- Aug 25, 2001
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Here's the factory-direct store link on ebay. (Cheapest on ebay.)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/COMFAST-60...ter-Bluetooth-4-0-Network-Dongle/152834504448
For less than $10 USD shipped direct from China, I picked up this combo BT + AC wifi dongle.
Finally got them today (about 2-3 weeks from order to ship, maybe 4).
Initially, I opened the package, and just plugged the device in, expecting Windows 10 1809 to install drivers automagically.
It made the "bing" like it was connected, but after a while, NOTHING showed up in Device Manager. Now, these are supposed to be driver-less.
When I popped in the install mini-CD, there was a directory (for BT), and a zipped file (for Wifi drivers). I initially double-clicked on the CD, which autoplayed it, and well, it made me a bit nervous, that it was trying to install something UNSIGNED off of the disc. Undaunted, I proceeded.
Later, I checked the disk, and tried double-clicking the ZIP file, and could see the file, but when I manually tried extracting the files, nothing would show up. Later on, the ZIP file apparently DISAPPEARED from the disc? Wasn't showing up at all. And the disc, was showing "added files", like it was a CD/DVD-R mini-CD, and it had erased the zip file upon execution? POSSIBLE PRC / NSA TROJAN? Very weird, never seen anything like it. (*)
(*) Edit: I tried to ISO the disc, seeing as how, if it was a CD-R, it should still show the prior sessions, in an ISO made with ImgBurn. But I found only a single session, but the disc was showing sector read errors over the Windows 7/8.1 BT driver package (which was larger than the Win10 one). I managed to copy over the Win10 Wifi and BT driver, but the Win7/8.1 driver package was eventually unreadable. So, it seems that it wasn't a trojan? (I hope, still concerned that the disc autoplay program brings up an UNSIGNED warning. Seems a bit... unprofessional? As the Realtek own drivers are apparently signed.)
Anyways, it never got working, in the slot I initially plugged it into, in the secondary USB hub, even though it made the "bing" connected sound in Win10, when I removed it and re-inserted it.
I eventually, unplugged it, and plugged it into a DIFFERENT slot on the USB hub, and THEN, it showed up in Device Manager, as a "Realtek 8821CU Wireless LAN 802.11ac USB NIC", under "Network Adapters", and it also showed up as "Realtek Bluetooth Adapter", under "Bluetooth". (As well as the other Bluetooth devices populated, when a BT adapter is present in the system.)
I then disabled the Ethernet, connected to my Asus AC68R router, and did a speedtest.net. (I have gigabit FIOS.) I got 190Mbit/sec with the adapter. Then I paired with my Creative BT speakers, set some internet radio playing, and did another speedtest. Still 190Mbit/sec, down and up, basically. So the BT can work in the background, without interfering with the AC wifi. (I did connect to a 5Ghz SSID.)
So, finally satisfied, I ordered a few more of these. They have an actual antenna on them (single), and a button, probably for WPS. (Didn't need the physical button for BT pairing, though I did have to hit a physical button on my speakers to pair them.)
For under $10, they seem like a winner, although the absolutely bizarre "disappearing driver CD", seems very much like nation-state-level hacking. YMMV. (There have been MANY instances of Chinese cheap electronic / PC peripherals containing trojans. See Huawai and Lenovo being banned from gov't installations.)
Edit: After using it exclusively for internet, and for my BT speakers for a day, I'm very satisfied with this dongle. 190Mbit/sec 5Ghz AC wifi in the other room from the router, is pretty decent, for a 1x1 5Ghz AC adapter, and the simultaneous BT is icing on the cake for a $10 dongle.a (My 3x3 Aukey USB3.0 wifi dongle does 290Mbit/sec from the same location, and no BT.)
Surprisingly, the adapter hasn't overheated at all, either.
The driver issue is pretty weird, though.
Edit: Added a picture, to help people find this adapter if they want. Btw, this was not a sponsored post, just a small independent review. I went looking for BT dongles, then I had the idea, why not look for Wifi + BT dongles, they must make them. I found some "N" wifi + BT dongles, but then I came across these, they seem to be the only "AC wifi + BT" dongles on ebay, and they're not all that easy to find, unless you know to search for "Comfast".
Edit: Did a search for "Comfast", came up with this site:
https://comfastwifi.com/
Says on the page, "100% Kiwi owned and operated - New Zealand". Interesting. Then why is their ebay factory-direct store selling directly from China?
Or is "Comfastwifi", not the same as "Comfast"? (They have the same logo. Is one just a regional reseller?)
Edit: I installed a second unit, this time, I noticed that when it plugged in to Windows 10 64-bit Pro, it showed "Realtek CD drive", and I double-clicked on that drive, and then it opened a WifiSetupSomething, clicked Next a few times, BOOM! It was installed, and working, just like that, no need to use the CD. In fact, the instructions say that you need the CD for the BT functionality, but that wasn't the case, as soon as the drivers installed, the virtual CD drive went away, and the BT icon appeared in the Systray.
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