Do usb wifi adapters work

[OBLAMA2009]

im thinking about getting one of these but someone told me to get a card instead because the usb one dont usually work very well. i dont see anyone using them. could you recommend a brand and model that works well?

 

[Gunbuster]

in a desktop? yeah they work great. Most come with a USB extension cable so you can hang the card someplace for better signal.

 

[Blain]

I've got an AirLink101 AWLL6075 that works very well.

 

[lsv]

They work just as well as internal wifi cards.

 

[WildW]

I've had a few USB ones (Belkin, Linksys), and they've all been pretty bad. Frequent drop-outs the main problem, and poor signal no matter where I've put them. They do work, but how well will depend entirely on how your home is laid out and how many walls/floors you're trying to get through.

I had a PCI card with an antenna on a short cable, and it did better, but still wasn't perfect. I much prefer homeplug type adapters if at all possible.

 

[JackMDS]

The small plug inn Wireless USB are OK for occasional use.

They are small and made of plastic, so their heat dissipation is Not good and they tend to warm up after prolong use. As a self protection the strength of the signal is then attenuated to avoid burning the output part of the chipset.

Thus for long use in a desktop PCI is better.

This very good - PCI http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833315041

Driver/Utility for Windows 98SE/Me/2K/XP/XP 64/Vista/Vista 64

http://www.edimax.us/html/english/frames/b-download.htm

If you must go USB, - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833315075

.

 

[Fox5]

I find they often fail to come back on resume from suspend and require a hot plug.

 

[pukemon]

I have the Buffalotech nfiniti-N usb adapter and it works decently in Windows 7 as long as it's within range. Unfortunately, the range really isn't that great and the signal drops significantly through multiple walls.

 

[krnmastersgt]

The small plug inn Wireless USB are OK for occasional use.

They are small and made of plastic, so their heat dissipation is Not good and they tend to warm up after prolong use. As a self protection the strength of the signal is then attenuated to avoid burning the output part of the chipset.

Thus for long use in a desktop PCI is better.

This very good - PCI http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833315041

Driver/Utility for Windows 98SE/Me/2K/XP/XP 64/Vista/Vista 64

http://www.edimax.us/html/english/frames/b-download.htm

If you must go USB, - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833315075

.

Gotta go with that EDIMAX card, Jack recommended it to me a while back and it's worked great since then (though I think THAT particular one has a longer cable than mine [cable was just a tad short for where I had it])

 

[mpilchfamily]

I use to use a USB dongle to piggyback off of neighbor's wifi. I find it works better then a card. Its easier to get it into a position where it can get better reception. I even went so far as to make a dish for it to improve reception.
http://pc-tech-log.wetpaint.com/page/USB+WiFi+Adapter+Mod