Netis WF2190 AC1200 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter Review

Introduction

There can be quite a few reasons that you’ll want to add a wireless network connection to your system and there are just as many ways that you can achieve that. One of the methods is via a USB dongle and today I’m taking a closer look at the Netis WF2190 AC1200 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter and will give it a good testing to see how well it performs.

The Netis WF2190 is designed with both desktop users and notebook users in mind and it adds a fast dual-band network connectivity to any computer that has a USB port available. Some possible usage scenarios could be when your notebook has a slower wireless connection built-in and you want to get that extra speed to your router or your desktop system is placed under the desk with bad reception, or maybe it doesn’t have a wireless connection at all. Whatever the situation might be, the Netis WF2190 will work for you.

The Netis WF2190 is compatible with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac devices and provides wireless transfer speeds up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps on the 5GHz band. That is plenty of bandwidth for online gaming, HD video streaming, and VoIP phone calls. With the 802.11n MIMO and 802.11ac technology, the WF2190 ensures a strong and stable wireless connection.

A WPS button is a must these days and the Wi-Fi Protected Setup allows you to easily setup a secure wireless connection between your devices in a snap and with just a few key-presses. The Netis WF2190 can have two antennas attached. There are ofcourse two 5 dBi antennas included, but you could also replace them with a different kind if these shouldn’t suit you. That is always a great feature to have, but the included will work just fine.

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Netis opted for a USB 3.0 connection for the WF2190 WiFi adapter, which is needed for the faster bandwidth that this adapter can provide. Included is also a stylish USB Cradle that you can place on your desk or a shelve depending on your needs. This allows you to easily place the Wireless Adapter where it has the best possible connection to your router or access point.

Whether you want to connect to an existing network or use the Netis WF2190 as an access point, you won’t be disappointed. It can also act as an access point with the Soft AP Mode. Turn your computer into an access point for local wireless network connection where you can hook up other wireless devices to your network. With a feature like this, the WF2190 saves you the trouble of upgrading with a better wireless router when it actually might not be needed.

Netis’ WF2190 1200AC Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter is compatible with Windows XP and newer, Mac OS 10.4 or newer, and Ubuntu Linux 11.04 or newer. The adapter uses a Realtek 8812AU chip, so if you can find drivers for that, you can get it to work on other systems too.

Specifications

The specification as taken directly from the manufacturer supplied information and can as such be subject to change in future revisions of the product.

Packaging and Content

The retail packaging comes in the same style as other Netis devices. A blue themed box that shows the main features as well as a photo of the device on the front. Inside the package, you will find the USB cradle, the WiFi adapter, two antennas, a user manual, and a driver disk.

Testing & Methodology

Hardware

Supermicro C7Z97-OCE
Intel Xeon E3-1230Lv3
Corsair Vengeance 16GB 1866MHz
Kingston HyperX 240GB SSD
Sapphire R7 240 2GB
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W
Thermaltake Water 3.0 Performer
TP-Link AC1900 Dual-Band Router

Software

Passmark PerformanceTest 8: Advanced Network Test

My usual access point is no good here as it doesn’t support the full speed that this device has to offer, so I’ve switched it up a bit and used the TP-Link AC1900 router instead. That gives us a good headroom and allows me to show the performance of the USB adapter.

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I will be using doing performance tests with both static and variable package sizes and also adjust the distance between the USB adapter and the access point it is connected to in order to give a full view of the adapter, including coverage abilities.

While it’s easy to test and give you comparable view on the wired connections, we need to keep in mind that environmental factors can’t be avoided with the wireless signals and that there might be variations to other scenarios.

SOURCE:https://www.eteknix.com/netis-wf2190-ac1200-wireless-dual-band-usb-adapter-review/