Wireless wonders: The best Wi-Fi dongles of 2024 to improve your connection

For excellent Wi-Fi performance in a discrete and portable design, the TP-Link Archer T3U AC1300 Mini Wireless USB Adapter is dual-band – perfect for boosting the performance of even a cheap laptop or PC, giving you access to upwards of 1,300 MBps to get the most out of your Wi-Fi.

If there's room for improvement, we'd like a little more signal range; 300 m signal coverage is great, but there are much stronger options on the market (albeit much bulkier and awkward-looking).

One of our senior tech writers, Chris Duffill, has tested the TP-Link Archer T3U. Here's what he had to say:

Design and build
"Although this isn't one of the super-compact dongles I'm used to seeing, this one is packing dual internal antennas. It protrudes from the laptop of course, but not so large that I couldn't slide the machine into a bag without having to unplug the adapter. I also like the build quality and that status light is reassuring to see."

Speed and performance
"While connected to my home router, which provides fibre optic connection to the internet, I had no issues with the connection speed or stability. It also connected to my 5Ghz home network instantly as well as over 2.4Ghz. The combined speeds of these connections are as described too, and my connection was stable – even with gaming, browsing and other 4K video streaming across the network, which I put down to the MU-MIMO feature."

We think this ultra-cheap TP-Link Nano Wi-Fi dongle is perfect for laptops and those on the go who'd prefer not to have protruding antennae to lug around with you from place to place.

Simple to install and almost invisible when in use, the TP-Link 150 is solidly designed to be perfectly hidden on your device and is ideal if you're on a budget. Unfortunately, when using the TP-Link 150, you're limited to a 2.4GHz band, which isn't quite as fast as 5GHz. But, for the price, there's not much to complain about.

Our writer Chris Duffill has tested this budget dongle on his home network and said:

Design and build
"This is a no-frills device that, unfortunately, looks like a lot of the cheap and nasty dongles that get bundled with low-end PCs. But I'm happy to say that, for the price, the design is a welcome afterthought to a device that's both cheap and built to simply get the job done."

Speed and performance
"As this is a 2.4Ghz adapter only, it wouldn't connect to my 5Ghz network, but the 2.4Ghz connection was trouble-free and stable, working close to the 150Mbps stated. The only benefit I could see in getting one of these is that most routers you'll find in the wild will support the older 2.4GHz band. So, I'd certainly buy one of these for my laptop if I was frequently visiting other offices or places with public internet."

If you're looking for the best-performing Wi-Fi dongle on the market right now, the BrosTrend AX1800 High Gain USB WiFi 6 Adapter is a dongle capable of 1,800 Mbps, giving you plenty of power to utilise your router's fibre optic connection.

Design-wise, the BrosTrend USB Wi-Fi dongle is larger than its competition, making it a little cumbersome to use with a laptop, but we think you won't do much better when it comes to performance. We particularly like its 500m signal coverage, so you won't struggle to connect to your Wi-Fi for a moment.

Staff writer Chris Duffill has put the BrosTrend AX1800 High Gain USB WiFi 6 Adapter to the test and summed up his experience:

Design and build
"I really like the angular design and small footprint of this BrosTrend adapter. The antennas are highly adjustable and I appreciated that I could place this wherever I wanted (despite the short USB cable that comes with it) without it tipping over. It feels solid and well-engineered, too."

Speed and performance
"This adapter blew me away, as it showed the highest signal strength of all of the dongles I've tested recently. That's no surprise considering the high-gain antennas, and I would definitely opt for this if I had range issues in my home. Speed was at the high end of the stated Mbps range and the connection was solid. WiFi 6 support is ideal for compatible routers so if, like me, you're streaming 4K video around your home, it's a great candidate for any PC or laptop upgrade."

TP-Link's Archer T3U Plus AC1300 High Gain Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter is perfect for high-speed, stable connections even when far from your router. With speeds up to 1,300Mbps and dual-band connectivity, practically any device you decide to use the TP-Link AC1300 with will experience a much stronger connection than you're typically used to.

