Why would one buy these??

[saurabhdua]

Hello folks!

 

All Internet-routers  are already equipped with Wi-Fi capability & similarly all Notebook PCs, Tablets & Smartphones support Wi-Fi connectivity by default!

 

So why would one still buy these?

 

What exactly is the relevance, Objective, purpose to go for these??

 

Help clear the dilemma?

 

Thank you.

[zhangm Supervisor]

To connect computers without wifi cards to a wifi network.

[Depicus]

Or for something like a Raspberry Pi

[+Warwagon MVC]

One would assume the purpose of these is pretty clear. In fact, I actually have a bunch of them. Some to add AC to computers that only have N and some to add wifi and or Bluetooth to computers that don't have either.

 

On a side note, but still sort of related, if you need to add one of these to a laptop but are short on USB ports ,this hub works perfectly. 2 Days ago I just added 2 of these to the back of my iMac 27 inch. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LRYUJQS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Circaflex]

1 hour ago, saurabhdua said:

Hello folks!

 

All Internet-routers  are already equipped with Wi-Fi capability & similarly all Notebook PCs, Tablets & Smartphones support Wi-Fi connectivity by default!

 

So why would one still buy these?

 

What exactly is the relevance, Objective, purpose to go for these??

 

Help clear the dilemma?

 

Thank you.

 

Their purpose is simple, they provide Wi-Fi for a computer via USB. There could be many examples why someone would purchase these:

 

-They want to add Wi-Fi to a desktop computer and do not feel comfortable installing an add-in card.

-Add additional bands to an older computer that might have only had B/G or B/G/N capitibilities

-Their laptop Wi-Fi card has gone bad and this is an easier, and possibly cheaper, option

-You are looking for a specific Wi-Fi chipset for pen testing, Wifite, aircrack, etc

 

I am sure I could continue with examples, but those should be enough. Also to note, not all routers come with Wi-Fi capabilities, that assumption is incorrect.

[saurabhdua]

 

Thanks to everyone! :-)

 

& Dear Circaflex! .... you rock!

 

but Iam left amazed at -- "Also to note, not all routers come with Wi-Fi capabilities, that assumption is incorrect" !

 

Did u mix-up plain Modems & Routers over here?

 

Year 2006-2007, yes there were ADSL modems with only USB connectivity with no Wi-Fi ! Are there any decent examples these days which substantiate your findings?

 

Pl clear.

 

 

 

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Umm, we never talked about routers, that was you... Some in fact are not wireless, for a simple purpose. They aren't used for the web. I'm sure @BudMan can elaborate on that.

[Circaflex]

17 minutes ago, saurabhdua said:

 

Thanks to everyone! :-)

 

& Dear Circaflex! .... you rock!

 

but Iam left amazed at -- "Also to note, not all routers come with Wi-Fi capabilities, that assumption is incorrect" !

 

Did u mix-up plain Modems & Routers over here?

 

Year 2006-2007, yes there were ADSL modems with only USB connectivity with no Wi-Fi ! Are there any decent examples these days which substantiate your findings?

 

Pl clear.

 

 

 

You can purchase a standard, hard-wire router which does not offer Wi-Fi built in. For instance, Ubiquiti Edgerouter series, https://www.ubnt.com/edgemax/edgerouter-x/. Newegg still sells plenty of hard-wire only routers, https://www.newegg.com/Wired-Routers/SubCategory/ID-28.

 

Definitely no confusion on my part, not sure how ADSL modems came into the equation but I think your timeframe is a bit off. I know retail stores were carrying hard-wire only routers well beyond 2007, more like ~2010.

 

11 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

They aren't used for the web.

What? Surely they are.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Circaflex

[sc302 Veteran]

Not all routers have wifi capabilities.    Not sure if you can see US sites, but here are perfect examples of such https://www.newegg.com/Wired-Routers/SubCategory/ID-28

 

If you have an older computer that doesn't have wireless capabilities or if you have a older computer that doesn't have the wireless n capability, buying a usb n adapter is a solution.  There are many desktops that do not come with a wireless card built in (I know hard to believe right?).  I don't know of a single current laptop that doesn't come with a wireless card built in (they are supposed to be mobile), but those laptops may not have the latest wireless standard in 3-4 years from now but work good enough for most people so they may opt to buy a current usb with the current at that time standard.  

