Best 802.11ac usb adapter?

Looking for some guidance here... I need a USB adapter to "test" and demonstrate the 3700 802.11ac AP's in front of customers and I want something that is going to give me the best throughput possible... but also be reliable.
I know I will need to be in close proximity of the AP and I know that I would get better throughput with an internal wireless adapter but one of the requirements is that i need to demo with a USB adapter.
What have you guys used and what would you recommend I use or stay away from?
Thanks in advance!

Ended up purchasing a Rosewill AC1200UBE 2.4/5GHz USB3.0 adapter on Amazon ~$40
The adapter specs state "Data Rates of up to 300Mbps" for 2.4GHz and "up to 867Mbps" for 5GHz
Testing between that and another laptop, through a Meraki MR34 showed actual throughput of 400Mbps from 10 feet away and just shy of 300Mbps 2 (drywall) offices away with the door closed. 25-30 feet down the hall in our office building I got about 175-185mbps throughput.
Not too bad, considering it's only rated for a Data Rate of 867Mbps and not the full 1.3Gbps. I'm guessing the adapter only supports 2 spatial streams.
Anyway... just thought I'd throw that info out there in case anyone can use it.
Attached is a snapshot from DUMeter running on the laptop with the wireless card. DU Meter running on the laptop that the traffic generator was pointing toward also showed the same results.

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Will a 802.11ac USB adapter work on IdeaPad U530?

I recently purchased an IdeaPad U530. Around the same time, I purchased a NetGear Nighthawk AC 1900 Dual Ban (R7000) router. All of my other devices connect no problem to the 5ghz wifi network from the router. I realized the 5ghz band didn't show up on my U530, but the 2.4 ghz network appears.
I did some investigation and found my new Lenovo laptop has a 7260 b/g/n card. I thought, "That will be a simple fix, I will just replace it with an AC card." Then I read:
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/IdeaPad-Y-U-V-Z-and-P-series/IdeaPad-u530-upgrade-to-802-11ac/td-p/13106...
and
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/General-Discussion/WWAN-and-wireless-card-BIOS-whitelists-Lenovo-COME-O...
That was when I "unhappily" learned about Lenovo's "whitelists" for the first time. I'm shocked that in 2014 I simply can't replace the wifi card in a laptop. Had I learned about this sooner, the Lenovo would have gone back to BestBuy on principle.
I'm a basic user and I don't have the technical skill or time to deal with flashing BIOS, etc. . . so I have three questions.
1. Will the Lenovo U530 allow me to use one of the 802.11ac USB adapters?
2. Any recommendations on which USB adapter to use?
3. Do I have to deactivate the Intel 7260 card before using the USB adapter? If so, how do I do that?
Thanks!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

1. Will the Lenovo U530 allow me to use one of the 802.11ac USB adapters?
IMHO why not? I use a usb dual wifi adapter myself although it's only a,b,g,n. It is more efficient than the built-in card.
2. Any recommendations on which USB adapter to use?
Try going to Netgear's site and look for an AC dual band usb adapter to match your Netgear AC router.
3. Do I have to deactivate the Intel 7260 card before using the USB adapter? If so, how do I do that?
To avoid getting the system confused and make the setup of the usb adapter easier I think you can disable wifi in the bios. You will still have bluetooth functioning.

Using 802.11ac USB adapter on Mid 2010 Mac Mini Server

I recently read an article about the 802.11ac connection and it mentioned if you use a USB adapter on a USB 2.0 connection you will lose much of the intended speed. Does anyone know if there is a way around this, like a FireWire USB adapter or is it possible to install a USB 3.0 port on my Mac Mini?
I looked at my PHY Link Speed in the Network Utility and it matches the 802.11 Adapter specifications of 867 Mbit/s.

