Top Rated Wireless Network Extenders: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ideal Wi-Fi Adapters

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• We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our pick for the best USB Wi-Fi adapter.

Choosing the right Wi-Fi adapter can upgrade a subpar wireless connection to one that rivals an Ethernet connection . Whether you need to upgrade your laptop Wi-Fi or add wireless capabilities to your desktop tower, we’ve picked out the best adapters for you.

UPDATE: 01/18/2024

We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our pick for the best USB Wi-Fi adapter.

ASUS PCE-AXE58BT

Best Wi-Fi Adapter Overall
$60 at Amazon

TP-Link Archer T3U Plus

Best Budget Wi-Fi Adapter
$20 at Amazon

• 
  
  Netgear

Netgear Nighthawk A8000

Best USB Wi-Fi Adapter
$79 at Amazon

TP-Link Archer TXE75E

Best Wi-Fi Adapter for Gaming
$45 at Amazon

D-Link DWA-181

Best Small Wi-Fi Adapter
$22 at Amazon

What to Look for in a Wi-Fi Adapter in 2024

Wi-Fi adapters look like relatively simple devices, but as you start to look at available adapters, you quickly learn that there are many configurations available. Some are tiny external adapters that are easy to pack with a laptop, others require opening up your PC tower to install, while others still have multiple antennas to get the best signal possible. What should you look for to get the right Wi-Fi adapter for you?

The first thing to consider is which wireless standards a Wi-Fi adapter is designed to work with. If you have a Wi-Fi 6 router, it makes sense to get a Wi-Fi adapter that also supports Wi-Fi 6. A Wi-Fi adapter that only supports up to Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) will work, but it won’t take full advantage of the newer and faster wireless standard.

Additionally, Beamforming and MIMO (Multi-input, Multi-output) are designed to improve wireless networking performance. They usually go hand-in-hand, and compatibility with both is desirable in any modern Wi-Fi adapter.

Beamforming is a way of focusing a wireless signal towards a single receiving device, making connections faster and more reliable, while MIMO allows multiple antennas to be used as both transmitter and receiver. MU-MIMO (Multi-user, Multi-input, Multi-output) is the same but allows multiple devices to use MIMO simultaneously.

Just remember that both MIMO and beamforming are router-based technologies. If your router does not provide them, your Wi-Fi adapter can’t use them.

If you use a Windows desktop PC, you have the widest choice of Wi-Fi adapters. You can choose either an external USB adapter you can quickly plug in or a PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) card adapter, which must be installed inside your PC’s case.

Internal PCIe Wi-Fi adapters can achieve much higher potential speeds than USB Wi-Fi adapters. This is due to the limits to the data transfer rate that USB has. The introduction of USB 3.0 helped, as did the updates to 3.1 and 3.2, but data transfer rates still fall short of the upper limits of PCIe. Of course, if you decide on a PCIe adapter, you have to be comfortable with opening up your computer to install it.

Mac users have fewer choices when buying a Wi-Fi adapter, but there are still some good options out there. Most of our picks listed here that connect via USB will work with macOS, but make sure to check for compatibility before purchasing.

Finding a Wi-Fi adapter that will work reliably with Linux is another matter. Several of the adapters we looked at promised Linux compatibility—but often not for modern versions of the Linux kernel—and feedback from users is mixed on whether those promises are met in real life. As such, we don’t recommend any Linux adapters below.

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Best Wi-Fi Adapter Overall: ASUS PCE-AXE58BT

ASUS

The PCE-AXE58BT is ASUS’ flagship PCIe Wi-Fi adapter that uses Intel’s AX210 Wi-Fi chip. This Wi-Fi solution features Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E support, offers tri-band coverage—2.4GHz, 5GHz, and the Wi-Fi 6E-exclusive 6GHz band—and comes with blazing-fast speeds.

While the 2.4GHz data rate isn’t the fastest around, topping out at 574Mbps, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E transfer speeds can go up to 2402Mbps per ASUS , which is impressive. That’s plenty even for downloading massive AAA games, streaming 4K videos, and any other use case you might have.

Alongside Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, you’re also getting Bluetooth 5.2, which is a pretty cool bonus. The card slots into a PCIe x1 slot, and it comes with two external antennas with gold-plated connectors , which should provide pretty solid coverage.

The ASUS PCE-AXE58BT also comes with OFDMA and MU-MIMO support, just don’t forget that your router has to support those features for them to work. The installation process is quite simple, with the only catch being that you have to install the latest drivers for the AX210 chip to use Wi-Fi 6E features.

You can install Intel Driver & Support Assistant (Intel DSA) or manually download drivers for the AX210 chip from Intel’s website . We recommend the former option since the Intel DSA utility will automatically download and install necessary drivers and keep your drivers up to date in case a new driver update comes out.

Another thing to look out for is to disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features in BIOS before installing the PCE-AXE58BT, in case your PC has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. If you don’t perform this step, you’re likely to be met with the good old BSOD (blue screen of death) upon turning on your PC after installing the adapter. Note that this issue mars most Wi-Fi adapters. Even if you get some other adapter on this list, make sure not to skip this step.

