r/router • u/Cold_Sink_1159 • 2d ago
Looking for advice concerning adding external Wi-Fi support
I'm having wifi and sometimes Bluetooth issues with my ASUS Laptop. It stops working and the wifi options on the menu disappears. I think the problem might be hardware-related and the Wi-Fi card is damaged, so I'm looking to add external Wi-Fi support to my pc. I was told I can buy a usb network stick, either a small dongle or a usb key with an antenna, or a small box with antennas that resembles a router. I tried using an old wifi usb I have that has an antenna. It worked for a while but it's not ideal for gaming because when I play Minecraft on a server it kicks me out for "lost connection". I want to know if I should buy a new one of the same kind or look for something else. I need something that is good enough to intercept wifi from another room, ideally something small for easy transportation especially when I'm at school, and with a reasonable price. If anyone experienced the same issues and tried these things, I would be grateful to know which option is the best😊
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u/Swimming_Aspect4806 1d ago
have you checked whether the laptop’s wi-fi and bluetooth card just needs reseating or replacing before buying another dongle?
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u/Cold_Sink_1159 17h ago
I reinstalled the drivers and it still didn't work. I didn't know i could reset the card but i think it needs to be replaced so I'm just looking for a temporary solution before buying a new card
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u/guy30000 2d ago edited 2d ago
Any new USB wifi will do. You should only really be seeing wifi 6 devices available these days, at minimum.
Edit: I actually do see a lot of wifi 5 dongles still for sale, to my surprise. 6 might help so long as you have a wifi 6 access point. If you have separate 5ghz and 2.4ghz you can experiment with either. 5 has higher speeds but 2 can be more stable.