As for its design, however, the TP-Link AC1300 leaves something to be desired. Plugging directly into your laptop with no cable or stand is awkward and pretty dorky, especially with laptops. Yes, there's a 180-degree swivel, but it's far from discrete and is likely to be knocked and snagged throughout your day-to-day.

What's the Best's Chris Duffill has again been busy testing this dongle, and said:

Design and build
"This is one of my favourite compact and portable adapter designs as it'll pack away with a laptop without any fuss. The design is simple and the build is actually much more robust than I was expecting. Which I'm happy about because this protrudes quite a long way (as it should) and so needs to withstand the odd snag here and there."

Speed and performance
"Much like some other high gain adapters I've tested, this one has an excellent 75-100 per cent signal strength to my home router which is about 20ft and three rooms away. Dual-band connectivity worked as it should and the stated speeds were at the high end of what TP-Link claims. My streaming tests were delivered consistently without any drops in the connection."

ioGiant's AX1 is an exceptional Wi-Fi dongle, offering great speeds without being too overly large. Perfect for boosting internet speed, thanks to its Wi-Fi 6 support and its massive 1800Mbps download speeds, you'll struggle to find a better, more discrete Wi-Fi dongle at its price.

That being said, if you're a Mac OS user, you're out of luck - the ioGiant AX1800 only supports Windows devices, so it won't work with your Macbook. And its Windows support stops at Windows 10/11, so older devices can't benefit from these ultra-fast speeds.

Chris Duffill has plugged this into his laptop for a test, here's what he thought:

Design and build
"I was underwhelmed by the design of this one – it definitely looks like a device from the 90s. Like many USB thumb drives, it also comes with a removable cap to protect the port. Doubtless, I'd lose that cap if I took this out and about. The build, though chunky, seems solid."

Speed and performance
"I'm grateful for the WPA3 security – a bit of a surprise given how dated this thing looks. Dual-band connections worked as they should, but reception was okay but not spectacular, topping out at about 50 per cent on the meter. It's not surprising that, despite its length, there are no external antennas here. That said, the connection was robust, and there were no drop-outs, so it does the trick as a compact and secure WiFi 6 dongle."

An excellent Wi-Fi dongle for a stable connection, the NETGEAR A7500 is built to last and offers incredible Wi-Fi 6 speeds over 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. It also has an extendable antenna, which is a nice feature on something the size of a large USB memory stick.

Design-wise, the NETGEAR A7500 is relatively chunky, but it's pretty understandable considering the technical specs inside. The overall size of the NETGEAR A7500 is considerable for this type of dongle, though, so you might opt for something smaller if you're short on space. That aside, this is a powerful and reasonably compact unit with much connectivity and speed.

Our tech specialist Chris Duffill has been busy testing this along with some other dongles, here's what he had to say:

Design and build
"I love the look of this device from NETGEAR. I've always liked the brand's approach to design, and the build is equally impressive. In many ways, this qualifies as an external networking card rather than a USB dongle. The exterior ventilation holes and boxy design make me think it's a substantial kit. The antenna is a brilliant addition, too. It folds flat, making it an easy option to use when you need more signal strength. It does, though, worry me how far it protrudes from a laptop. With this attached, I would want to carry my laptop only for a short time. But, on the desktop, it's fine."

Speed and performance
"I think this is the ideal balance of performance, speed and range in a compact unit. That antenna made a marked difference to my signal strength, and taking the laptop even farther away into the garden led to it only dropping one to two bars from a full 100 per cent signal at the start. I think that's going to come down to the antenna, the WiFi 6 build and the high 1200 Mbps combined speeds on offer."

Yet another nano Wi-Fi dongle, the NETGEAR AC1200, is perfectly ideal for laptops thanks to its unnoticeable design and offers a significant performance boost to your standard router performance. The NETGEAR is ideal for flexible setups and is perfectly compatible with Windows and Mac OS.

That being said, as with all nano Wi-Fi dongles, the lack of antennae and the smaller size means that the signal range is typically weak. You won't be able to connect to far-off routers as well as you might have with a full-size Wi-Fi dongle, but that's the trade-off for a much more portable design. With great speed and a solid price, NETGEAR's AC1200 is a worthwhile investment in stable and speedy performance.

