If your laptop’s internal Wi-Fi adapter is dead, or just doesn’t have enough power to get the kind of speed you were hoping for, you might want to look into installing a third-party adapter that can boost the signal. Here’s what you need to know.
Sentinel System Driver Installer for Sentinel SuperPro, UltraPro & SHK Windows, 3 MB, Version 7.6.0, Released 2017-09-28 Sentinel LDK SDK - Entitlement Management System. USB device (dongle) driver installation for Windows 10 For Windows 10, 64bit is in USB drivers without signature (libusb-win32) the operation 'Disable Driver Signature Enforcement' required 1. Start Windows 2. On Windows icon in the lower left (Start) Click 3. In the menu click 'ON / OFF' button 4.
RELATED:How to Choose a USB Wi-Fi Adapter for Your Laptop
This guide assumes you’ve already picked out an adapter and bought it–so check out our buying guide before coming here to get everything up and running.
USB WiFi Adapter 600Mbps EDUP 802.11ac Dual Band 2.4G/5G Wireless Network Adapter USB Wi-Fi Dongle with 2dBi Antenna Support Windows XP,Win Vista,Win 7,Win 8.1, Win 10,Mac OS X 10.6-10.13 by EDUP $17.29 $ 17 29 Prime. Install.exe is our newest signed installer program to install the KEYLOK device on the end-users machine. It has the same integration abilities and the same command line switch options to ensure backward compatibility with your application.
If Windows Has the Drivers
In most cases, Wi-Fi adapters are simply plug-and-play in Windows 10. Windows contains minimal drivers for many devices so you can get online without downloading the driver separately. In this example we’ll be installing a TP-Link Archer T2UH AC600 USB networking adapter, which Windows 10 already has a driver for.
When you insert your USB and once you’re online you can download the updated drivers either from the manufacturer’s website, or through the Windows Device Manager, as we’ll explain in the next section.
Once Windows 10 installs the drivers, one of either two things will happen: If you have a functioning wireless adapter already, Windows 10 will automatically set the new adapter to “Wi-Fi 2” as the secondary backup network. To switch from one network to the next, you can do so by first clicking the Wi-Fi icon from your taskbar, then choosing Wi-Fi 2 from the drop-down menu at the top of the wireless network list.
Once this is selected, simply re-connect to the network you were previously on, and you’re done.
If you don’t have a separate wireless networking device installed, Windows will automatically treat the USB adapter as the primary adapter, and you can connect to a wireless network the same as you would otherwise.
If Windows Doesn’t Have the Drivers
RELATED:How to Turn Your Windows PC Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot
Although it’s rarer in Windows 10 than it was in previous versions, there are still a few instances where the operating system may not have the drivers ready for your adapter by default. If this happens to you, there are two methods you can use to get them properly installed.
Use the Included Driver CD
Dongle Software For Windows 10
The first and most obvious solution in this scenario is to use the driver CD that the wireless adapter was shipped with.
Almost all wireless adapters released within the past ten years will come with an automatic setup on the install disc. Once you put the CD in, it will run a program that both installs the drivers for the adapter, as well as giving you the the option to install a third-party wireless tool to help you search for networks.
In general, it’s a good idea to let Windows take care of this task. Third-party software that tries to do something Windows can handle on its own will just weigh your system down.
Download the Drivers on a Separate Computer
If you’ve lost the original driver CD the adapter came with or your laptop doesn’t contain an optical drive to install it, there’s one more workaround you can try.
Optimally, your laptop will already come with a functioning internal wireless adapter that you can use to go online and find the required drivers. If not, you can use a separate computer to download the drivers. To do this, visit the manufacturer’s website, go to their Support or Drivers page, and find the most recent package that contains the necessary drivers.
Download the driver and transfer the file onto a USB flash drive, and then plug that flash drive into the laptop you want the adapter installed on. Drag the files from the flash drive to a local folder on the laptop (we put it in our Documents under a folder called “My Wireless Driver”). If they’re in a compressed file, be sure to extract it first.
Open up the Windows Device Manager by right-clicking your Start menu, and selecting it from the following menu:
Once here, find the name of your adapter listed underneath the “Network Adapters” section. Right-click on it, and select “Update Driver Software” from the following drop-down menu.
This will take you to the Driver Update wizard. From the screen below, choose the option to “Browse my computer for driver software”.
Once here, hit the Browse button, and point the wizard to the folder where you copied the drivers from your flash drive.