Hardware Overview:
Model Name:          Mac mini
Model Identifier:          Macmini4,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.66 GHz
Number of Processors:          1
Total Number of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          3 MB
Memory:          8 GB
Bus Speed:          1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version:          MM41.0042.B03
SMC Version (system):          1.65f2
Serial Number (system):
Hardware UUID:          7BF77715-AB79-5101-86D0-5ED301D18E8
Thanks

Broadcom 802.11ac Network Adapter Drivers

Hi, I believe the drivers for my network adapter could be out of date and I am unable to find anywhere to download the drivers, would anyone be able to direct me to where I can download drivers for the Broadcom 802.11ac Network Adapter found in my Alienware 18 laptop, it would be greatly appreciated.
Current Driver;
Network Adapter : Broadcom 802.11ac Network Adapter
Driver Version : 6.30.95.48
Driver Date : 05/03/2013
Thanks, Depo.

Add me to the list of people with issues with the Broadcom 802.11ac... I have two identical Alienware 17s, one suffers from constant Wireless Adapter resets. very aggravating anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes I am discoed and then moments later reconnected.
Additionally, I have seen the major frame stutters, but I just associated that to the WLAN resetting or getting ready to.
I have tried updating Drivers, I uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled them, I have disabled and enabled the device, I have spent at least four hours on the Dell Troubleshooting pages looking for a resolution, so far nothing has resolved the issue.
I'm at the point I'm thinking it is the Broadcom 802.11ac Adapter
The second Alienware 17 has worked without a single issue.
I could use a little help on this one.

Does anybody know of an USB 802.11ac Wifi adapter that is supported by Yosemite 10.10

Ever since upgrading to Yosemite 10.10 my WiFi is slow on my 2007 IMAC. I am trying to find a USB wireless adapter that supports 802.11ac and runs at MHz. So far I cannot find anything

This one:
http://www.amazon.ca/Netis-Wireless-Compatible-Windows-WF-2120/dp/B008O2AL0K/ref =sr_1_sc_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1421193103&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=netsis+usb +wireless+adapter
The yosemite driver is here:
http://www.netis-systems.com/en/Downloads/Details/?id=74#s_33

Looking for an 802.11AC Wifi adapter for MSI GE60-0NC

I want to buy an 802.11AC Wifi module for my MSI GE60-0NC to replace the 802.11N adapter it ships with. It must be compatible with windows 8.1 (as the one it shipped with has serious issues unless I disable N and run it as a G adapter). Do not want to use an external USB adapter either. Is there a compatibility list somewhere or does anyone know of an adapter which will suit these requirements?

For my GE60-2OC i bought an Intel Centrino Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 + Bluetooth, it works perfectly.
this card need 2 antenas, (there is 2 antenas in the GE60), and just download the drivers and install Intel drivers.
http://www.ldlc.com/fiche/PB00159971.html

802.11n USB adapter in Arch

Hi,
I'm on a fully updated Arch 64b.
Just bought this http://www.tp-link.com/products/product … =TL-WN821N 802.11n USB adater which works fine under Windows.
How can I configure my Arch accordingly?
thanks

Thanks all.
lsusb confirmed chip type as:
Bus 003 Device 004: ID 0cf3:1002 Atheros Communications, Inc. TP-Link TL-WN821N v2 [Atheros AR9001U-(2)NG]
Here's a copy from terminal:
modprobe ar9170usb
[root@myhost miki]# iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
eth1 no wireless extensions.
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=20 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
I've been using KDE's network manager in the first place, yet, even after loading above module, NM still displays the interface as unavailable.
I've the latest Arch kernel -see here:
uname -a
Linux myhost 2.6.36-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Jan 8 14:15:27 CET 2011 x86_64 AMD Phenom(tm) II X6 1055T Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
Any ideas?

Wi-fi 802.11ac USB adaptor

I bought the Edimax AC450 USB Adaptor for my Macbook Air. There is a utility installed with the adaptor, but this will not open up with Yosemite. I have been able to open it on another Macbook with Mavericks, and it worked. Same problem with other wireless utilities like Railink. I have seen how some instructions can be written in into the system to allow this. Any solutions?