Talking about negatives, aside from the high price, the Wi-Fi 6E features that include using the 6GHz band only work on Windows 11 . This is on Microsoft since the company offers Wi-Fi 6E support only on Windows 11. If you’re still on Windows 10, think about getting the ASUS USB-AC68 , our pick for the best USB Wi-Fi adapter. Our Best Wi-Fi Adapter for Gaming is another excellent alternative, but again, its Wi-Fi 6E features only work on Windows 11.

Best Wi-Fi Adapter Overall

ASUS PCE-AXE58BT

$60 $80 Save $20

Excellent Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E adapter that also features Bluetooth 5.2. With lightning-fast data rates, OFDMA and MU-MIMO support, as well as good wireless coverage thanks to its dual antennas, the ASUS PCE-AXE58BT is the best Wi-Fi adapter you can get.

$60 at Amazon See at adorama

Best Budget Wi-Fi Adapter: TP-Link Archer T3U Plus

TP-Link

The Archer T3U Plus from TP-Link, at around twenty dollars, is something of a marvel. It is not only small and easily portable, but it is also impressively competent for the low price point. As a cheap way to add Wi-Fi to your computer, this little adapter is hard to beat.

Of course, a Wi-Fi adapter this inexpensive won’t be great at maintaining high data transfer speeds for gaming or dealing with large files. The T3U is rated as AC1300, meaning potential maximum speeds of 867Mbps on 5GHz and 400Mbps on 2.4GHz. While these speeds aren’t bad at all, if you’re looking to do hardcore gaming, you’ll need something more robust .

It has a single external antenna that can be adjusted to get the best possible coverage, and the Archer T3U Plus fully supports MU-MIMO. This helps that single antenna work as effectively as possible, even on a crowded Wi-Fi network.

The range is not as good as other USB adapters on this list, and you don’t get an extension cable or a dock to help find that perfect position. That is a shame, but not unreasonable considering the price. As long as you are not too far away from the Wi-Fi source, your performance will be good.

The TP-Link Archer series of network adapters are known for providing good performance at a reasonable price. If you need a cheap Wi-Fi adapter that will allow you to do most things online with ease, the Archer T3U Plus is a fine choice.

Best Budget Wi-Fi Adapter

TP-Link Archer T3U Plus

$20 $23 Save $3

A small and portable Wi-Fi adapter that can add general use wireless networking capability to your computer for a price that definitely shouldn’t break the bank.

$20 at Amazon See at Lenovo

Best USB Wi-Fi Adapter: Netgear Nighthawk A8000

Netgear

Netgear is known for building high-quality wireless connectivity solutions, and its Nighthawk A8000 USB Wi-Fi adapter is no exception. It’s a fantastic offering that adds Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity to your computer. Thanks to its USB connector, it’s almost plug-and-play and much easier to get up and running than a PCIe-based upgrade.

Being Wi-Fi 6E ready, it comes with all three wireless bands, 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz, and will have no trouble connecting to any router, access point, or mesh system. It’s also backward-compatible.

This adapter works best with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (aka USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 Gen 1 ) or newer USB port, but it can function with a USB 2.0 port, albeit with reduced performance.

It tops out at 1200Mbps in terms of raw speeds due to the lack of support for the 160MHz channel width. But still, it’s perfect for any sub-gigabit internet connection.

In other highlights, the A8000 is about the size of an Amazon Fire TV Stick and features a flappable antenna to get a better signal and range. Netgear also ships a cradle with the adapter for ease of placement.

Moreover, it delivers excellent performance, and your computer will enjoy fast wireless internet from your router in minutes.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with macOS and lacks a bundled USB-C to USB-A adapter. Also, if your computer is running on Windows 10 , you won’t be able to use Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, but that’s not the adapter’s fault but Microsoft’s, which requires an upgrade to Windows 11 to enjoy the 6E.

If you don’t need Wi-Fi 6E support, you can consider the Archer TX21UH from TP-Link . It’s cheaper and offers similar performance, but lacks Wi-Fi 6E.

Best USB Wi-Fi Adapter

Netgear Nighthawk A8000

The Netgear Nighthawk A8000 is an impressive USB Wi-Fi adapter with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E support. It’s easy to use and perfect for sub-gigabit internet.

$79 at Amazon See at Best Buy

Best Wi-Fi Adapter for Gaming: TP-Link Archer TXE75E

TP-Link

If you want high speeds and a reliable connection from your Wi-Fi adapter, choosing a PCIe adapter card will almost always be better than a USB dongle. If you have upgraded your router to Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E , the TP-Link Archer TXE75E should be at the top of your wish list. It certainly isn’t a budget option, but it can provide data transfer speeds that will put a smile on any gamer’s face.

This adapter gives up to 574Mbps at 2.4GHz and 2402Mbps at 5GHz, and you also have access to the 6GHz channel. The third channel can also provide data transfer speeds of up to 2402Mbps, but with a much more stable connection and less network interference. You do need a Wi-Fi 6E router to see these top speeds, but it’s worth the investment if you’re a hardcore gamer.

