Our List of Best WiFi Antenna Boosters for Laptops – WirelesSHack
If your laptop has a weak built-in WiFi card, a WiFi antenna booster can help it get better reception.
They can also upgrade a laptop’s WiFi protocols that have been introduced in recent years.
There are many USB WiFi antenna boosters available in all shapes and sizes, with the best long-range units having a larger antenna.
Below are our picks of the best USB WiFi adapters that can boost a WiFi signal for a laptop, along with reviews, speed tests, and compatibility.
As always, be sure to read the reviews on Amazon, here, or on forums to be sure a unit is a right fit for you.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Our Picks for Best WiFi Antenna Boosters for Laptops
- D-Link WiFi-6 Adapter
- BrosTrend AC3
- EDUP AC600
- Alfa AWUS036ACH
- TP-LINK Archer T2UH
- Panda PAU09
- Alfa AWUS036AC
Available Here on Amazon
This wireless USB adapter from D-Link has the new WiFi-6 802.11ax WiFi protocols.
It is dual-band 2. 4GHz and 5GHz unit with a rated top speed of 1200Mbps.
While testing, the unit was very impressive, with a wireless speed of 454Mbps, which was the fastest USB WiFi adapter we have tested.
It also uses a USB 3.0 for faster transfer speeds.
Like all WiFi-6 devices, it can use the new WPA3 security, which is a big improvement over the older WPA2 wireless security protocol.
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The BrosTrend AC3 is a USB WiFi adapter with two 5dBi antennas to help get a better wireless signal.
The adapter uses the 802.11AC (WiFi 5) protocols and is dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz adapter.
It will work with almost any device, old or new, and has a good range.
During testing in the 5GHz band, it gave some excellent speed results of 225Mbps Download and 20Mbps Upload.
Read Full Review Here
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The EDUP AC600 is a Dual Band 802.
11ac WiFi adapter that works in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies.
802.11AC (WiFi 5) is a fast WiFi protocol and works in the 5GHz band.
The 2.4GHz band is for legacy devices and works mainly with the older Wireless-N protocol.
This makes it a good wireless USB adapter that will work in almost any WiFi network.
The 2dBi antenna, while not the largest, is much better compared to a laptop’s built-in antenna.
If you need a signal from a distance, there are units with bigger dBi antennas.
Larger antennas can be bulkier but do work much better receiving a WiFi signal.
The EDUP AC600 did very well during the speed test, with the 5Ghz range giving 213Mbps Download and 21Mbps Upload.
It is a good unit that will give a laptop WiFi a boost and has broad compatibility and the newest WiFi protocols.
Read Full Review Here
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The Alfa AWUS036ACH is a long-range wireless USB adapter that is compatible with most operating systems, from Windows 10/11 to Linux.
It is a Dual Band 802.11ac WiFi dongle that works in both the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz ranges.
During testing, it gave some impressive WiFi speeds at 213Mbps Download and 21Mbps Upload.
Two large 5dBi antennas are attached to get a better signal from a distance.
Read Full Review Here
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The TP-LINK Archer T2UH is a dual-band USB adapter and uses the 802.11ac protocol.
It is backward compatible with other wireless protocols, such as N or G; this makes it fit into almost any network.
It uses an external Omni-Directional antenna to get a better range than a laptop’s built-in antenna.
Read Full Review Here
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The Panda PAU09 is a dual-band wireless USB adapter with wide compatibility, from Windows 10/11 to Linux.
It has two large 5dBi antennas to improve a signal while transmitting and receiving.
The one downside is it is only an 802.11n adapter, which gives it a max speed of 300Mbps.
Even though it only supports wireless-N, it still is an excellent unit to use and work with most operating systems with good range at a low cost.
Read Full Review Here
Available Here on Amazon
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Alfa makes many USB adapters and is notorious in the wireless Pen Tester/Hacker community.
The AWUS036AC is one of their adapters that is built to get a signal at a distance.
It is dual-band and works with any WiFi protocols so that it will fit into almost any network.
Two 5dBi antennas are used to get a better signal. A USB extender cable can also be used to move it about obtaining the best possible bars.
Its size makes it bulkier than small dongles, but the gain is a big boost.
WiFi Frequency Protocols and Laptops
The 2.4Ghz band was the original WiFi frequency and the only band used until 2013.
