There’s nothing worse than buying the best PC your money can buy only to plug it in and realise it has a weak wireless networking card or a poor Wi-Fi dongle. Our experts here at What’s The Best are all too familiar with this trend – particularly in the mid-low budget PC market. Wireless networking can end up at the bottom of the spec list, an afterthought in a world of expensive graphics cards and RAM with RGB lighting.
It’s easy to blame your service provider or router if you have internet connectivity issues. However, it might be that your current Wi-Fi receiver is not up to the job. Whether it is an internal or external Wi-Fi device, your internet connection will never be strong if your current setup has as much range and reliability as an inflatable bicycle. And it’s not just PCs; even the best laptops can suffer from poor reception. Their Wi-Fi chips lie buried between layers of tech inside super-slim cases, pining for an external antenna that doesn’t exist.
The best Wi-Fi dongles of 2024 at a glance:
- Best overall: TP-Link Archer T3U AC1300
- Best budget: TP-Link 150 Mbps Wireless N Nano USB Adapter
- Best high-performance Wi-Fi 6: BrosTrend AX1800 High Gain USB WiFi 6 Adapter
- Best high gain: TP-Link Archer T3U Plus
But, enough doom and gloom – we’re here to help you find the best USB Wi-Fi dongles for your PC or laptop to give your work, videos and gaming a real boost. The beauty of these wireless wonders is that they claim to provide the sort of performance usually reserved for full-size internal PCI cards. Just plug one of these into your machine via USB and you’ll be enjoying the sort of signal strength and speeds that your internet router is truly capable of.
When you are looking for a Wi-Fi dongle to up your speeds, there are some decisions to be made to help you find the right product for you. Aside from budget, you might need to consider whether you need a dual-band AC-type dongle, whereas others with advanced Wi-Fi 6 or Mesh routers might need dongles that support those features. Are you confused by all of the jargon? No problem – we’ve put together a buyer’s guide and more at the end of the article. But, for now, our list of best Wi-Fi dongles is below – many of which have been thoroughly tested by our writers.
Best overall
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
For excellent Wi-Fi performance in a discrete and portable design, the TP-Link Archer T3U AC1300 Mini Wireless USB Adapter is dual-band – perfect for boosting the performance of even a cheap laptop or PC, giving you access to upwards of 1,300 MBps to get the most out of your Wi-Fi.
If there’s room for improvement, we’d like a little more signal range; 300 m signal coverage is great, but there are much stronger options on the market (albeit much bulkier and awkward-looking).
One of our senior tech writers, Chris Duffill, has tested the TP-Link Archer T3U. Here’s what he had to say:
Design and build
“Although this isn’t one of the super-compact dongles I’m used to seeing, this one is packing dual internal antennas. It protrudes from the laptop of course, but not so large that I couldn’t slide the machine into a bag without having to unplug the adapter. I also like the build quality and that status light is reassuring to see.”
Speed and performance
“While connected to my home router, which provides fibre optic connection to the internet, I had no issues with the connection speed or stability. It also connected to my 5Ghz home network instantly as well as over 2.4Ghz. The combined speeds of these connections are as described too, and my connection was stable – even with gaming, browsing and other 4K video streaming across the network, which I put down to the MU-MIMO feature.”
Pros & Cons
- Great compact size
- Light and portable
- Excellent for boosting speed
Cons
- Fairly average signal range
Ratings
- Performance
- Build
- Design
- Value
Specifications
- Dimensions: 41 x 20 x 11mm (L x W x H)
- Wireless band: Dual-band
- Data transfer speed: Up to 1,300Mbps
- Security features: WPA/WPA2 encryption
- Operating system support: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
- Signal coverage: 300 metres
Best budget
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
We think this ultra-cheap TP-Link Nano Wi-Fi dongle is perfect for laptops and those on the go who’d prefer not to have protruding antennae to lug around with you from place to place.
Simple to install and almost invisible when in use, the TP-Link 150 is solidly designed to be perfectly hidden on your device and is ideal if you’re on a budget. Unfortunately, when using the TP-Link 150, you’re limited to a 2.4GHz band, which isn’t quite as fast as 5GHz. But, for the price, there’s not much to complain about.
Our writer Chris Duffill has tested this budget dongle on his home network and said:
Design and build
“This is a no-frills device that, unfortunately, looks like a lot of the cheap and nasty dongles that get bundled with low-end PCs. But I’m happy to say that, for the price, the design is a welcome afterthought to a device that’s both cheap and built to simply get the job done.”
Speed and performance
“As this is a 2.4Ghz adapter only, it wouldn’t connect to my 5Ghz network, but the 2.4Ghz connection was trouble-free and stable, working close to the 150Mbps stated. The only benefit I could see in getting one of these is that most routers you’ll find in the wild will support the older 2.4GHz band. So, I’d certainly buy one of these for my laptop if I was frequently visiting other offices or places with public internet.”
