For smart home devices, it makes sense to simply upgrade these as they break or become obsolete. For desktops and laptops, however, you can postpone a total upgrade by installing a new Wi-Fi 6 compatible wireless card. Wi-Fi hardware: Dual-band vs Tri-band vs Quad-band| Airtime fairness and IoT devices| Common home Wi-Fi settings Otherwise for those looking to create fast, private and hassle-free network environments on their NAS system, or want to upgrade their PC as this wireless convention grows, I recommend the QNAP QXP-W6-AX200 WiFi 6 Card. PROs of the QNAP QXP-W6-AX200 Having integrated Bluetooth 5.0 support is just the icing on the cake. Now you can connect all your favourite devices like controllers, headphones, wireless keyboards etc. without needing any additional Bluetooth adapters on your PC. Additionally, it will increase the number of QNAP NAS and other devices that will support the card. QNAP do state that some devices may need their bios updated to support the card, so do head over there to find out more.

ASUS, known for its plethora of computing equipment, also has some stellar WiFi cards to keep your wireless connection strong and stable. It is similarly known for its top gaming products and this WiFi card fits right into that category. I’ve looked at review videos and found none that explain how to config the WiFi PCIe card device other than simplistic SSID, IP, enable/disable the radio, …etc. Most reviewers just hold the box in their hand and wax on about the fabulous hardware specs of the chipset used by QNAP. QNAP’s config GUI renders this hardware useless in my opinion. QNAP videos introducing the product are not helpful: lots of fancy slides that give technical people not one shred of info to configure the product for a WiFi network with any level of sophistication. Some users report their QNAP wifi card 2.4ghz and 5ghz radios can not run reliably at the same time….. great. My own otherwise excellent QGD-1600 nas/switch has the QWA-AC2600 WiFi card installed but can only use the 2.4ghz radio, even though the 5ghz radio is enable, showing a status of “active”, but none of my WiFi clients can connect from 10’ft away line of sight, to the 5ghz radio only 2.4ghz. This QNAP product should be recalled. I continue to post on other forums about the WiFi card’s many failings… and yet I love the performance of my QGD-1600 and QGD-3014 devices which are stellar, ground-breaking products. With most, if not all WiFi cards you’re going to want and need some antennae to strengthen that wireless signal and keep your connection stable. Naturally, you might think that more antennae the better and yes, most of the time you’d be right but you’ve got to think about the quality of those antennae too. You may be able to take advantage of four antennae but it’ll probably be a little overkill unless you’re in a mansion or extra-large office space. Do WiFi cards affect internet speed? Though it is not as low-profile as thumb drive-sized adapters I review below, the TP-Link Archer TX20U Plus is probably the best USB WiFi 6 adapter for stationary devices. That’s because it comes with a desk-friendly dual antenna station and a 3-foot USB cable, which is much easier to position for max performance. Another thing that I am interested in is whether this card can be adapted to the new WiFi6E conventions that are being phased in next year, as the AX200 controller module can be removed and upgraded – something I will certainly look into next year.

Products at a Glance

This version is designed to fit into the M.2 slot (either 2230 or 1216) of a laptop and will work with any newer, Intel-powered PC running Windows 10, Linux, or Chrome OS. It adds both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support, which is likely to be a two-part upgrade for most laptops manufactured before 2020. The Intel Driver & Support Assistant makes it easy to automatically grab the right drivers, as long as you take care of this task before you install the wireless card. Tyraelos: You likely know that WiFi6 uses both the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz band. WiFi6E additionally makes use of the 6GHz band. There’s a very fine article about this: This dual-band WiFi card can reach a maximum speed of up to 2400 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and up to 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. Not to mention, WE3000 utilizes OFDMA technology that reduces lag and offers smooth gaming or VR experience.

These two are generic and will work on any computer that has the supporting slot and correct software driver.TP-Link Archer TX3000E ships with an Intel WiFi chipset that supports the WiFi 6 technology. It is a dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) WiFi card for PC with a maximum speed of up to 2400 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and up to 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. Archer T5E has 2 detachable external antennas. These high-gain antennas ensure better range and enhanced stability that allows you to enjoy 4K streaming and gaming without any interruptions. Most Wi-Fi cards use a PCIe x1 connection, meaning you can use any unoccupied PCIe slot on your motherboard to install the card. This includes PCIe x1, x4, x8, and x16 slots.Some cards come in the M.2 form factor. They are usually made for laptops since most newer laptop models, notwithstanding MacBooks, feature a replaceable M.2 Wi-Fi card.Note that some desktop motherboards have a dedicated M.2 slot reserved for an M.2 Wi-Fi card, but they’re few and far between. If you own a desktop PC, your best bet is getting a PCIe Wi-Fi card. Are Wi-Fi cards universal? The CD and Motherboard connector are largely useless to NAS users (as QNAP NAS will only need you to install in the available PCIe slot and the drivers are included in the latest version of QuTS.

Tyraelos: I’m glad that Dell offered you a coupon. I hope it’s of use to you. I’m pleased to hear that you have done a thorough troubleshooting job, covering suggestions I have made. That said, I would have liked to have seen a far more ‘first party’ presented solution in line with their other PCIe upgrade cards and hope this is not going to be a continuing trend moving forward. Sorry i guess i am misunderstanding/miss communicating? My connection rate says is 1300/866.7mbps. With an RT-AX58U ax3000 meshed with an RT-AC68R ac1900 & ex7300 ac2200. I am seeing an average local speeds of 1820/495 mbps on a usb-68 adapter. If min 30% wouldnt that be ~1300 mbps down? also if i may ask i see these cards are connecting @ 2.4 gbps but what speeds are you seeing from them? i am concerned going from usb 3.2 gen 2 (5 gbps) to pcie4.0 1x bandwidth will only allow an increase to 1.97 gbps max. so for me its not really worth it unless it will do the full 2.4 gbps (ie waiting for the usb 3 5 gbps version). Yes it would increase my upload speed on the 160 mhz band but going from 3×4 mimo ac to to 2×2 mimo ax also gives me some hesitation. am i overthinking this or lost my mind? was looking @ PCE-AX58BT model that uses the intel ax200 card.If you are looking for a PCI-e card that supports the latest WiFi standard, then the GIGABYTE GC-WBAX210 card will be the best fit for your PC.