Windows 10 will install the drivers on its own from here, and once completed, your wireless adapter will automatically begin looking for wireless networks to connect to in your immediate vicinity.
Not all wireless adapters are created alike, and if you want to beef up the download speeds on your laptop or just need a replacement for a faulty internal card, an external Wi-Fi adapter can get the job done just fine.
Image Credits: TP-Link
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Usb Dongle Driver Windows 10 Download
Since its release and constant updates, some Windows 10 setups have been having problems with WiFi.
There are many fixes and solutions floating around depending on your WiFi card.
Most problems seem to be the lack of updated drivers for existing cards installed in laptops or USB dongles/adapters.
If Windows 10 has the drivers to install for the card it will work, if it doesn’t one will have to be found.
Generally speaking Windows 7 and Windows 8 drivers should work with Windows 10 but there is no guarantee.
If you have run into this problem one sure work around is to use a Windows 10 compatible USB adapter, they are cheap and an easy fix.
Below is out picks for best Windows 10 USB adapters along with reviews.
We have reviewed the units for speed and compatibility to see how well they work with Windows 10.
As always be sure to read the reviews on Amazon or elsewhere to be sure a unit is a good fit for you.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Our Picks for Windows 10 Compatible USB Adapters / Dongles
- EDUP AC600
- BrosTrend AC1
- Alfa AC1200
- Dodocool
- Panda PAU03
- TP-LINK Archer T1U
- ASUS USB-AC68
USB WiFi Adapter 600Mbps EDUP 802.11ac Dual Band 2.4G/5G Wireless Network Adapter USB Wi-Fi Dongle with 2dBi Antenna Support Windows XP,Win Vista,Win 7,Win 8.1, Win 10,Mac OS X 10.7-10.14
The EDUP AC600 is a Dual Band 802.11ac that works in both the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz frequencies.
The EDUP AC600 is a Dual Band 802.11ac that works in both the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz frequencies.
802.11AC is currently the fastest WiFi protocol and works in the 5GHz band.
The 2.4Ghz band is for legacy devices and works with the older Wireless-N protocol.
The 2.4Ghz band is for legacy devices and works with the older Wireless-N protocol.
This makes it a wireless adapter that will work in most any WiFi network.
While testing it worked very well with Windows 10 automatically finding and installing the Drivers.
Read Full Review Here
BrosTrend 1200Mbps USB WiFi Network Adapter; Dual Band AC 5GHz WIFI Speed 867Mbps, 2.4GHz 300Mbps; For Desktop, Laptop, PC of Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 /Vista/XP; USB 3.0; AC 1200 (AC1 Model)
The BrosTrend AC1 is a Windows 10 USB WiFi adapter along with good speed results.
It is dual band and uses the new 802.11ac protocol. This makes it able to fit into most any WiFi network new or old.
During testing Windows 10 automatically found the drivers by simply plugging it in, making it basically Plug and Play.
Its low cost and good Windows 10 compatibility make it worth a look.
Read Full Review Here
The BrosTrend AC1 is a Windows 10 USB WiFi adapter along with good speed results.
It is dual band and uses the new 802.11ac protocol. This makes it able to fit into most any WiFi network new or old.
During testing Windows 10 automatically found the drivers by simply plugging it in, making it basically Plug and Play.
Its low cost and good Windows 10 compatibility make it worth a look.
Read Full Review Here
Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas – 2.4GHz 300Mbps/5GHz 867Mbps – 802.11ac & A, B, G, N
The Alfa AC1200 is a Dual-Band 802.11ac compatible adapter that works well with Windows 10.
It also has two 5dBi antennas for good range. It also has the latest technology and is a dual band 803.11ac adapter.
If you are looking for good wireless speed and distance that works with Windows 10 this is a good option.
Read Full Review Here
The Alfa AC1200 is a Dual-Band 802.11ac compatible adapter that works well with Windows 10.
It also has two 5dBi antennas for good range. It also has the latest technology and is a dual band 803.11ac adapter.
If you are looking for good wireless speed and distance that works with Windows 10 this is a good option.
Read Full Review Here
USB WiFi Adapter 600Mbps USBNOVEL Dual Band 2.4G / 5G Wireless WiFi Dongle Network Card for for Laptop Destop Win XP/7/8/10, Mac OS X 10.6-10.14
Dodocool makes this small entry level 802.11ac model.
It has the latest technology being a dual band 802.11ac adapter.
