Best 802.11ac usb adapter?

[brettlarkins]

Looking for some guidance here... I need a USB adapter to "test" and demonstrate the 3700 802.11ac AP's in front of customers and I want something that is going to give me the best throughput possible... but also be reliable.

I know I will need to be in close proximity of the AP and I know that I would get better throughput with an internal wireless adapter but one of the requirements is that i need to demo with a USB adapter.

What have you guys used and what would you recommend I use or stay away from?

Thanks in advance!

[Leo Laohoo]

I'm not sure about USB sticks, but the latest Mac Book Pro is full 802.11ac capable with 3 x 3 : 3.  

[brettlarkins]

Ended up purchasing a Rosewill AC1200UBE 2.4/5GHz USB3.0 adapter on Amazon ~$40

The adapter specs state "Data Rates of up to 300Mbps" for 2.4GHz and "up to 867Mbps" for 5GHz

Testing between that and another laptop, through a Meraki MR34 showed actual throughput of 400Mbps from 10 feet away and just shy of 300Mbps 2 (drywall) offices away with the door closed.  25-30 feet down the hall in our office building I got about 175-185mbps throughput.

Not too bad, considering it's only rated for a Data Rate of 867Mbps and not the full 1.3Gbps.  I'm guessing the adapter only supports 2 spatial streams.

Anyway... just thought I'd throw that info out there in case anyone can use it.

Attached is a snapshot from DUMeter running on the laptop with the wireless card.  DU Meter running on the laptop that the traffic generator was pointing toward also showed the same results.

[Scott Fella]

You can also refer to this link.  This is what I keep as a good reference and also determines if I purchase anything good:)

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/List_of_802.11ac_Hardware#Wireless_adapters

Scott

[emily00001]

Hi, I have a similar question. I'm looking for a good USB WiFi adapter that also works well in challenging high density environments. So it needs to do roaming right and not get confused by interference or multiple APs with the same WLAN.

Was the Rosewill AC1200UBE tested in this type of environment and how did it perform?

[Scott Fella]

It's best to purchase a few and run your own test. Having a few that works well is good, but everyone's testing or presence is different. 

-Scott 

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[emily00001]

Sure, but if someone's already done it that would save some time :)

[Scott Fella]

The Proxim cards work well if you want a high end card

http://www.proxim.com/products/wireless-lan-access/orinoco-usb-9100-client-adapter

We have used the Netgear AC and the Edimax that also works well.

-Scott 

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[brettlarkins]

No, the Rosewill USB NIC was not testing in a high-density roaming environment.  It was used mostly for throughput testing on several new AP's at the time and as a proof-of-concept for customers.

-Brett