When it comes to surfing the Internet, wireless networks have gained much importance compared to cable for our connections. However, speed, stability or quality problems can occasionally arise. That makes users have to buy a new device to try to improve it. In this article we are going to talk about when we need to have an external Wi-Fi adapter for the laptop.
Problems with the Wi-Fi connection on the laptop
This is a very common problem among home users. They have trouble surfing the Internet over Wi-Fi on a laptop. These are usually errors related to coverage to connect to the router. There could also be loss of speed, stability, or continuous cuts.
The causes of this that we mention can be varied, but can generally be avoided or at least improved with a good network card. As a result, users sometimes wonder if they need to buy an external laptop Wi-Fi adapter instead of using the built-in one.
Keep in mind that the vast majority of laptops have a wireless network card integrated into the motherboard. This, at least on paper, should serve to connect us to Wi-Fi. However, on many occasions the quality of that card is not the best and can lead to problems.
When do we need an external Wi-Fi adapter
As we say, there are different causes that may cause us to need to change the laptop’s wireless network card. We can buy a new device if we have problems and see that they can be fixed. We are going to show some clues that would indicate that we should buy an external network card.
Speed is much lower
Undoubtedly one of the ways to know whether or not we need an external Wi-Fi adapter is to do a speed test . Here we can check several things, as we are going to explain.
On the one hand we can know if our internal Wi-Fi adapter is adapted to achieve maximum speed, which we really have contracted. It is useless to have a maximum speed symmetrical fiber optic if then we do not have a device capable of offering that.
But it will also show us if beyond knowing the theoretical maximum capacity we can achieve a good speed to navigate. We could have a card with very little range and as soon as we move a bit away from the router or access point that speed is very low.
Coverage issues
Continuing with what we discussed, another sign would be that of coverage . We can perform tests to know how the coverage we are receiving is. Does it decrease a lot as soon as we move away a little? We could have problems with that internal card.
Ideally, in a Wi-Fi network you can have a considerable range. Especially if we are going to connect from a laptop that we are going to use in different areas of a home. We cannot depend on being right next to the router.
There are continuous cuts
Blackouts are very frequent in wireless networks that do not work properly. If, being connected to the Internet, we see that we suffer frequent outages, that the network needs to be reconnected, it may be time to purchase a new Wi-Fi network card and replace the old one.
This is one of the most common samples that appears among users. They note that when browsing the stability of the connection is not the best.
Does not allow using dual band
Having a dual band network today is very important. We already know that there is the 2.4 Ghz band and also the 5 GHz band. Each of them has its positive and negative points, so sometimes it will be better to use one or the other.
If we have a network card that can only use the 2.4 GHz band, we could have problems achieving optimal performance.
Failure to detect Wi-Fi networks
A network card can also fail when trying to detect Wi-Fi networks . If we know that more should appear or that even the one nearby is not displayed correctly, it is another sign that we must change the card.
This could be solved with an external Wi-Fi network card, with a higher capacity.
USB adapter as an alternative to internal cards
Keep in mind that a first option we can have is to change the internal network card . Many laptops allow this change and it can be the solution in case we have a faulty one.
However most users choose to purchase an external USB adapter. It is economical and above all easy to install. We also have a wide range of possibilities in this regard.
USB adapters can be the size of a simple pendrive. There are also those with an external antenna or even have a cable to lengthen it and achieve a greater range. The objective is to be able to connect in the best possible circumstances, achieving greater stability and quality.
