Get a Netgear 802.11n USB adapter for $13.99

Give your system an 802.11n shot in the arm for just $13.99.

(Credit: Netgear)

I have an 802.11n router in my house, but not all my PCs and laptops have 802.11n adapters. Most of them run 802.11g, which drags down the overall performance of the network (it's a lowest-common-denominator kind of thing).

Cheap fix: Newegg has the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N USB 2.0 Adapter WN111 for $13.99 shipped. It's a refurb, but, hey, something like this either works or it doesn't.

To get that discounted price (it's normally $24.99--and new units list for $70!), you need to apply coupon code EMCLSNW25 at checkout. You also need to be a subscriber to Newegg's newsletter.

As you may know, 802.11n Wi-Fi delivers dramatically faster performance and greater range than 802.11g. That's critical if you want to stream music and video (particularly HD video) around the house, and also for stuff like voice-over-IP and online gaming.

It's rare to find a USB adapter for under $20, especially without a rebate involved, so this was a no-brainer for me. I haven't found any substantial reviews of the WN111, but I'm confident it'll do the job.

That said, based on some user comments I've read here and there, I'm going to download the latest drivers straight from Netgear rather than using the software that comes in the box. (Apparently the early drivers had some Vista compatibility issues.)

One other caveat: The 90-day warranty doesn't bother me, but Newegg has a no-refund policy on this product. That means you can return it for a replacement, but you can't get your money back if it doesn't work right or you don't like it. Not a deal-breaker for me, but I thought you should be aware.

[peteyboy84]

will this work with a mac?

[livingaudio]

got one!(^_^)

thanks Rick!

[yanchineseguy]

Got one also. Thanks, Rick. Should go well with my recently acquired Netgear Wireless N router.

[Georgia in MS]

Thanks Rick! The coupon code worked for the purchase of two.

[SleepyInKC]

A great price, but I have a general question: considering that my ISP speed is capped at maybe 5 Mbps, is there any real benefit to upgrading from wireless-G (54 Mbps) to wireless-N (100 Mbps)? Keep in mind that my primary use of wireless is for Internet, not for file sharing between machines.

[jgonzalez2]

I have the same question, Sleepy.

[msmitchell]

If the main reason for the existence or your network is to use the internet then you will not get much benefit from upgrading your router and devices to wireless-N (the N router would give you a bit better wireless coverage as far as distance/strength goes). The thing that kills me is the least common denominator factor. I have a Wii on my wireless network so even if I get an N router all my wireless connections will be stuck at G because of the Wii and my wireless printer.

[DetJMunch]

Can you share one Cable modem with two routers? Have two wireless networks sharing the same connection? One N and one G? Can you connect the modem and the G, then hook the N into the G using an Ethernet cable? Would that work, and if so, how do I do it?!?!

[08Rabbit]

You can fix this by getting dual band router i think.

[SWATNative]

I got two of these - they will work nicely with the Netgear router I got a few weeks ago. Thanks for the tip(s).

@ DETJMunch: I did that by connecting my new router to my old Netgear router which runs at B speeds using an ethernet cord to one of the ports. I got B speeds when connecting to the old router on my network but N speeds when connecting to the new router. However, I saw a note on Netgear's support page saying that they don't recommend this practice.

[rickbroida]

Just got mine. Turns out it doesn't even come with software, so I have no choice but to download drivers from Netgear. :)

[08Rabbit]

I ordered 3 of them. Good find rick.
And i got them on the 29th :)

[feliusrex]

I have had two issues with this device.
1) Netgear did not include software for this device. This seems to be a policy of theirs as I did not get software with the refurbed wireless N router purchased last month. I was able to download and install drivers for the device from the netgear website, but that's not the same and indicates an unwillingness to really support a refurb device. It certainly is one strike against them.

2) The EULA pops up as an adobe document in some sort of brain-dead window (no resizing controls, no right-click controls). I was installing the drivers on a netbook (1024 by 800 resolution) and the size/shape/lack of controls prevented me from pressing the Accept button. Trying to hit tab in hopes of blindly choosing the right button didn't work. I had to plug the netbook into my desktop display to be able to see the button to click. Had I been traveling when this happened, it would have been enough to cause me to return the product.

I wanted to send the netgear people feedback on item #2, but the difficulties in contacting support made me change my mind.

We'll see how this adapter works for a few weeks before I add any pros/cons to the comments.

[bubba2million]

Mine doesn't work.

I loaded the software, which looked like it installed fine.

It created a desktop icon (The name escapes me - not at that PC now) and when I double-click on that, my computer beeps, and nothing happes. Little blue light blinking on this thing all the time.

I have a decent laptop w/Win XP. This thing doesn't work.

Any idears?

[SWATNative]

I got mine, and they seem to work fine. It's important to install the software first, which it seems like you've done. I installed mine on a netbook that already had its own internal WIFI. I noticed that you need to temporarily disable it through the windows network software to get the USB adaptor to really work. After that, you should be able to just plug in the adaptor and the Netgear driver will pop up by itself. If you want to go back to the internal WIFI, you just have to enable it again by going through the Network Connections menu.