In late 2013 the 5GHz frequency was introduced to routers and connecting devices.
5GHz was introduced to help relieve the 2.4GHz band that has become overcrowded.
Along with a new frequency, new protocols were also introduced called WiFi-5 802.11ac and later WiFi-6 802.11ax.
The 802.11ax protocol can transfer data much quicker than the previous 802.11ac and 802.11n protocols.
802.11n, also called Wireless-N, can transfer data at 150-300 Mbps, while 802.11ac has a transfer speed of 750 Mbps.
Upgrading to a newer protocol is a good option if you need a high speed WiFi connection.
It should be noted that 5GHz frequency does not travel as far as 2.4GHz frequency waves. This is because of the physics of lower frequencies able to travel farther than higher frequencies.
So while the new 5GHz band combined with 802.11ac can move data faster for distance, using 2.4GHz is still better.
So What is the Best WiFi Antenna Boosters for Laptops
A 2.
4GHz USB WiFi booster will be able to transmit and receive better with distance.
The exception to this is in a crowded WiFi environment where many WiFi signals are transmitting.
When two signals collide, a router must resend the data, which slows down the entire network.
A 5GHz booster may be better in a crowded WiFi environment, even if a signal cannot travel as far.
The best scenario is to get a USB booster that can do both, using either 2.4GHz or the new 5GHz frequencies.
When a booster can transmit on both frequencies, each band can be tested to see which one sends the best signal.
networking – Does the Wi-Fi antenna of a laptop have to be mounted at the back of the screen? Are there any alternative placements?
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I have recently noticed that one of the Wi-Fi antenna cables in my laptop got snipped.
The reception is not horrible honestly, but considering I have a 6E router, an AX200 chip and a 2.5 gbps connection, it makes me sad that I’m only getting 200 Mbit/s transfer speeds.
Now, the antennas are situated at the back of the monitor. But to remove the panel and switch the antenna is a huge pain as the panel is glued. Also this laptop model is rare so there are little to no guides on disassembly and I don’t want to risk any damage, cosmetic or otherwise.
The question is, what are my options regarding new antenna placement?
- Can I just leave the antenna near an empty spot in the casing? (under the keyboard or battery maybe)
- If the casing would attenuate the signal too much, does it make sense to route the antenna under the laptop through a hole in the case (there is such a hole already), and somehow fix it there?
- Or should I just learn to live without MIMO and be happy that I get 200mbps bandwidth? Or is a bad antenna better than no antenna?
- networking
- wireless-networking
- laptop
- antenna
4
There are many variables for antenna placement, such as avoiding proximity to nearby metal or being covered with dielectric (e.
g., the plastic shell), but you can do no harm by just adding a length of insulated or enameled (to avoid shorts) wire, away from parts likely to make electrical noise (RFI), such as the CPU, GPU and RAM. A theoretical half-wavelngth antenna for the 5 GHz band would be only 3 cm (a bit more than an inch), and for the 2.5 GHz band would be 6 cm, but length is not critical at all.
The ultimate criteria is: does it improve WiFi signal strength and quality?
- Use a tool to measure signal strength, such as free wavemon for Linux or Nirsoft’s free WiFiInfoView. If the signal is better, you’ve achieved you goal.
- Check the browser’s internet connection speed with SpeedTest.net or other speed test. Caveat: this may vary for other reasons than WiFi throughput, such as hardware limitations, but it should not be lower with your antenna than without it.
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How to connect a Wi-Fi antenna to a laptop or tablet.
Hello everyone! As promised, I’ll tell you now, how to connect a homemade antenna to a laptop to enhance the Wi-Fi signal. Moreover, in this way you can connect not only a home-made, but also a factory antenna of almost any production. All connectors for cables and antennas have various modifications, adapters and connectors, thanks to this, in our time you can connect anything to anything, the main thing is to know how. Here you need to show ingenuity and some skills in ingenuity. But even this is not needed in our case, everything has long been invented and sold in the store.
As usual in my articles, I describe everything in detail with the help of photos, and this time it will be like that. The main thing we need is a special adapter cable from the mini connector on the laptop radio card to the antenna connector of the router.
Such adapters are sold in any radio store, I bought such a thing on the radio market.
