TP-Link AC600 USB WiFi Adapter for PC (Archer T2U Plus)- Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop with 2.4GHz, 5GHz High Gain Dual Band 5dBi Antenna, Supports Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS 10.9-10.14

How's this?

Computer cannot be seen by other computers on local network unless I ping it first.

I have a Plex server for my house, but when I try to access it from my HTPC in the living room, it shows as offline. Both PC's have internet access, but cannot see each other unless I initiate a ping from the Plex server first.

https://i.imgur.com/nPoA4eR.png

The first ping always fails, and then it works again.

I'm using an ASUS AC1750 flashed with Merlin and the Plex server has a TP-Link AC600 USB wireless adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5PRK7J). The HTPC is hardwire directly to the router. Unfortunately, I cannot hardwire the Plex server at the current location. Both PC's are Win10.

Here is my previous post: https://old.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/irlyi0/pc_on_network_cannot_see_other_devices_but_has/

I tried both fixes in the r/HomeNetworking thread, but the issue still persists.

USB WiFi adapter - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_n04pEbGH8MG7R

Sadly, you cannot connect them with a cable. Also, Miracast has certain requirements that your adapter may not meet. Most new adapters are compatible, so if you search "USB wifi adapter" on Amazon or your preferred online store, you will find plenty of good compatible adapters. Here is the one I used. https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=mp_s_a_1_4

In that case, your Wi-Fi card is janky. You can try completely wiping all the network drivers from device manager and install the latest from TP-Link. Otherwise, I'd just get a new adapter.

I use a simple USB Wi-Fi adapter like this one and it works fine. Ironically, this one is TP-Link as well, but I've used it for years without any speed issues.

Built-in wifi isn't better or worse. You should not use that feature as a selling point.

Most PC gaming enthusiasts use wired ethernet connections, but if you really need wireless, a USB adapter like this will do the job just fine.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J/

how exactly does a usb wifi adapter like this work? do i literally just plug it in and im good to go?

The wifi provided by motherboards alone is pretty bad in my experience. I would highly recommend picking up a cheap wifi antenna to drastically improve your reception. I have the one linked above and love it.

You can use a USB wifi adapter. Plugs into USB and lets you connect to wifi. They're not that expensive for normalish ones.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=usb+wifi+adapter&qid=1596605881&sr=8-3

Asking a question does not make you stupid at all. Best of my knowledge there are three ways 1) built in WiFi 2) Ethernet connection 3) WiFi adapter. Here is link to USB WiFi adapter linkTP-Link AC600 USB WiFi Adapter for PC (Archer T2U Plus) Item is returnable, and cost $20. Has 4.5 rating. This should work well for you.

Deal link: Amazon

These have worked fine for me at $20.

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_3

Or you can do something like this if you just want to plug & play: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_3W70EbJ3ZW7GZ

Buy this:

Compatible USB wifi

The easiest would be to use a USB 3 wireless adapter. USB 3 has 5Gbps of bandwidth so it can certainly saturate Wi-Fi AC. Be aware that 5Ghz does not penetrate as well as 2.4Ghz (though it has significant other benefits), so being on a different floor from it may not be great.

You can also try to experiment with powerline (50/50 chance of solid speeds) or MoCa, if you have coax in the room your PC will be moving to (typically there is pass-through so you don't need to 'take up' a spot).

I'm in a gothic and there's no Ethernet. USB WiFi adapters are a thing. Amazon delivery is ~1 week because of Labor Day so I was just trying to get one quicker.

If you have a built in wireless card the option to turn on Wi-Fi will show up on Windows.

If you don't really care for opening up your computer for one of those PCIe wireless card, you can buy a usb one and they will still work fine.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=USB+wifi+adapter&qid=1597275376&sr=8-3

I bought this bad boy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5PRK7J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The AC600 model

I suspect it's a bad wifi adapter this is what I use it's cheap, Its inexpensive and works great last adapter I had had a similar issue and a new adapter fixes the issues https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=wifi+adapter&qid=1596286445&sr=8-4

Something like this. 5Ghz capable. https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=5ghz+wireless+adapter&qid=1606431577&s=electronics&sr=1-3

Perfect answer, a usb wifi adapter would also be good option if your planing on using the pcie slot for other stuff like usb expansion cards later on. But if not, go with the pcie wifi card

I have a 2011 HP laptop. I upgraded the RAM and put in a SSD. Clean install Windows 10. It only has USB 2.0 and 2.4ghz. Wanted 5ghz so I went with the TP-Link USB Wifi Adapter. (I’ll put in a link below.) It is the top rated one on Amazon. It was plug and play easy install and has been trouble free. Would highly recommend. Hope this helps! 😀

TP-Link USB Wifi Adapter for PC AC600Mbps Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop with 2.4GHz/5GHz High Gain Dual Band 5dBi Antenna, Supports Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS 10.9-10.14 (Archer T2U Plus) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.wDsFb4RV15QE

I’d go with something more reputable like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fab_oU.AFbY1XP4YN

I have had good a experience with this one. https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=wifi+adapter&qid=1606406530&sprefix=wifi+&sr=8-5 $20 new if you don't find a better deal.

