OT This is an internet download speed connection question. I hope no
one will think it's too far off topic. (Is there a better active ng?)

If my Acer Aspire E15 E5-575 has USB3 ports but was built in early 2016,
is there any advantage to a Wifi-USB adapter that is USB3 over one that
is USB2? AFAIC, speed only matters to make streaming more reliable,
and it seemed fast enough and pretty reliable with the built-in wifi,
which has broken. Other than streaming, I don't down or upload large
files and if I were to once in a while, I wouldn't be in a hurry. So is
there any point to USB3?

Background: my router is only 3 feet from my laptop, my ethernet jack no
longer works, and my built-in wifi no longer works. (I have an
ethernet-to-USB adapter*** but I also want wifi-to-USB adapter for
backup.) ***Which I bought ironically because most new laptops don't
have an ethernet jack, and then the Dell I bought does, even though it
has to open a little "jaw" that goes lower than the case when you use
it!

I just bought an AC600 Nano Wirelss USB adapter (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PB1X4CN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 TP-Link Nano AC600 USB WiFi Adapter(Archer T2U Nano)- 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless Network Transceiver for PC )
and aiui TP-link is a very good brand, but I didn't notice until it
came that it was USB2. I presume that for wifi, it's even more important
to have USB3, right? More important than for an external or flash
drive, or just about anything. Because of streaming? Even though
streaming works at USB2 speeds?

I didn't try to economize. There were several cheaper ones, and this
one's ad talks about "high speed" because I presume they wrote the ad
when USB2 was fast and they didn't rewrite the ad later.

For only 3 dollars more I can get a TP-Link AC1300 that is usb3 https://www.amazon.com/USB-WiFi-Network-Adapter-Dongle/dp/B07P6N2TZH
This is a no-brainer, right? I should buy this one. But I can't help
it... I'm not sure. All the numbers are confusing me. What would you
do?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 1/19/2026 4:56 PM, micky wrote:

OT This is an internet download speed connection question. I hope no
one will think it's too far off topic. (Is there a better active ng?)

If my Acer Aspire E15 E5-575 has USB3 ports but was built in early 2016,
is there any advantage to a Wifi-USB adapter that is USB3 over one that
is USB2? AFAIC, speed only matters to make streaming more reliable,
and it seemed fast enough and pretty reliable with the built-in wifi,
which has broken. Other than streaming, I don't down or upload large
files and if I were to once in a while, I wouldn't be in a hurry. So is there any point to USB3?

Background: my router is only 3 feet from my laptop, my ethernet jack no longer works, and my built-in wifi no longer works. (I have an ethernet-to-USB adapter*** but I also want wifi-to-USB adapter for
backup.) ***Which I bought ironically because most new laptops don't
have an ethernet jack, and then the Dell I bought does, even though it
has to open a little "jaw" that goes lower than the case when you use
it!

I just bought an AC600 Nano Wirelss USB adapter (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PB1X4CN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 TP-Link Nano AC600 USB WiFi Adapter(Archer T2U Nano)- 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless Network Transceiver for PC )
and aiui TP-link is a very good brand, but I didn't notice until it
came that it was USB2. I presume that for wifi, it's even more important
to have USB3, right? More important than for an external or flash
drive, or just about anything. Because of streaming? Even though
streaming works at USB2 speeds?

I didn't try to economize. There were several cheaper ones, and this
one's ad talks about "high speed" because I presume they wrote the ad
when USB2 was fast and they didn't rewrite the ad later.

For only 3 dollars more I can get a TP-Link AC1300 that is usb3 https://www.amazon.com/USB-WiFi-Network-Adapter-Dongle/dp/B07P6N2TZH
This is a no-brainer, right? I should buy this one. But I can't help
it... I'm not sure. All the numbers are confusing me. What would you
do?

Archer T2U Nano AC600

"Get Wi-Fi speeds up to 200 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and up to 433 Mbps on the 5 GHz band"

200+433 = 633, divide by 8 to get bytes, about 80MB/sec *if* both bands worked at the same time, maybe 50MB/sec if the 5GHz band was operating. Take half of this
(because Wifi never runs at the full rate and operates at no more than half). That is 25MB/sec and within range of USB2 30MB/sec (35MB/sec if UASP). The protocols on USB2 do not allow extracting 60MB/sec (the wire speed). USB2 is simplex, USB3 is duplex (has a pair of wires for TX, a pair of wires for RX).

You could buy an identical Wifi module for inside the laptop, as the original module will unplug (the one that is dead, can be replaced by you).
The only issue with working inside the laptop,
is the connectors on the two cable "squash easily" and people with big fingers like myself, will ruin the two cables while doing surgery. This is
why they don't allow me in the hospital any more, 'cause I squash
the cable connectors :-)

The other one

"The Archer T3U... provides up to 300 Mbps on 2.4 and 867 Mbps on 5GHz band"

To reach 867 requires totally unrealistic 160MHz channels and 256-QAM.

https://www.cablefree.net/wirelesstechnology/wireless-lan/data-rates-802-11ac/

That would be 100MB/sec say, if it were to work. It probably
benefits from the USB3 connector they put on it.

Your router, is how old ? What standard does it follow ?

If it is an older standard, the Wifi purchase will still work,
but it won't produce whizzy rates.

I don't have a Wifi router, and I only do point to point
testing, And the point to point clients are not allowed to
go all that fast.