This dual-antenna adapter can be configured in a couple of ways. You can attach the antenna directly to the card at the back of your PC or plug in the supplied extension cables and antenna base. This allows you to position the antenna for the best possible network reception, with the magnetic base helping to keep them fixed exactly where you want them.

The PCIe card itself is fitted with an advanced heatsink. This might seem like overkill for a Wi-Fi adapter, but the card can quickly get hot with the amount of data potentially being transferred. The heatsink and the gold-plated connectors , helps to ensure smooth and stable performance for even those extended gaming sessions.

Alongside adding high-speed Wi-Fi to your computer, the Archer TXE75E also adds Bluetooth 5.2 . Bluetooth 5 is more than twice as fast, has four times the range, and can transfer much more data than Bluetooth 4.

Version 5.2 adds audio improvements such as higher quality audio at a lower power cost, and multiple synchronized data streams. You might not be too concerned about adding faster Bluetooth to your PC, but even so, it is a nice feature.

As Wi-Fi 6E becomes more common and supported by more devices, the number of Wi-Fi adapters that can make use of it will increase. If you have one of the latest routers in your home—or are planning to upgrade soon—it would be a shame to let an old or slow Wi-Fi adapter create a speed bottleneck.

Best Wi-Fi Adapter for Gaming

TP-Link Archer TXE75E

$45 $80 Save $35

A high-quality PCIe network adapter that allows you to enjoy the gamer-friendly high speeds, low latency and stable connection of Wi-Fi 6E.

$45 at Amazon

Best Small Wi-Fi Adapter: D-Link DWA-181

D-Link

When using a laptop, it isn’t always practical to have a large Wi-Fi adapter with a couple of antennas sticking out of the side. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t give your network connection a boost, as there are several micro Wi-Fi adapters available that are barely visible when they are plugged in. Our favorite is the D-Link DWA-181 .

This tiny device is about as fast as micro Wi-Fi adapters get, providing speeds of up to 400Mbps on 2.4GHz and nearly 900Mbps on the 5GHz channel. If you have an older laptop, this should be a significant speed boost when compared to the internal Wi-Fi chip. These are even reasonable general Internet use speeds if you want to use the adapter to add Wi-Fi connectivity to a desktop.

The lack of an external antenna does restrict the potential coverage range. This is lessened by the addition of MU-MIMO and beamforming, but don’t expect the DWA-181 to provide the same range performance as you might get from an adapter with multiple antennas . These small Wi-Fi adapters just don’t have room for a large, efficient internal antenna, so this is not a problem exclusive to this device.

Compatibility is another point in the D-Link adapter’s favor. It is fully compatible with several versions of Windows and macOS and advertises support for version 5.6.1.5 of the Linux kernel, too. Alongside its small size, this makes it a great option for anyone wanting to upgrade the Wi-Fi capabilities of a Raspberry Pi or other single-board computer.

The final thing worth mentioning is the price. The DWA-181 is available for $20. This makes it cheap enough to be bought as a backup adapter, making it ideal for keeping in a laptop bag in case of a Wi-Fi emergency.

If you are prepared to put up with an adapter that is a little bit bigger, some available offer slightly better performance, including this AC1300 adapter from Cudy . But as a combination of tiny size, performance, and price, the D-Link DWA-181 is hard to beat.

Best Small Wi-Fi Adapter

D-Link DWA-181

Small, but perfectly formed, this micro Wi-Fi adapter will allow you to add AC1300 wireless networking to your computer without getting in your way.

$22 at Amazon See at macys

FAQ

What does a Wi-Fi adapter do?

A Wi-Fi adapter is a nifty little component that grants your laptop or desktop PC wireless connection capability.Aside from Wi-Fi, most Wi-Fi adapters also come with Bluetooth. Wi-Fi adapters connect to your PC either via a PCIe port or a USB port.

How do you reset a Wi-Fi adapter?

To reset a Wi-Fi adapter on Windows 10 and Windows 11, click the “Start” button and then click on Settings, Network, Internet, Status Change Adapter Options.Once you click on the “Change Adapter Options” button locate your network adapter, right-click on its icon and then click on “Disable.” After you disable it, right-click on its icon again and then click on “Enable.” That should do the trickIf you’re still facing Wi-Fi issues, check our guides on how to reset your entire network , how to use Windows troubleshoot features , and how to diagnose network connection issues with Windows command line utilities ,

Are there Wi-Fi adapters for smart TVs?

If we’re talking about regular PCIe or USB Wi-Fi adapters featured in this guide then no, there aren’t any.Samsung offered proprietary USB Wi-Fi adapters for some of its TVs back in the day but nowadays, the company doesn’t offer them anymore.Also, while you can find wireless repeaters online that can grant your TV Wi-Fi capability, those aren’t Wi-Fi adapters.

Does a Wi-Fi adapter have its own MAC address?

Every piece of hardware connected to your local network has a MAC address , including your Wi-Fi adapter. To find out the MAC address of your Wi-Fi adapter, read our guide on the subject .

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