This one or another tp link

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=tp+link+wifi+adapter&qid=1585182176&sprefix=tp+link+wi&sr=8-2

Well I'm using this one and I haven't had any problems with it so far. If speeds are slow it's most likely either due to your distance from the router, or interference due to other wireless devices.

If your phone gets a good signal in that spot, your PC prob will to. Maybe try something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_4?crid=15IES5IQEZFWK&dchild=1&keywords=usb+wireless+network+adapter&qid=1596744069&sprefix=usb+wireless%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-4

Glad to hear it! I don’t use Bluetooth on my computer, so I don’t have any recommendations in that area.

For WiFi, I went with this one: TP-Link USB Wifi Adapter for PC - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share. Since we don’t have a dvd drive, I think I used an external dvd to get the drivers on it, but you should be able to get the drivers from tp-link’s website if you have an Ethernet you can use temporarily or other computer and USB.

The exact listing we bought before isn't there but something like this with the antenna will probably get you better signal than a cheaper USB dongle without them.

Wow, that's hella slow! Literally anything would work with that.

Something like this is ample. https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=usb+wifi&qid=1598666507&sr=8-3

To cover all bases, most laptop computers have built-in WiFi cards. Most Desktop computers do not (Except AIO computers which usually have them). So if you have a desktop computer (i.e. physical box tower), you'll have to pick up a USB WiFi Card.

Then you will need an ethernet cable, which connects to your internet router.

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Heres a link to a wifi Adapter that should work fine: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=TP-link+wifi+adapter&qid=1587072738&sr=8-1

Oh also, forgot to ask, will you be using wired internet or Wifi? If it's the latter, you can grab one of these https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Archer-T2U-Wireless-10-9-10-14/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3SA0L467T2JPH&dchild=1&keywords=wise+tiger+wifi+adapter&qid=1595529717&sprefix=wise+tiger+%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-7 and plug it in.

There could be a number of things in effect here. It could be a limitation of your current wireless adapter, or its past it's prime. It could be the distance from your router compared to that of your laptop. If it's a USB wireless card, you could try using it in your laptop while at your PC desk to see if you get similar speeds compared to when it's plugged into your new PC. If the speeds are worse than your laptop's internal card's speeds, then it could be time for a new adapter.

As for suggestions, if you can run ethernet, I'd recommend that over anything. But if not, a dual band card if you have a dual band router would be beneficial. Perhaps something like https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=wireless+dual+band+usb+adapter&qid=1586133233&sr=8-8

or

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-1200Mbps-802-11ac-Wireless-Supports/dp/B07FGX8LBF/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=wireless+dual+band+usb+adapter&qid=1586133233&sr=8-7

Does the WiFi reach to that side? Both USB adapters and PCIe cards are just as good as Ethernet nowadays.

Well, they're just USB devices - not "drives". But they generally work well. A lot will depend on how far away the desktop is from the Wi-Fi source (router). If it's in the same room, you can probably get one like this, that's the same size as a wireless mouse dongle. If the back is hidden, or the router is a couple rooms over, something like this would be better. For all around best performance on a desktop (and none of the downsides of USB), you should go for something like this - much more stable and reliable.

I used this:
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tplink+archer+t2u+plus&qid=1598760206&sr=8-1

My only problem was that when i had the airport extreme, the speed was not great. I switched to a TP link router recently, and the speed got better.

Is this the right one? https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J

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I need one for my wireless cyber security class.

It will fit. You can use any PCI slot to put the card in though most likely the the smaller slot will be covered. You could also look at putting the GPU in the bottom slot and then card above it.

As for recommended wifi cards, kinda depends on what your router is. If you are supporting Wifi 6 and want bluetooth and such something like this will work Link.

If you dont want to deal with PCI cards, USb is the next option, but I have never personally had good experience with USB cards. Link to one

Type "show available networks" into the search bar next to the start button. Once settings opens, click on "show available networks." If no wifi networks show up then you need something like this.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Chh9TW/tp-link-wireless-network-card-tlwn881nd

if you want something easier to install and have a spare USB port. https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-desktop-10-9-10-14-Archer-T2U/dp/B07P5PRK7J

You can find a cheap USB WiFI adapter on Amazon for $20.