 

Of course wired routers are used for the web.  Actually, I like using wired routers vs having an all in one solution.  I like providing my own wireless with AP's vs having the wireless built in.  I have had many routers where I would have to reboot them because the wireless side either flakes out or fails, but the wired side works just fine....many times I am disabling the wireless capability on the router and pushing wireless via WAP's.    The idea of WAPS is better because you can centrally locate them away from networking gear that may be in a corner of your house or your basement...You can also add WAPs to the environment to increase coverage areas which don't effect bandwidth like repeaters do.  

[techbeck]

I have an old desktop...my last PC build actually...I built like 10 years ago.  I have a logitech usb wireless dongle on it.  Also, not all modern desktop PCs have wireless.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

10 minutes ago, Circaflex said:

What? Surely they are.

Not ALL, I meant to say. But, yeah, I go with everyone here...

[sc302 Veteran]

6 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Not ALL, I meant to say. But, yeah, I go with everyone here...

Technically, you don't have to connect any router to the internet...but you can put money on anything SOHO that states the word router on it has been designed to connect to the internet.  FWIW, I really hate the term router for SOHO routers....it is more of a firewall than a router as they do packet inspection as well as having secure/unsecure port(s).  routers don't do packet inspection of any type, they just route traffic, and they have no physical security levels defined.

[The Evil Overlord]

10 hours ago, techbeck said:

I have an old desktop...my last PC build actually...I built like 10 years ago.  I have a logitech usb wireless dongle on it.  Also, not all modern desktop PCs have wireless.

Agreed, most enthusiast or home built rigs usually forgo the wireless, over wired most of the time.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

Not all desktop motherboards have Wi-Fi built in, so these low-profile Wi-Fi adapters are convenient.  They don't typically have great range or speed as larger units with external antennas, but they are fine if the access point is just a few meters away.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

[+BudMan MVC]

14 hours ago, saurabhdua said:

Did u mix-up plain Modems & Routers over here?

Here are the terms as I like to use them..  When you say these terms normally everyone should be clear to what your talking.  When your talking in a consumer forum   And soho stuff is the norm.

 

Modem - just that provides a connection to internet.  No routing, no firewall... You normally do not see these in dsl world any more.  Atleast not in the US.  But still very common in the cable connection.  Example model of just a modem.  A Tp-link TC-7610 is just a cable "modem"

 

Router - In the world of talking with consumers on say neowin for example... This almost always means some wifi router.. Like tp-link Archer C7, which was very pop when it came out, etc..

 

Gateway - this is combo modem/router and yes more times than not will also provide wifi.. tp-link Archer CR700 is an example of this.  In the dsl/adsl/vdsl world here in the use almost always when talking about "modems/routers" that they offer are really gateways - ie they have a built modem and are a typical wifi router..   You can for sure still just get just modems for dsl, but most isp provide a gateway to their customers.  This is even common in cable industry now - they want you to bundle everything voice and data so they give you a gateway..

 

Problem is you will get users calling it a modem when its really a gateway.. This is not always their fault - their isp might call it that, etc.  Even though it is really a gateway..  This leads to confusion in understanding if they are behind a double nat, because their modem is a gateway, and then they put a wifi router behind that..

 

Many users like just having the 1 device.  I do not.. I have cable modem, that connects to my router (this is what doing the firewall/nat/routing) and then my AP are unifi stand alone AP.. The wires are connected together with switches that support vlans.  Your typical soho "router" does not allow for vlans, etc.

 

But I think this way off the track of the OP question on what is the use of usb wifi adapters.. Seems like a really pointless question to me   Yes they add wifi to a device via usb... Kind of in their name...  Older pi's they were great before the newer 3s have built in wifi.  Older laptops perfect example as well - I added AC to my wife's old laptop this way.  They have many varied uses - and normally very inexpensive as well.. But as mentioned already their performance is normally lacking..  At best you can hope for 1x1 performance, etc.  And the tiny ones are normally limited to 1 band as well, not both 2.4 and 5..

[saurabhdua]

23 hours ago, goretsky said:

but they are fine if the access point is just a few meters away.

Hello goretsky!

