1. TP-Link Archer T9UH: Best Overall Wi-Fi Dongle
For most people, the T9UH is the best Wi-Fi upgrade (or add-on if your PC doesn’t have Wi-Fi at all). It may not support the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, but that doesn’t really count against it because, in the topsy-turvy world of Wi-Fi, it actually offers faster speeds than the adapter. D-Link Wi-Fi 6.
Granted, these are theoretical speeds, but the fact is that Wi-Fi 5 dongles can deliver real-world speeds as fast as Wi-Fi 6 in many homes. Not everyone has a Wi-Fi 6 router yet, or enough Wi-Fi 6 devices to really take advantage of some of the smart technologies offered by the standard.
On a practical note, the Archer T9UH features a fold-out design that opens to around 150mm in length. Unlike the Asus USB-AC68’s multi-appendage approach, this one has a hinged edge to the body that can almost bend in half.
The design is for dual-band antennas (2.4 GHz at 600 Mb/s and 5 GHz at 1300 Mb/s) with 802.11ac AC1900 support.
As is now the case with high-end adapters, TP-Link supports beamforming which provides more consistent performance, ideal for streaming HD and 4K media content, and USB 3.0 is required in because of the higher throughput, so you’ll get the best speeds if you connect it to a USB 3 port, not USB 2.
The T9UH also comes with a docking station that allows it to be connected further away from your PC or laptop. The docking station’s 3m cable means you can position the adapter in the perfect spot, which is handy if existing Wi-Fi connectivity is spotty in your location.
Speeds are great on 5GHz when connected to a suitable Wi-Fi 5 router, but there’s not much point in spending that much if your laptop already has Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) , or if you are going to use it. so far from your router that it only works on the 2.4 GHz band, where performance is far less impressive.