The speed is not the best and rated at 433Mbps in the 5GHz range and 150Mbps in the old 2.4Ghz band. The range also isn’t the best since it is small and doesn’t have a large antenna.
While not the best with speed or distance since it can work in any network and is small, this makes it ideal to replace or upgrade a laptops broken internal WiFi card or similar.
Read Full Review Here
Dodocool makes this small entry level 802.11ac model.
It has the latest technology being a dual band 802.11ac adapter.
The speed is not the best and rated at 433Mbps in the 5GHz range and 150Mbps in the old 2.4Ghz band. The range also isn’t the best since it is small and doesn’t have a large antenna.
While not the best with speed or distance since it can work in any network and is small, this makes it ideal to replace or upgrade a laptops broken internal WiFi card or similar.
Read Full Review Here
Panda Ultra 150Mbps Wireless N USB Adapter – Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.4-10.10, Mint, Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, BackTrack5 R3, Kali Linux and Raspberry Pi 1/Pi 2
The Panda PAU03 is a small cheap USB WiFi dongle that works with most any hardware.
The creators have good support and are always updating the drivers to work with all types of hardware from a Raspberry Pi to Windows 10.
Small WiFi dongles don’t have the best range but for a quick solution the Panda PAU03 is a good option.
It does only run in the 2.4 GHz band and uses 802.11n or Wireless-N.
While it is not the fastest WiFi dongle or have the best range it will work with Windows 10 and have you up and running.
The Panda PAU03 is a small cheap USB WiFi dongle that works with most any hardware.
The creators have good support and are always updating the drivers to work with all types of hardware from a Raspberry Pi to Windows 10.
Small WiFi dongles don’t have the best range but for a quick solution the Panda PAU03 is a good option.
It does only run in the 2.4 GHz band and uses 802.11n or Wireless-N.
While it is not the fastest WiFi dongle or have the best range it will work with Windows 10 and have you up and running.
TP-Link Archer T1U AC450 Nano USB Wireless WiFi Network Adapter, Works with Windows and Mac OS, 5GHz Only.
The TP-LINK Archer T1U is another small Windows 10 compatible WiFi dongle.
It supports the new 802.11ac 5 GHz band for high speed data transfers (433Mbps).
There is no support for the older 2.4 GHz band it is only a 5 GHz 802.11n/ac dongle.
802.11ac is a new protocol that works in the 5 GHz range and has a faster download speed with 802.11ac than Wireless-N.
Update: Some reviews on the T1U have it connecting and disconnecting randomly, and working only in Wireless-N mode with Windows 10. Read here for a full review.
The TP-LINK Archer T1U is another small Windows 10 compatible WiFi dongle.
It supports the new 802.11ac 5 GHz band for high speed data transfers (433Mbps).
There is no support for the older 2.4 GHz band it is only a 5 GHz 802.11n/ac dongle.
802.11ac is a new protocol that works in the 5 GHz range and has a faster download speed with 802.11ac than Wireless-N.
Update: Some reviews on the T1U have it connecting and disconnecting randomly, and working only in Wireless-N mode with Windows 10. Read here for a full review.
ASUS USB-AC68 Dual-Band AC1900 USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter with Included Cradle
If you want one of the fastest wireless dongle available the ASUS USB-AC68 is worth a look
The previous version Asus USB-AC56 is also a nice unt and fast but the new USB-AC68 has gone farther.
The downside is that it cost much more than the average low=cost wireless adapter. Most will not need the speed the USB-AC68 can run at and simply need to get a good low cost unit.
It is a nice one to have though and works great with Windows 10.
If you want one of the fastest wireless dongle available the ASUS USB-AC68 is worth a look
The previous version Asus USB-AC56 is also a nice unt and fast but the new USB-AC68 has gone farther.
The downside is that it cost much more than the average low=cost wireless adapter. Most will not need the speed the USB-AC68 can run at and simply need to get a good low cost unit.
It is a nice one to have though and works great with Windows 10.
Dongle Driver
Summary
New versions of Windows has always caused problems with device compatibility and Windows 10 is no exception.
A USB adapter is a quick fix for a Windows 10 wireless problem.
As with any device be sure to read the reviews on Amazon or elsewhere to be sure it fits your setup.
New versions of Windows has always caused problems with device compatibility and Windows 10 is no exception.
A USB adapter is a quick fix for a Windows 10 wireless problem.
As with any device be sure to read the reviews on Amazon or elsewhere to be sure it fits your setup.