Recommendation for Wireless Adapter for desktop?

[katz]

Recommendation for Wireless Adapter for desktop? One that won't break the bank, lol. I recently had to move my shop around and I don't have an option for wired Ethernet in my new location.

I am 50' from the router, a fairly straight shot. Currently using a TP Link Archer T3U plus, and speeds are running 250-300 Mbps / 11 ms ping, but I am getting lag/buffering when watching videos, or even slow loading on pic intensive pages.

This pc is fairly fast otherwise; Win 8.1, Core i5/ 3.2 GHZ, 16 GB RAM, so it gets the job one for me.

I should probably know which hardware to get, but I'm not up on the latest/greatest stuff, and most of my repairs anymore are simply break/fix, installing a printer/similar, getting their phone to work w/ their pc, stuff like that.

Thanks in advance, I appreciate all of the incredible knowledge from you guys that I have picked up (and hopefully contributed to) on here over the years.

However, since the virus fiasco, things haven't been the same, and (still) a lot of my clients are not comfortable with someone coming into their home. I do offer remote support to many, that has been a lifesaver.

 

[britechguy]

You say "a fairly straight shot" but what's between the WiFi access point and this adapter? Given that it's got a honkin' big antenna, it should be way more than enough to catch a good signal unless something odd is blocking it.

But, 250-300 Mbps is way more than fast enough for video streaming and web browsing, so I personally suspect that the issue lies elsewhere. Have you tried multiple browsers to see if the behavior varies between them?

 

[katz]

You say "a fairly straight shot" but what's between the WiFi access point and this adapter? Given that it's got a honkin' big antenna, it should be way more than enough to catch a good signal unless something odd is blocking it.

But, 250-300 Mbps is way more than fast enough for video streaming and web browsing, so I personally suspect that the issue lies elsewhere. Have you tried multiple browsers to see if the behavior varies between them?

It's a straight shot, meaning the router is 50' down a straight hallway, around a slight corner in the other room. That said, none of my laptops have an issue anywhere in the house. I am using Chrome, I will try another browser.

 

[Porthos]

TP Link Archer T3U plus

Is it plugged into a usb3 port?
Are you connected to 2.4g or the 5g band?

 

[britechguy]

Are you connected to 2.4g or the 5g band?

An excellent question I had intended to include, but didn't. I have found 5Ghz to be far more "fragile" (for lack of a better way of putting it) than 2.4Ghz is.

 

[Porthos]

An excellent question I had intended to include, but didn't. I have found 5Ghz to be far more "fragile" (for lack of a better way of putting it) than 2.4Ghz is.

I have found. it is the range of 2.4 to 5g.
2.4 has a better range but a lower speed. That is some devices like Amazon Echo's require 2.4g.

5g has better speed but a lower range.

 

[britechguy]

Over time, I've generally defaulted to 2.4 just because most homes are "mixed environments" where one or more devices will only operate on 2.4.

But every time I've played with 5 the speed does not make up for the instability of the signal, even at very close range. I'm sure that differs depending on the router, but so far with the ones I've worked with, I remain unimpressed.

 

[Porthos]

It's a straight shot, meaning the router is 50' down a straight hallway

If it was my home, I would get a long enough cable to wire it.

speeds are running 250-300 Mbps / 11 ms ping

If it was ever wired what was the speed then.
What speed does the service offer?

 

[britechguy]

If it was ever wired what was the speed then.

While it's an interesting question, there is still no reason for the symptoms described if a stable signal with the throughput stated exists.

I don't get anything vaguely near to 250Mbps routinely where I live, and can stream to a large screen TV in HD and be using the hotspot otherwise with nary a bobble. I remain convinced that something else is wrong here, or else the stated figures are wrong (not that this isn't what was reported, but that it's not stable).

 

[katz]

I'm plugged into USB 3.0. Running on the 5g. Maybe I should switch to 2.4 and see what happens.

 

[britechguy]

Maybe I should switch to 2.4 and see what happens.

Definitely.

The USB 2 vs USB 3 is most likely completely not relevant here.

 

[Porthos]

The USB 2 vs USB 3 is most likely completely not relevant here.

I use those all the time for clients. It is sold/marketed as a usb3 adapter. Never tried one any other way personally.

 

[katz]

If it was my home, I would get a long enough cable to wire it.

If it was ever wired what was the speed then.
What speed does the service offer?

I should clarify this... It doesn't seem to be an issue of speed or even ping time. It's more like lag/slow load issues, if that even makes any sense. For example, I can open my FB page, and the pics will slowly load, if even at all. Some stay randomly blank. Same with streaming video sites, buffering/buffering.

Yet, any speed test page I load will show a ping as low as 11, and speeds as fast as 275+.

I will admit, I'm not the sharpest tech with networking issues, but this is so odd, that I can't make any sense out of it. Why do I get the high speed test numbers, yet actual webpages are giving me issues like this? Plus, if I connect back up to my Ethernet, it all works great.

I switched back to 2.4, and also tried different USB ports, no improvements.

 

[Porthos]

Plus, if I connect back up to my Ethernet, it all works great.

I avoid wireless anything if I can help it.
I hate the fact most newer consumer laptops do not have an ethernet jack. USB ethernet adapters do not always work well.
Have you rebooted the router by chance or tried other channels?

 

[katz]

Well, this is an interesting turn of events. I have done several of the things that have been suggested in this thread, nothing has really helped. So, on a whim, I unplugged from the USB port, and connected the adapter to a usb dongle/hub that I also have about 5 other things connected to.

Believe it or not, my issue is solved, pages are loading correctly, no more buffering, etc. It is the strangest thing, to think that connecting to this shared usb hub is actually making things better. I sure can't explain it!

 

[timeshifter]

USB 3 port?

 

[DRPCNZ]

I avoid wireless anything if I can help it.
I hate the fact most newer consumer laptops do not have an ethernet jack. USB ethernet adapters do not always work well.
Have you rebooted the router by chance or tried other channels?

To me Wireless has always been in addition to, NOT a replacement for

 

[Markverhyden]

I'm plugged into USB 3.0. Running on the 5g. Maybe I should switch to 2.4 and see what happens.

The 2.4 does a much better job of going through walls etc than 5.

 

[britechguy]

To me Wireless has always been in addition to, NOT a replacement for

And, for me, and most residential clients of mine, it's the flip side of that statement.

The only thing that I ever hook up wired is a desktop (or laptop not intended ot be mobile) which has a permanent home close to the modem-router and, where applicable, a printer attached to same (if being done by USB). If a printer is to be networked if its home is right next to the modem-router it will be connected to the network via ethernet as well. All else is WiFi.

 

[Metanis]

Well, this is an interesting turn of events. I have done several of the things that have been suggested in this thread, nothing has really helped. So, on a whim, I unplugged from the USB port, and connected the adapter to a usb dongle/hub that I also have about 5 other things connected to.

Believe it or not, my issue is solved, pages are loading correctly, no more buffering, etc. It is the strangest thing, to think that connecting to this shared usb hub is actually making things better. I sure can't explain it!

Thanks for the report. Perhaps the shared hub is using a different motherboard interrupt that is not as congested?