Yes, apparently it is a recognized problem with Yosemite with these wireless utilities. I will check again, though. I am not that much of a geek that I change instructions in the Mac, and I just sent an email to Edimax. Thanks!

Yoga 13 Wireless Fix - far better range and speed using 5G Linksys AE6000 .11ac usb nub

$60 Linksys model AE6000 802.11ac USB hub has made my Yoga 13 a useful device. Benefits are as follows, along with a quick "how to" tutorial.
Far better range from my access point (80 feet with reasonable speed on Linksys vs. 30 feet using built-in Realtek WLAN card.
Significantly faster speed 55 meg/sec using 5G, compared to stock Yoga/Realtek's 2.4 GHz-limited 14-16 meg/second download speeds - both tests done same day using Ookla Speedtest.net)
No longer crashing after resume (I suspect the crashing that began with Win 8.1 is due to driver issue)
Recognizes both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN networks (Windows 8.1 failed to recognize 5GHz signal until I backdated the Linksys WLAN driver to use Windows 7 driver).
TUTORIAL / STEPS:
Turn off (or at a minimum - review before downloating) windows updates - otherwise Win8.1/Yoga will over-write the good driver you're about to install and revert you back to slow WLAN performance. Give Microsoft 6-12 months & maybe they'll get the drivers right for their POS Win 8.1.
Create a restore point.
Download & the Windows 7 (yes, seven) drivers to a folder on your Yoga.
Then open the following folder:
C\Windows\System32\drivers
Locate the file named "netr28ux.sys" and move it to a new folder you create on your desktop (for safe keeping)
Download the Windows 7 x64 drivers for the Linksys AE6000 and the installation/setup program from the Linksys support pages here
http://support.linksys.com/en-us/support/adapters/AE6000
Extract those Win7 x64 files (including the netr28ux.sys file) into their own folder, then copy the extracted files to the
C\Windows\System32\drivers folder.
Run the Linksys AE6000's little setup utility, insert the little nub into your USB port, complete running the setup utility, type in (or select) your network, type in your password & select your encryption type, and you should be in good shape.
I turn my onboard "WLAN 1" card off using the right-swipe/charms, and the Linksys shows up as "WLAN 2" with the networks it's picking up.
CAVEATS:
The Linksys AE6000 occupies one your USB ports, but the Linksys AE6000 seems to have the smallest size (barely 1" sticking out) and was rated the fastest of its size by PC Magazine. Very good performance for .11n and .11ac environments.
This mod may not be for everyone. I was able to barely tolerate the Yoga's wireless limitations since purchasing in May, but the Win 8.1 rollout (along with what must be craptastic drivers) was the last straw. The system began behavng erratically, crashing after resume, and wireless was even worse (speed degraded to 1 meg/sec or less up and download, within an hour after a reboot).
I have not checked the impact of this nub on battery life. I suspect it may be a little worse than stock, but it may be a reasonable tradeoff for me to actually be able to travel more than 30 feet from my router/access point (and have YouTube stream in FHD without stutters/crashes).
BACKGROUND:
After Windows 8.1 update, my Yoga 13's wireless performance went from barely adequate to useless (crashed on resume, speed degradation an hour after fresh boot, etc.).
I'm sharing this info because I've enjoyed this machine's other assets so much. It's too bad we can't replace the Realtek WLAN card, and obviously Lenovo though enough of our issues suffered that they chose a different card for the Yoga 2 (although the antenna design still may be partly to blame for some of those performance issues as well). Love the keyboard, display, etc. and can put up with the fan noise (if someone has a fix for fan noise though, please post to this thread or point me to the fix).
Best of luck with this potential (relatively inexpensive) work-around. It's not as ideal as switching out the internal card, but I'm pretty pleased so far. If there are other wireless fixes, please share on this thread.
Thanks,
Stanford

Having used this thing for a couple of weeks now, I'm still amazed at how great the network performance is and how it's transformed my Yoga 13 into a near-instant device around the house (incl range that extends to the garage and perimeters of front & back yards. And traveling is pretty phenomenal too - great speeds at the hotels we've visited (instead of having to tether my 4G phone because Lenovo's weak-sauce wireless couldn't hang onto a 1-bar connection for 3 minutes).
It's a small tradeoff in having a 1" by 1/8" inch "nub" stick out of a USB port, but one of the best $60 upgrades I've ever done. Highly recommended.

