WLAN USB sticks: Update computers for higher data transmission rates

By Philipp Laage Apr 25, 2010, 15:45 GMT

Hamburg - Newer laptops usually come with WLAN technology built in. Home PCs, by contrast, frequently lack the equipment to wirelessly connect to a home network or the internet. A USB-based WLAN adapter, though, can help older computers get in on the wireless action.

The defining characteristic for a WLAN USB stick is its maximum data transmission speed. The single letter suffixes on device names provide clues on how quickly a given stick can transmit. Christian Just from Germany's Computer Bild magazine recommends models that support the IEEE 802.11 n standard.

'Those sticks are available starting from around 30 dollars. They are most definitely worth their cost, though,' he says. The N standard offers a nominal data transfer rate of up to 300 megabits per second (MBit/s). In practice, the sticks top out at around 80 to 120 Mbit/s.

The fast N standard also requires a WLAN router capable of working at that tempo as well. Another key factor is how the stick will be used, says Klaus Kuehn, product manager at hardware maker Hama. If the computer is being expanded simply to read email messages every now and then, the data transmission doesn't have to be particularly quick.

There are also WLAN USB sticks available on the market that support the B standard (11 MBit/s) and G standard (54 MBit/s), says Alexander Zollondz from the online magazine Netzwelt. Those adapters can be found cheap, primarily on eBay. 'Many users grab for them at that price - but they should watch out that the stick doesn't slow down their entire DSL connection,' Zollondz says.

Older adapters that do not support the current N standard for data transmission can indeed impact the entire network, Christian Just explains. If the user has two modern laptops and a router running on the N standard, for example, and then attaches an antiquated PC unable to match that data rate, then transfer speeds will be reset back to the older, slower standard.

One important potential reason for acquiring a WLAN USB adapter is to improve reception over the WLAN-card that may be built onto the PC, Just says. Those cards can suffer from being hidden in the casing behind other metal parts. WLAN USB sticks by contrast are easy to reposition, often using a USB extension cord, to find spots with better reception. Just a few centimetres can often make a noticeable difference.

WLAN USB sticks are generally easy to install. Most models install themselves, in fact. In other cases a CD-ROM with installation software is usually included, says Zollondz. The user must then configure the stick like other network components so that it can connect to the internet via the router - typically with the proper WLAN password.

It's important to have current drivers, Just says. Name-brand hardware makers typically release updated drivers for newer Windows versions. 'That is not always the case with the no-name producers.'

There are further differences in the processing quality and the service, such as whether the software is only in English or Chinese or multiple languages. The quality differences are sometimes also reflected in the price. 'New sticks based on the N standard trend more toward 50 dollars, while older ones are available for around 20 dollars,' Zollondz explains.

Users in multi-family buildings may want to check out WLAN USB sticks that work on the 5 Gigahertz frequency instead of the standard 2.4 Gigahertz band. When numerous WLANs are run in close proximity, the networks can overlap and overload the 2.4 Ghz band. Remember: the router must also support the 5 Gigahertz band for this trick to work.