For example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5PRK7J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So is the actual antenna thing better like this or one like this

maybe but if not put this in front IO https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5PRK7J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's a pcie solution

Here's usb solution

Here's a wireless pcie solution

Here's a usb wireless solution

Powerline adapters?

Why not get a Wi-Fi adapter like this (USB), this (PCI-E), or this (M.2)?

A wifi card can come in many different shapes and sizes.

It could be integrated into your computers mother board like thi:ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) ATX Motherboard with PCIe 4.0, Dual M.2, 12+2 with Dr. MOS Power Stage, HDMI, DP, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Aura Sync RGB Lighting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SXF8GY3/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_OQtMEbTMB2J8D

It could be a wifi add on card like this:TP-Link AC1200 PCIe Wireless Wifi PCIe Card | 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless PCI Express Adapter | Low Profile, Long Range Beamforming Heat Sink Technology | Supports Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP (Archer T4E) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NFMSGGR/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_rRtMEbXSGC1N8

Or it could be a USB wifi adapter like this:TP-Link USB Wifi Adapter for PC AC600Mbps Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop with 2.4GHz/5GHz High Gain Dual Band 5dBi Antenna, Supports Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS 10.9-10.14 (Archer T2U Plus) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_aStMEbPTAP4J3

Whatever it is you are using, they still use the same chip sets made by Realtek, Broadcom, Qualcomm etc. All you have to do is figure out which chipset it uses then type in the search bar "name of you wifi chipset" Linux drivers. This will result in many forum posts or tutorials demonstrating hoe to install those drivers.

For me, I use a wifi adapter that uses the Realtek 8812BU chipset. Searching for it online gave a comment post from ask Ubuntu. I was able to use that site and install the driver with only 3 terminal commands(copy pasted)

Option B will not help you at all. 75mpbs internet should be more than enough for your needs, especially since its only two of you and it sounds like you don't do anything crazy that requires faster internet.

Option A can help and actually save you money too. You are probably paying $10-15/month to rent Comcast's modem/router combo. Those things are usually junk and don't provide a good wifi signal. So you could spend $150-200 and get yourself something much, much better. Best of all, if you get your own modem, you won't have to pay $10-15/month. So the new equipment will pay itself off over time. You could also get yourself a mesh wifi network (along with themodem) to have decent/good wifi throughout your home. Note, only choose between a single router or mesh wifi setup, not both. Both will require the modem though.

Modem suggestion: Arris Surfboard SB6141

Router suggestion: Asus Wireless AC1700

Mesh Router suggestion: TP Link Deco

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There is also Option C and D.

Option C: Upgrade the wifi adapter in your desktop (cheapest option on this list). You could get something like this. This is what the other user's comment is mentioning.

Option D: Run an ethernet cable to your desktop and hardwire it directly. Are you a handy man? If so, it may be worthwhile to run the cable through your walls and get it to your desktop. Might be a bit of a hassle, but worth it in the long run.

Just updating this for anyone who is looking into this.

This one works:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008IFXQFU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

TPLINK TL-WN725N

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This one does not work: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5PRK7J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
TPLINK Archer T2U Plus

Ryzen 7 3700X

Noctua NH-D15.chromax

Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 Super

G.Skill TridentZ RGB 32GB (2×16GB) 3200MHz CL16 - most people choose 3600MHz over 3200MHz but that increases the CAS latency to CL18 more often than not compared to CL16. I would choose CL16 over CL18.

Sabrent Rocket PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe 1TB M.2 SSD - to complement that "Jack of all trades" tag

Corsair RM850x 850 Watt 80+ Plus Gold-rated power supply

Asus ROG Strix X570-E - coz why not ?

2×PWM fan splitter 3-way

1× PWM fan splitter 2-way

3×Noctua F-12.chromax 120mm PWM fan for front intake

NZXT H710 - included 1×120mm rear fan for exhaust and reposition the 3×120mm fans for top exhaust

Total cost : USD 2182.34

How to cut down cost :

66.99USD cut by choosing this Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB PCIe Gen 3.0 M.2 SSD

Shave off 90USD by choosing Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) but I'll not recommend so as it supports Wi-Fi 5 only and not the new Wi-Fi 6 standard - shave 115USD by choosing Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus and buy this this TP-Link WiFi adapter for additional 16.99USD.

So the Strix 570-E and Sabrent Rocket Gen 4.0 config costs 2182.34USD, whereas the TUF Gaming X570-Plus (non-WiFi) and Sabrent Rocket Q Gen 3.0 costs 2014.34USD.

😄all the best !