First you need to disassemble the laptop, find the radio card (wi-fi module) in it and remove it. It is not necessary to completely disassemble the laptop, just unscrew the cover at the bottom, and we can immediately get to the module itself. The module in my netbook “Acer Aspire One 722” is attached with one screw.
It can be seen with the naked eye that two wires are connected to the wi-fi module, these are two regular antennas, which are usually located in the laptop lid (near the webcam). Antennas “A” and “B”, the main and secondary, they are connected respectively to the “MAIN” and “AUX” connectors. We will use one of these connectors to connect an external antenna, you can connect two external antennas and use both connectors. I usually use one connector on the secondary “AUX” antenna.
PR-SMA adapter
MA .
More information about such an adapter, and where it can be found here: https://bloganten.ru/universalnyj-antennyj-izluchatel-inno-rp-sma/ Such an adapter can be found in specialized radio stores, or ordered on Aliexpress: http:/ /ali.pub/2glcdz. It easily connects to the connector of our module. The other side of this cable has a standard “male” connector for wi-fi antennas, for example, a D-Link wi-fi antenna for a router is perfect for such a connector. The photo, by the way, shows an example of its use as an external antenna for a laptop.
In this way, you can connect almost any antenna, from omnidirectional to powerful directional, such a system will always be consistent, which equalizes the resistance on the generator and consumer. The characteristic impedance of such a line should always be as close as possible to 50 ohms.
Any home-made Wi-Fi antenna can be easily connected in this way, for example, I connected a home-made fractal antenna for Wi-Fi and Helix, the photo shows a connected home-made canned Wi-Fi antenna assembled on an N-type connector .
That’s about it. If you have any questions or any suggestions for improvement or another way to amplify the wi-fi signal on a laptop, I will be happy to answer everything in the comments to the article. I also want to draw your attention to a small innovation, a forum has appeared on the blog, which is still at the launch stage, but will soon begin to fully function, where it will be possible to discuss all the topics of the site. Thank you for your attention, keep in touch.
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external, internal, how to do it yourself
Do-it-yourself Wi-Fi antenna for a laptop or an analogue from the manufacturer is a good opportunity to enhance the signal quality and increase its stability. The presented devices work from a wireless network over fairly long distances. According to their characteristics, they are divided into external or external and internal, called indoor.
The former are able to amplify the signal much better, but are more complex in design and require more equipment and cabling from the street.
The latter are installed directly in the room and have much less gain.
Contents
- External Wi-Fi antennas. Myth or reality?
- Internal WiFi Antennas for Notebook
- Various Types
- Product without N-connector
- Reflector Amplifier WiFi Modem Flash Drive
- Parabolic Antenna for Notebooks
90 060
- How to connect
- Homemade external antenna
External Wi-Fi fi antennas. Myth or reality?
To date, all kinds of Wifi antennas for laptops have become quite widespread. These are devices that allow you to amplify the received and outgoing signal from a wireless network. They can be used to better pick up the signal from your own router or router, as well as to use the signal of a friend or relative who lives at a certain distance.
Some people buy these devices to intercept someone else’s signal. However, this is a controversial decision, since the owner of the access point can easily block access to outsiders during identification.
Please note! External antennas are considered much more efficient than internal counterparts.
Standard Wi-Fi signal from any device has a certain range. Without various amplifiers, it is impossible to catch remote Wi-Fi.
These antennas can be used to share the same access point between multiple people. In such cases, internal products or directional external products for a greater range are suitable.
Important! Previously, such traps were used exclusively for radio and television signals. To date, similar devices are used to improve the quality of mobile Internet and Wi-Fi.
Equipment of any type for improving the quality of access, both Wi-Fi and mobile Internet, has a certain radius or effective range. In cases where the subscriber is outside the capture zone, laptop antennas are used.
Internal WiFi Antennas for Laptop
D-Link Dir-320 Modem Overview and Setup
Internal products are used as a simplified option.
Unlike external ones, there is no need to take them outside, connect a wire to them, fix them in the right place. It can be installed in the area near the window or on the balcony, connected via a cable to a special connector and enjoy high-quality communication.
Usually, indoor antennas are designed to improve the signal from your own router or router, which, for certain reasons, cannot pick up a normal quality connection.
Various types
There are several types of antennas for laptops, which are fundamentally different from each other in terms of characteristics and performance.
