There seems to be a lack of high-quality USB WiFi adapters in the marketplace. Concepts like "current gen" ,"2x2" , "brand name" , "RF Testing" seem to be compeltely absent 90% of the time. Then I see threads on other communities like Coreelec , desperately looking for a USB device that offers a driverless experience or any compatibility whatsoever (and most of the time, it's 1x1 devices with no external antenna) .
I recently picked up an "AC" product (RealtekRTL8821CU Based) on aliexpress that provided worse performance than a 6-year old N-product that I already considered to be mediocre and have contemplated throwing away many times.
And so the idea came to be to make a thread of "interesting or half competent WiFi adapters" including:
- Any USB device that actually supports 2x2 AC
- Any device that has actually been reviewed for RF performance
- Any sub 15$ product that has some redeeming qualities , like good throughput under optimal conditions, or builtin-bluetooth
- Any semi-competant device that offers a good driver experience under at least 1 OS:
(Linux, Linux ARM / Core Elec, Mac, or Windows)
Perhaps you guys can dump interesting products in the thread and then we can make a nice table out of them
The best solution currently available (IMHO) is to not use USB at all, and instead use Intel or Broadcom MiniPCI-E Chips in laptop or in a Desktop with a PCIe converter & Antenna kit.
I recently picked up an "AC" product (RealtekRTL8821CU Based) on aliexpress that provided worse performance than a 6-year old N-product that I already considered to be mediocre and have contemplated throwing away many times.
And so the idea came to be to make a thread of "interesting or half competent WiFi adapters" including:
- Any USB device that actually supports 2x2 AC
- Any device that has actually been reviewed for RF performance
- Any sub 15$ product that has some redeeming qualities , like good throughput under optimal conditions, or builtin-bluetooth
- Any semi-competant device that offers a good driver experience under at least 1 OS:
(Linux, Linux ARM / Core Elec, Mac, or Windows)
Perhaps you guys can dump interesting products in the thread and then we can make a nice table out of them
The best solution currently available (IMHO) is to not use USB at all, and instead use Intel or Broadcom MiniPCI-E Chips in laptop or in a Desktop with a PCIe converter & Antenna kit.