Broadcom 802.11ac Windows 8.1 won't connect to wifi router

I'm using a asrock z87E-ITX with Broadcom 802.11ac wireless adapter, and windows 8.1
my wireless adapter won't connected to my zte f660 wireless router, but it's connected to any mobile phone thetered device. The problem is when i try to connect, the wireless adapter is automatically disabled and enable it self after it.
i've tried using an external wireless adapter (TP link) and it's connected normally.

Hello padidisawah,
What is your current situation?
Have you tried the solution as MVP S.Sengupta mentioned?
Please take the following steps for troubleshooting:
1. Go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Troubleshooting\All Categories and run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter
2. If the wireless adapter can normally connect to other Wireless router, please check the configuration in zte f660 wireless router.
Best regards,
Fangzhou CHEN
Fangzhou CHEN
TechNet Community Support

Predictions: When will Lenovo X-series support 802.11ac ?

When do you predict we will see a Lenovo X-series laptop introduced that supports 802.11ac ?
FYI - 2 sites I read for reliable tech info, including home networking:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7127/the-joys-of-80211ac-wifi
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews
I'm getting 375-405 mbps by hanging this orb
ASUS Dual-Band Wireless-N900 USB Network Adapter
http://amzn.to/14ql6WG
off my downstairs Thinkpad's USB port .
That orb pairs with an ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 upstairs.
On the downside, it's something permanently plugged into my USB port.
On the upside, with a USB cord extender, it easily stays put on the laptop coffee table. And I like the idea of the antenna being further away from my brain. Most importantly, the performance is compelling. (it seems to be twice as fast as before)

Any Lenovo laptop with mini PCI-E port should support 802.11ac as long as there's no whitelist in the BIOS. I could've put the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 on my Y470, but instead I chose the Intel Dual Band Wireless-N 7260 since the Wireless-AC version has a bluetooth integrated which conflicts with my Broadcom bluetooth that came with the laptop. The Wireless-AC itself works, but both my Broadcom bluetooth and Intel's bluetooth won't work (they both show an yellow triangle with exclamation point on Device manager). The Wireless-N version has no bluetooth so the built-in Broadcom bluetooth works fully.
Lenovo Y470: i7-2670QM | 8 GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM | Nvidia GeForce GT 550M | 500 GB 7200 RPM Seagate HDD | ASUS PCE-AC56 802.11ac Network Adapter | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

USB Printer with Time Capsule (with 802.11ac)

Hello Guys,
I have a Canon MP258 inkjet printer and it's not working with my airport time capsule (with 802.11ac) .
I had tried a lot of method to solve it but it can't be done.
Pls, help me to solved this puzzled.Thx
Best Regards,
Johnremy

If the name of your printer does not appear in the printer list when you click the + button, try contacting Canon Support to see if they have an updated printer driver that you could download and install.
Download Free Driver Pinter Canon Pixma MP258
http://filedir.com/drivers/printer/canon-pixma-mp258-mp250-printer-driver-downlo ad-516940.html
If this does not work, then Canon has not provided the printer driver for their device to operate on a network USB connection.
Do you understand that if you can get the print function working, that fax, scan, copy, maintenance, etc functions will not work when the MP258 is connected to the USB port on the Time Capsule?
Only the print function is supported on the Time Capsule, so if you need the other functions, you should connect the MP258 to your computer.....not the Time Capsule.

