnecting and reconnecting the device once in a great while, but the problem that causes the lowered performance could be my PC, the access point, or electromagnetic interference. Hard to say.
- To date, 4 people were helpless in the face of my review - maybe it put them to sleep. Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to click "Yes".
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My installation experience
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A friend of mine needed a WiFi adapter since she moved to a location that wasn't wired, so I recommended this to her based on the great reviews it's received. She successfully and easily installed this device on her work laptop, and was extremely impressed with it's ability to drag a much better signal out of the almost inaccessible 802.11n WiFi router located down stairs, the signal of which is blocked by many walls and turns.
She also needed to install the device on her personal PC. Unfortunately we spent hours over chat trying to get it installed and working, and FINALLY got it done after completely removing the software and drivers that she had installed, and then reinstalling those drivers with my guidance. It was only at this point that she said, "Oh yeah, I kind of passed over that part" where XP asks for confirmation to install an unsigned driver. AHHHHHHH! Well, now it works. :) The signal is not fantastic, but it's 4 times better than it used to be (for her laptop) and is good enough for her PC. It definitely works. So one lesson for you is: Please do yourself a favor, and let your operating system install the driver properly. ;)
The night I helped my friend with her WiFi, I received and installed my own TL-WN722N adapter, to help her through the install process and to replace the D-Link 4300 router I was using as a WiFi receiver (firmware v1.8 has bridging).
After installing this little thing and adjusting the antenna, I got download speeds almost twice as fast as before to the aging Linksys 802.11b-only wifi router downstairs. I then spent some time replacing that Linksys device with the D-Link 4300, turned on Super-G, and got almost 13Mbit down and 1.7Mbit up, which is more than four times what I was getting before on download and upload. The download speed varies between 8Mb-12Mb - it probably hits 12mb because of Super-G infringing on other people's signal space :P - but the upload speed has been really constant at 1.7Mb or so since I installed it, even to the Linksys router. The download speed is almost as good as I can get by plugging in a 75' network cable directly to the router.
So this little thing really rocks!
FYI, DSL Reports has an excellent set of speed reporting tools, as well as info on increasing network equipment and WiFi performance. Check it out! I'd enter a link, but Amazon would probably only delete it.
That's it, another novel for my reviews. I'll update this over time if anything new happens...
There is a newer model of this item:
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From the manufacturer
N150 High Gain USB Adapter
Stable Wireless Connection Ensure Your Surfing Experience
Wireless N USB Adapter TL-WN722N allows you to connect a desktop or notebook computer to a wireless network and access high-speed internet connection. It provides wireless speed of up to 150Mbps, which is beneficial for the online gaming or even video streaming.
High Gain Detachable Antenna for Maximized Range
TL-WN722N has one high-gain external antenna to insure stronger signal transmission and reception. This helps you to gain a stable Wi-Fi connection across your home. Moreover, the detachable antenna can be rotated and adjusted as needed to fit various operation environments.
Easy Use with a Friendly Design
Easy Setup: A friendly user interface on a CD for simple installation
WPS Button: Easy wireless security encryption at a push of the WPS button
Operating System: Supports Windows, Mac OS, Linux
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| AC1900 High Gain Dual Band USB Wi-Fi Adapter | N150 Nano Size USB Wi-Fi Adapter | AC600 High Gain Dual Band USB Wi-Fi Adapter | AC1300 High Gain Dual Band USB Wi-Fi Adapter | |
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| Customer Reviews |
2,584
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112,359
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1,045
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721
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| Price | — | $9.99 | — | — |
| Maximum Wireless Speed | Combined Up to 1900Mbps | Up to 150Mbps | Combined Up to 600Mbps | Combined Up to 1300Mbps |
| Wireless Technology | 11AC Dual Band | 11N | 11AC Dual Band | 11AC Dual Band |
| Connection Speed | Best | Good | Better | Better |
| Connection Range | Best | Good | Better | Better |
| WPS Button | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Antenna Type | High Performance Foldable Antenna | High Performance Internal Antenna | High Performance External Antenna | High Performance Foldable Antenna |
| USB Extension Cable | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Compatible with Windows and Mac OS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
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This Item  TP-Link Nano USB Wifi Dongle 150Mbps High Gain Wireless Network Adapter for PC Desktop and Laptops. Supports Win10/8.1/8/7/XP Linux 2.6.18-4.4.3, Mac OS 10.9-10.15 (TL-WN722N) | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | — | $14.99 | $27.99 | $13.99 | $16.99 | -8% $11.95 List: $12.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Dec 31 | Get it as soon as Saturday, Dec 28 | Get it as soon as Saturday, Dec 28 | Get it as soon as Saturday, Dec 28 | Get it as soon as Saturday, Dec 28 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Skybess Direct | Panther One | Zbtlink INC | Zonglian | EDUP Store |
| data transfer rate | 150 megabits per second | 1200 megabytes per second | 433 megabytes per second | 650 megabytes per second | 1300 megabits per second | 600 megabits per second |
| data link protocol | USB, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b | Wi-Fi, USB | IEEE 802.11ac | USB | IEEE 802.11ac, RTL8812BU | USB |
| hardware interface | usb2.0 | usb2.0 | usb | usb2.0 | usb3.0, 802 11 acbgn | usb |
| operating system | Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP (32/64bits), Mac OS 10.9~10.13, Linux 2.6.18~4.4.3 | Windows Vista, Windows 10, Windows XP | Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10, MX LInux, Manjaro, Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Lubuntu, OpenSUSE, RedHat, Fedora, CentOS, Kali Linux, Raspbian | Windows Vista, Windows XP | 8 . 1,Linux,Mac Os,Vista,Windows 10 | Windows 10/11/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista /Mac OS X 10.6~10.15.3 |
Works Great and Excellent Reception
I purchased this for my recent replacement Dell, refurbished desktop for the man-cave (enclosed patio). The Linksys wireless-G router is about 35 feet away in the office/3rd br. Reception has to occur through a concrete wall and interior wall. I am consistently getting a "good" to "excellent" signal according to the wireless app on Windows. I think the high-gain antenna helps a lot.The entire installation took less then 5 minutes for hardware and software. The software installation self-configured and automatically connected to my WEP-Personal wireless network after I entered the encryption key. This was one of the easiest setups compared to the other TP-Link, mini USB adapter I had purchased for our old laptop a few weeks earlier. That took almost an hour to manually configure. However, that laptop was running XP whereas the refurbished desktop is running Vista.This past weekend I watched several movies on Amazon Prime. Except for the occasional buffering issues, I was quite satisfied. I'll have to try our Netflix streaming service this weekend. Internet web-pages are fast and problem-free. This is a very decent, inexpensive product.
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