Pros & Cons
- Great ultra-compact size
- Unobtrusive design
- Ideal for laptops
Performance:
- Build
- Design
- Value
Specifications
- Dimensions: 185 x 147 x 6.9mm (L x W x H)
- Wireless band: 2.4GHz
- Data transfer speed: 150Mbps
- Security features: WPA/WPA2
- Operating system support: Windows/Mac OS/ Linux
- Signal coverage: Not specified
Best high-performance
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
If you’re looking for the best-performing Wi-Fi dongle on the market right now, the BrosTrend AX1800 High Gain USB WiFi 6 Adapter is a dongle capable of 1,800 Mbps, giving you plenty of power to utilise your router’s fibre optic connection.
Design-wise, the BrosTrend USB Wi-Fi dongle is larger than its competition, making it a little cumbersome to use with a laptop, but we think you won’t do much better when it comes to performance. We particularly like its 500m signal coverage, so you won’t struggle to connect to your Wi-Fi for a moment.
Staff writer Chris Duffill has put the BrosTrend AX1800 High Gain USB WiFi 6 Adapter to the test and summed up his experience:
Design and build
“I really like the angular design and small footprint of this BrosTrend adapter. The antennas are highly adjustable and I appreciated that I could place this wherever I wanted (despite the short USB cable that comes with it) without it tipping over. It feels solid and well-engineered, too.”
Speed and performance
“This adapter blew me away, as it showed the highest signal strength of all of the dongles I’ve tested recently. That’s no surprise considering the high-gain antennas, and I would definitely opt for this if I had range issues in my home. Speed was at the high end of the stated Mbps range and the connection was solid. WiFi 6 support is ideal for compatible routers so if, like me, you’re streaming 4K video around your home, it’s a great candidate for any PC or laptop upgrade.”
Pros & Cons
- Incredible high-speeds
- Excellent signal range for wide connectivity options
- Easy to setup and install
Cons
- Particularly large and obtrusive design
Performance
- Build
- Design
- Value
Specifications
- Dimensions: 100 x 87 x 206mm (L x W x H)
- Wireless band: Dual-band
- Data transfer speed: Up to 1,800Mbps
- Security features: Not specified
- Operating system support: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
- Signal coverage: 500 metres
Best high-gain
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
Rrp: £19.99
Price: £17.99
TP-Link’s Archer T3U Plus AC1300 High Gain Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter is perfect for high-speed, stable connections even when far from your router. With speeds up to 1,300Mbps and dual-band connectivity, practically any device you decide to use the TP-Link AC1300 with will experience a much stronger connection than you’re typically used to.
As for its design, however, the TP-Link AC1300 leaves something to be desired. Plugging directly into your laptop with no cable or stand is awkward and pretty dorky, especially with laptops. Yes, there’s a 180-degree swivel, but it’s far from discrete and is likely to be knocked and snagged throughout your day-to-day.
What’s the Best’s Chris Duffill has again been busy testing this dongle, and said:
Design and build
“This is one of my favourite compact and portable adapter designs as it’ll pack away with a laptop without any fuss. The design is simple and the build is actually much more robust than I was expecting. Which I’m happy about because this protrudes quite a long way (as it should) and so needs to withstand the odd snag here and there.”
Speed and performance
“Much like some other high gain adapters I’ve tested, this one has an excellent 75-100 per cent signal strength to my home router which is about 20ft and three rooms away. Dual-band connectivity worked as it should and the stated speeds were at the high end of what TP-Link claims. My streaming tests were delivered consistently without any drops in the connection.”
Pros & Cons
- Great high-gain Wi-Fi dongle
- Incredible signal range
- Fantastic speed
Cons
- Awkward design thanks to no cable USB design
Performance:
- Build
- Design
- Value
Specifications
- Dimensions: 578 x 18 x 173mm (L x W x H)
- Wireless band: Dual-band
- Data transfer speed: 1,300Mbps
- Security features: WPA/WPA2
- Operating system support: Windows/Mac OS
- Signal coverage: 500 metres
Rrp: £19.99
Price: £17.99
Best for security
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
ioGiant’s AX1 is an exceptional Wi-Fi dongle, offering great speeds without being too overly large. Perfect for boosting internet speed, thanks to its Wi-Fi 6 support and its massive 1800Mbps download speeds, you’ll struggle to find a better, more discrete Wi-Fi dongle at its price.
That being said, if you’re a Mac OS user, you’re out of luck – the ioGiant AX1800 only supports Windows devices, so it won’t work with your Macbook. And its Windows support stops at Windows 10/11, so older devices can’t benefit from these ultra-fast speeds.
Chris Duffill has plugged this into his laptop for a test, here’s what he thought:
Design and build
"I was underwhelmed by the design of this one – it definitely looks like a device from the 90s. Like many USB thumb drives, it also comes with a removable cap to protect the port. Doubtless, I’d lose that cap if I took this out and about. The build, though chunky, seems solid."
Speed and performance
"I’m grateful for the WPA3 security – a bit of a surprise given how dated this thing looks. Dual-band connections worked as they should, but reception was okay but not spectacular, topping out at about 50 per cent on the meter. It’s not surprising that, despite its length, there are no external antennas here. That said, the connection was robust, and there were no drop-outs, so it does the trick as a compact and secure WiFi 6 dongle."