Is it best to extend a Wifi network using Airport Extreme 802.11ac or Express ?

I previously asked this question with a different emphasis here:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/24347878#24347878
so have re-worded to be more relevant to the subject.
I have a brand new Airport Extreme 802.11ac which I am now using as my network hub and I would like to extend the network wirelessly.
Is there a benefit to extending the network via another Airport Extreme 802.11ac versus a (cheaper) Airport Express ?
I do not have any 802.11ac clients yet, but likely will do within the expected lifespan of the routers and thus would rather buy another Extreme now if it meant extending the best signal strength.
Per my previous post i would ideally extend using my old Edimax BR-6675nD 450Mbps 2.4GHz/5GHz, however this has been problematic and some previous posts imply that mixing Apple and non-Apple routers is not recommended, if this is not correct please do let me know.
Thanks in advance.

Is there a benefit to extending the network via another Airport Extreme 802.11ac versus a (cheaper) Airport Express ?
Four possible benefits, which may or may not be benefits to you:
1) A second Extreme will extend the faster "ac" speeds of the main AirPort Extreme, while the Express will not.
2) A second Extreme uses Gigabit Ethernet ports....ten times faster than the Express....if you plan to connect devices using an Ethernet connection
3) The USB port on the AirPort Extreme will accept a hard drive while the Express will not
4) The AirPort Extreme has a much better antenna arrangement than the Express, which will provide greater coverage even if "ac" wireless is not used
On the other hand, if you do not need "ac" wireless to be extended, you only plan to use the Express to extend the wireless, and the Express will be located where it can receive a strong wireless signal, then you might save a bit of money going with an AirPort Express.
So, in questions about what would be "best", there are rarely simple answers that apply to all users. The question really is which is "best" for you. Adding another AirPort Extreme would be a no brainer for me, but perhaps not for you.
i would ideally extend using my old Edimax BR-6675nD 450Mbps 2.4GHz/5GHz, however this has been problematic and some previous posts imply that mixing Apple and non-Apple routers is not recommended
It is always the best idea to use products from the same manufactuer for the same purpose throughout the network. Obviously, an Apple AirPort Extreme will be compatible with another AirPort, while a third party device may or may not be.

HT202807 I have a MB Air 128gb and a Time Cap.802.11AC. My HD is maxed out because of 30GB of photo storage after migration to 10.3.3 Photos. Please recommend an external drive best for connecting to TC and moving the iPhoto Lib off my HD

I have a 13" mid 2011 MB Air 128gb and a Time Cap.802.11AC. My HD is maxed out because of 30GB of photo storage after migration to 10.10.3 Photos. I have reduced apps and files as much as possible so the only thing left is to move the photos. Please recommend an external drive compatible for connecting to my TC 802.11ac and moving the iPhoto Lib off my HD which will free approx 15 gbs. of space. I don't plan on using it for any other purpose so a small capacity drive will suffice. I know the "optimization" is supposed to adjust for this condition but I don't trust that assertion.I only have 2gb free space remaining.

I don't plan on using it for any other purpose so a small capacity drive will suffice.
If you really only want such a small capacity drive.. what about just buying a 32GB or 64GB USB memory stick.
You should still have a back up to the internal hard disk of the AC TC.
Or just buy a WD Passport.. don't waste your money buying 500GB as it is only a bit more to buy 1TB and a bit more again for 2TB.. For future use if you do buy a USB hard disk buy 2.5" type.. and buy 1TB or if the budget stretches 2TB..

Connected a usb HD to the new airport extreme 802.11ac; how can I see the HD on my iPad?

I just purchased and set up the 802.11ac airport extreme. I have connected an usb HD; I can see it from my iMac and my MacAir laptop. Can I see the connected HD from my iPad air 2?

You can, if you install an App like FileBrowser on the iPad. Info below:
Stratospherix - FileBrowser - Overview

Best 802.11ac usb adapter?

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