 

I thought these devices would pick up sales when WIMAX comes into Telecom scenario. Any WIMAX player at your part of the World?

 

WIMAX = Wi-Fi on a District-level scale, Range = 70 KM & beyond.

[T3X4S]

I havent seen any posts from the OP in a while - but this one is just as strange as the others.

Pose a question
Gets an answer
Takes thread in another direction
Then another

Just like the other threads 

I think someone just wanted to "talk"

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

In the U.S., only one provider, Clearwire, provided nation-wide WiMAX service.  They were acquired by Sprint, and subsequently shut down.  There are still a few cities in the US that have operators, but they are mostly for providing fixed-point wireless service to business customers, or serving rural areas.

 

In 2014, only two operators launched WiMAX service (GO in Bangladesh and TTK in Russia), and one that launched WiMAX service in 2016, scattered service across rural areas in 3 states in the US.  I think the service is pretty much a dead end, with carriers offering 4G networks which have speeds approaching and sometimes exceeding WiMAX, and planning 5G networks that will be even faster.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

 

 

5 hours ago, saurabhdua said:

Hello goretsky!

 

I thought these devices would pick up sales when WIMAX comes into Telecom scenario. Any WIMAX player at your part of the World?

 

WIMAX = Wi-Fi on a District-level scale, Range = 70 KM & beyond.

 

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

I just read today that Verizon, one of the US carriers, is beginning their roll out of gigabit wireless service:  http://www.rcrwireless.com/20170804/carriers/verizon-starts-nationwide-laa-deployment-tag4

 

I don't expect WiMAX to get much in the way of additional investment, with services like this becoming available.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

[PGHammer]

On 8/4/2017 at 2:14 PM, saurabhdua said:

Hello folks!

 

All Internet-routers  are already equipped with Wi-Fi capability & similarly all Notebook PCs, Tablets & Smartphones support Wi-Fi connectivity by default!

 

So why would one still buy these?

 

What exactly is the relevance, Objective, purpose to go for these??

 

Help clear the dilemma?

 

Thank you.

When your existing adapter (especially in desktops and older portables) either loses support or begins to fall down - or as backups/spares.  I just had mom pull the trigger on this one (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071F5LWS1/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i1?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pd_rd_i=B071F5LWS1&pd_rd_r=0VH1HZJF6W5WZ2QA1RR0&pd_rd_w=nbxY8&pd_rd_wg=pVRDu&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=2SFEFHXWPFFR068T3YHP&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1dd2ffc3-992f-4bde-81b0-de270e0ead5a&pf_rd_i=desktop)

 - the built-in wireless of her AIO has sucky throughput, does NOT support 5 GHz N, and I needed to not spend a mint.  (Neither the PC or the built-in adapter itself are "brand X" - they are HP and Qualcomm Atheros, respectively; unlike the wireless adapters you are showing above, the new generation of such basically replace the ones you are showing, and also support Windows 10; lastly, my choice also supports the USB 3.x SuperSpeed iteration in addition to 5 GHz N, AC, and those other missing features.)  Currently - if you follow the link - it's not even $10USD (quantity: one) - if it proves out, I'll likely pick up another two as straight-up spares.

[PGHammer]

FOLLOWUP: I got the chance to thoroughly shake down the adapter I referred to above in a desktop and three notebooks - all running the current build of the Windows 10 FCU (with one upgrading to said build from the CU AKA RS2).  When I referred to it being "Plug and Play", I was - literally - speaking hard fact (as far as Windows 10 goes); apparently, the RTL8810AU wireless chipset (which supports everything from a to AC and in-between) is one of those default drivers for wireless - all four picked it up within ten seconds of it being plugged into a free USB port, and in the case of two despite having NO Internet connection at all at the time - wired OR wireless.  Further, while it supports USB 3.x, it works just as well over USB 2.0 (which is supported by even the oldest of the tested notebooks); which will be leaving the Insider pool as soon as this build is released (not just due to me; Microsoft, as I suspected, called the chop on this chimera (AMD CPU/nVidia GPU) notebook chipset).

It works a treat nonetheless - fantastic for a $10USD investment.

[greenwizard88]

It could also be that they have a PC without wifi on the motherboard (or broken wifi), and no free PCI slots.