Pros & Cons
- Incredible WPA3 security encryption
- Terrific Wi-Fi speeds
- No drivers are required to use it, simply plug in and start
Performance
- Build
- Design
- Value
Specifications
- Dimensions: 92 x 30 x 13mm (L x W x H)
- Wireless band: Dual-band
- Data transfer speed: Up to 1800 Mbps
- Security features: WPA3
- Operating system support: Windows 10/11
- Signal coverage: Not specified
Best compact
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
An excellent Wi-Fi dongle for a stable connection, the NETGEAR A7500 is built to last and offers incredible Wi-Fi 6 speeds over 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. It also has an extendable antenna, which is a nice feature on something the size of a large USB memory stick.
Design-wise, the NETGEAR A7500 is relatively chunky, but it’s pretty understandable considering the technical specs inside. The overall size of the NETGEAR A7500 is considerable for this type of dongle, though, so you might opt for something smaller if you’re short on space. That aside, this is a powerful and reasonably compact unit with much connectivity and speed.
Our tech specialist Chris Duffill has been busy testing this along with some other dongles, here’s what he had to say:
Design and build
"I love the look of this device from NETGEAR. I’ve always liked the brand’s approach to design, and the build is equally impressive. In many ways, this qualifies as an external networking card rather than a USB dongle. The exterior ventilation holes and boxy design make me think it’s a substantial kit. The antenna is a brilliant addition, too. It folds flat, making it an easy option to use when you need more signal strength. It does, though, worry me how far it protrudes from a laptop. With this attached, I would want to carry my laptop only for a short time. But, on the desktop, it’s fine."
Speed and performance
“I think this is the ideal balance of performance, speed and range in a compact unit. That antenna made a marked difference to my signal strength, and taking the laptop even farther away into the garden led to it only dropping one to two bars from a full 100 per cent signal at the start. I think that’s going to come down to the antenna, the WiFi 6 build and the high 1200 Mbps combined speeds on offer.’"
Pros & Cons
- Excellent antenna design for more flexibility
- Fantastic speeds upwards of 1800Mbps
- Stable and secure connection
Cons
- Bulkier than most USB dongles (but that’s fine considering the speed and integrated external antenna)
Performance
- Build
- Design
- Value
Specifications
- Dimensions: 93 x 31.4 x 14.45mm (L x W x H)
- Wireless band: Dual-band
- Data transfer speed: Up to 1200Mbps
- Security features: WPA3
- Operating system support: Windows
- Signal coverage: Not specified
Best for compatibility
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
Yet another nano Wi-Fi dongle, the NETGEAR AC1200, is perfectly ideal for laptops thanks to its unnoticeable design and offers a significant performance boost to your standard router performance. The NETGEAR is ideal for flexible setups and is perfectly compatible with Windows and Mac OS.
That being said, as with all nano Wi-Fi dongles, the lack of antennae and the smaller size means that the signal range is typically weak. You won’t be able to connect to far-off routers as well as you might have with a full-size Wi-Fi dongle, but that’s the trade-off for a much more portable design. With great speed and a solid price, NETGEAR’s AC1200 is a worthwhile investment in stable and speedy performance.
Once again, writer Chris Duffill has attached this to his laptop and tested it for speed and range. Here’s what he found:
Design and build
“Although I often find the super-small dongles like this a letdown to look at – and use – this NETGEAR model is more substantial. The solid plastic has a nice contour at the end, and the branding is a nice touch. This doesn’t protrude far, so I’m glad to be able to leave this plugged in when I pack my laptop away.”
Speed and performance
“Given how small this is, I was surprised to read that this is dual-band and can reach close to the 1200Mbps combined speed. It connected to my networks without a hitch, but (as I had half-expected, given the size), this one had a limited range. Moving from my study and around the house, the signal strength hovered around the 20-40 per cent mark depending on obstructions and so on. The connection only got close to dropping at the end of my garden about 35ft away. Other than that it was a solid performer, streaming without drop-outs. It’s a good compact dual-band option – just don’t expect a tonne of range.”
Pros & Cons
- Perfect portable Wi-Fi dongle
- Great speed and stable connection
- Uses MU-MIMO to reduce overcrowding problems
Cons
- Some users experiencing issues with drivers
Performance
- Build
- Design
- Value
Specifications
- Dimensions: 14 x 7 x 20mm (L x W x H)
- Wireless band: Dual-band
- Data transfer speed: 1200Mbps
- Security features: Not specified
- Operating system support: Windows/Mac OS
- Signal coverage: Not specified
Best low-latency
Chris Duffill, What’s The Best
Rrp: £39.99
Price: £29.99
An affordable, high-powered Wi-Fi dongle, the TP-Link Archer TX20U is ideal for boosting speeds and improving the stability of your connection. With MU-MIMO technology, the TP-Link AX1800 is strong, even when many devices are connected to a single router.
Though the design is large, it’s designed well, with adjustable antennae and a slick, black aesthetic that blends well amongst a desk of peripherals. Moreover, the TP-Link AX1800 comes with a one-metre cable, so you’ve got a great deal of flexibility with your setup overall.
Our tech specialist Chris Duffill completes his group test