Product without n-connector
What are the differences between 3G and 4G networks: features, advantages and disadvantages
The first type of product has a characteristic impedance of fifty ohms. Typically, laptops do not have an external socket for connecting various types of antennas. Often they are equipped with only USB inputs. You can easily make one yourself.
For this, a conventional internal device is taken, which must be disassembled and installed from the external equipment, only with an increased gain.
You can use a special Wi-Fi bridge, such as equipment from Senao. This type of device must be installed on a hill. Works as a directional access point. Equipment available at 2.4 or 5 GHz. In this case, the antenna is used only as a repeater of the received signal from the provider. Also, when using multiple products, you can create a bridge between two access points.
Please note! The maximum range is about five kilometers.
Not all antennas can be connected using a USB connection, so connectors such as AUX are quite often used. In order to connect an ordinary external antenna to this one, you need a special adapter for Wi-Fi modules called RP-SMA. Similar quite often you can buy in specialized stores or order from one of the Chinese online stores.
It is noteworthy that this type of connector is quite simply connected to the laptop module connector.
The second side of the wire has a male connector, which is used for conventional Wi-Fi antennas.
Reflector-amplifier of the WiFi modem flash drive signal
In the presented case, antennas are used that have a reflector, that is, a kind of metal plate for better capture. In front of this reflector, a modem-“flash drive” is taken out. As a result, the signal is reflected from the plate and goes directly to the modem.
These are much more advanced amplification products. The principle of operation is as follows: an antenna is mounted outside the room, which, with the help of a wire, has a direct connection to the distributing device. This could be a router that distributes the wireless network indoors.
It is noteworthy that such a device can be assembled independently or purchased as a ready-made solution.
Please note! Often, such devices from the manufacturer work a little better than homemade ones.
Devices of the listed type are divided into two categories:
- Directionality.
Can be directed in one direction: unidirectional and sector. And there are varieties that can work in several directions; - Wideband or multi-frequency. These are able to improve the quality of the signal, while working in several frequency ranges at once. Manufacturers offer special wide-band devices that can receive and amplify signals in all acceptable frequencies, such as GSM 1800, 3G 2100, LTE, Wi-Fi. This eliminates the need to purchase several antennas at the same time, each of which would support only one standard.
Can be directed in one direction: unidirectional and sector. And there are varieties that can work in several directions; Notebook Parabolic Antenna
They work in the same way as standard satellite ones. Only in this case, they are aimed at receiving a Wi-Fi signal, and not an orbital one, from a satellite.
In this case, the principle of operation is identical to the satellite type. The frequency pattern is narrowed according to the azimuth angle, so the transducer amplifies the received signal. It is noteworthy that by installing such an antenna permanently, it is possible to obtain multiple amplification, since a satellite device is created to capture even from the orbit itself.
However, there is no calculation for physical interference, which is quite often obtained during ground guidance. Even tree leaves are considered a serious interference when receiving a parabolic antenna.
In addition, in such cases, accurate pointing to the access point plays an important role. You can also connect a receiver for satellite broadcasting, but you will only have to face a problem, since the satellites do not broadcast at the required frequency of 2.4 GHz.
How to connect
Applications for controlling Wi-Fi networks and monitoring traffic on Android
Connecting any antenna takes place in several stages:
- First of all, you need to find the most suitable place for installation. If everything is clear with the internal device, you can install it on the windowsill, closer to the window, then the external device should be located on the roof of the building or in another elevated place so that it can be directed as accurately as possible to the access point. In addition, it must be fixed vertically or horizontally, depending on the type;
- After that, you need to connect an external product to an amplifier, if it is provided by the design, or directly to a laptop;
- Mobile signal booster needs to be connected to power.
- Test the received signal in the laptop. The number of communication divisions should be maximum in all places where the range of work extends.
In addition, it must be fixed vertically or horizontally, depending on the type; Homemade external antenna
Most existing devices can be assembled by hand.
Please note! The only difficulty may be the calculation of certain models, but there are special sites that carry them out on their own.
The main thing is to find a quality material for the reflector. Copper is most suitable, if it is not available, then ordinary steel or even cardboard covered with foil will do. After that, it is necessary to fix the receiving device in front of the reflector and assemble the necessary cable connections.