Once again, writer Chris Duffill has attached this to his laptop and tested it for speed and range. Here's what he found:

Design and build
"Although I often find the super-small dongles like this a letdown to look at – and use – this NETGEAR model is more substantial. The solid plastic has a nice contour at the end, and the branding is a nice touch. This doesn't protrude far, so I'm glad to be able to leave this plugged in when I pack my laptop away."

Speed and performance
"Given how small this is, I was surprised to read that this is dual-band and can reach close to the 1200Mbps combined speed. It connected to my networks without a hitch, but (as I had half-expected, given the size), this one had a limited range. Moving from my study and around the house, the signal strength hovered around the 20-40 per cent mark depending on obstructions and so on. The connection only got close to dropping at the end of my garden about 35ft away. Other than that it was a solid performer, streaming without drop-outs. It's a good compact dual-band option – just don't expect a tonne of range."

An affordable, high-powered Wi-Fi dongle, the TP-Link Archer TX20U is ideal for boosting speeds and improving the stability of your connection. With MU-MIMO technology, the TP-Link AX1800 is strong, even when many devices are connected to a single router.

Though the design is large, it's designed well, with adjustable antennae and a slick, black aesthetic that blends well amongst a desk of peripherals. Moreover, the TP-Link AX1800 comes with a one-metre cable, so you've got a great deal of flexibility with your setup overall.

Our tech specialist Chris Duffill completes his group test of Wi-Fi dongles with this adapter. Here's what he thought:

Design and build
"Although I found that this adapter sits very unobtrusively on the desk, and the antennas are very adjustable, I'm not a fan of the overall design. It's very wedge-like, and the gloss black finish shows off more dust and fingerprints than most. It's a functional design, but the build is typical TP-Link – nice and solid. I do wish, though, that the included USB cable was a little longer, given that the benefit of external antennas is based on being able to position them as needed."

Speed and performance
"Much like other Wi-Fi adapters I've tested, I immediately notice the difference when there are high gain antennas at work. The range of this adapter was excellent, with a full 100 per cent signal that only dropped to 60-80 per cent levels at over 30ft away. I also appreciate the addition of WiFi 6 and the MU-MIMO feature, as my streaming video remained stable even with lots of other activity on the network. Speeds were stable on either band, and when I tested my gaming reactions with a Rocket League match, there were no lag issues. That said, it's difficult to apportion that performance to the adapter alone, as my connection to the server is normally very good – but knowing that this dongle has low latency built-in is only a plus."

NEWFAST's AX5400 tri-band Wi-Fi dongle gives your Wi-Fi heavy-throttle speeds and a stable connection to keep your work, films and games interrupted.

With peak speeds of 5,000 Mbps, you wouldn't believe how fast the NEWFAST AX5400 tri-band Wi-Fi dongle is. With a tri-band connection, you can connect your PC or laptop from afar without losing a top-tier connection.

Whilst its design is flashy, with an angular, robotic design, it's perhaps a little much for taking into work or public spaces, where it's something of an inconvenience. For PCs and laptops that aren't leaving your home, however, the NEWFAST AX5400 is a great choice for you.

Certainly on the pricier side of Wi-Fi dongles, but worth it if you're looking to get the best out of your internet, the ASUS AX6 wireless adapter breathes new life into low-range routers that struggle to reach your furthest rooms.

A simple design that looks solid, the ASUS USB-AX56 is designed to be used in both its standard plug-in dongle form and its desktop dock, which looks particularly good. Its folding design is ideal for commuters looking to lighten their luggage from work.

As for performance, the ASUS AX6 supports Wi-Fi Six, which is 40 per cent faster and considerably more stable than Wi-Fi Five, which most dongles support. With higher data transfer, better range, and even more stable connections for peace of mind, the ASUS USB-AX56 is perfect for a reliable browsing and working experience.

If you happen to be a Mac OS user, unfortunately, there's currently no support for the ASUS USB-AX56, so be aware before you buy.