I think the extra $3 is OK, and won't hurt anything. If you turn down
the channel width (or if the Greenfield code turns it down for you),
I doubt it is going to be overloading USB2 :-)

Since you're in the same room as the router, all of the
radios will not be running at full power. The radios can be
turned down (by the driver or the MAC) when reception is good.

The only issue with a nano, is shielding from being so
close to the computer.

I have a USB2 TPLink Wifi here, and it came with a USB2 extender
cable in the box. And I've been using the extender cable
for my Bluetooth nano modules :-) The cables are not going to
waste. The existence of the cables is not even recorded in
the "box contents" on the side of the box. It is underneath
the white plastic tray.

My other Wifi purchase, was an AX200 from Intel, and that
has a magnetic antenna assembly with two antennas on it.
Running point to point without a router, I don't think
that runs any faster really. That would need USB3 if it had
USB, but that is a PCI Express module.

I would be dangerous if I had a Wifi router, that's for sure.

I would sooner put the money into Ethernet cards.

You can do USB2 to Ethernet using an ASIX chip. My adapter
for that, is USB3 to GbE, and there was also an ASIX for
USB2 to 100BT, so you have to be careful to not get them mixed
up when shopping. The reason I own one of those, is other NIC may
not have a driver in the OS, and by plugging in the ASIX, the OSes
(whether Win or Linux) have a driver for it.

Not having USB3 on computers, really sucks. On the WinXP machine,
that machine got a NEC USB3 card, and the NEC/Renesas chip is noteworthy
for having... a WinXP driver. The other brands only went back
to Win7 or so. I enjoyed the hell out of that USB3 fix. But without
an ExpressCard slot on modern laptops, there is no way to fit
items like that. When the WinXP machine died, the Optiplex 780
refurb is the next machine needing the same treatment. I've had the
card in the machine, but due to the damaged screwless retention
on the PCI slots, there is nothing to hold the cards firmly that
sit in the slots. Maybe some epoxy would hold the cards in place :-)
Hmmm.

Summary: Just spend the extra $3. Enjoy.
And if you want a project, remove whatever cover hides the
plugin Wifi module and see what the part number is, and go look
on Ebay for an identical clunker to replace it :-)

Paul


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Mon, 19 Jan 2026 20:30:04 -0500, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 1/19/2026 4:56 PM, micky wrote:

OT This is an internet download speed connection question. I hope no
one will think it's too far off topic. (Is there a better active ng?)

If my Acer Aspire E15 E5-575 has USB3 ports but was built in early 2016,
is there any advantage to a Wifi-USB adapter that is USB3 over one that
is USB2? AFAIC, speed only matters to make streaming more reliable,
and it seemed fast enough and pretty reliable with the built-in wifi,
which has broken. Other than streaming, I don't down or upload large
files and if I were to once in a while, I wouldn't be in a hurry. So is
there any point to USB3?

Background: my router is only 3 feet from my laptop, my ethernet jack no
longer works, and my built-in wifi no longer works. (I have an
ethernet-to-USB adapter*** but I also want wifi-to-USB adapter for
backup.) ***Which I bought ironically because most new laptops don't
have an ethernet jack, and then the Dell I bought does, even though it
has to open a little "jaw" that goes lower than the case when you use
it!

I just bought an AC600 Nano Wirelss USB adapter
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PB1X4CN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 >> TP-Link Nano AC600 USB WiFi Adapter(Archer T2U Nano)- 2.4G/5G Dual Band
Wireless Network Transceiver for PC )
and aiui TP-link is a very good brand, but I didn't notice until it
came that it was USB2. I presume that for wifi, it's even more important
to have USB3, right? More important than for an external or flash
drive, or just about anything. Because of streaming? Even though
streaming works at USB2 speeds?

I didn't try to economize. There were several cheaper ones, and this
one's ad talks about "high speed" because I presume they wrote the ad
when USB2 was fast and they didn't rewrite the ad later.

For only 3 dollars more I can get a TP-Link AC1300 that is usb3
https://www.amazon.com/USB-WiFi-Network-Adapter-Dongle/dp/B07P6N2TZH
This is a no-brainer, right? I should buy this one. But I can't help
it... I'm not sure. All the numbers are confusing me. What would you
do?

Archer T2U Nano AC600

"Get Wi-Fi speeds up to 200 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and up to 433 Mbps on the 5 GHz band"

200+433 = 633, divide by 8 to get bytes, about 80MB/sec *if* both bands worked >at the same time, maybe 50MB/sec if the 5GHz band was operating. Take half of this
(because Wifi never runs at the full rate and operates at no more than half). >That is 25MB/sec and within range of USB2 30MB/sec (35MB/sec if UASP). The >protocols on USB2 do not allow extracting 60MB/sec (the wire speed). USB2 is >simplex, USB3 is duplex (has a pair of wires for TX, a pair of wires for RX).

You could buy an identical Wifi module for inside the laptop, as the original >module will unplug (the one that is dead, can be replaced by you).

I'm not doing that. a) I don't want to open the case again, if only
becausae I don't want to disconnect everything and b) it's 9 years old
and I don't want to spend mmoney on it, when a USB device will work on
the next computer too.

The only issue with working inside the laptop,
is the connectors on the two cable "squash easily" and people with big fingers

Even one issue is too many, when God gave us USB.

like myself, will ruin the two cables while doing surgery. This is
why they don't allow me in the hospital any more, 'cause I squash
the cable connectors :-)

The other one

"The Archer T3U... provides up to 300 Mbps on 2.4 and 867 Mbps on 5GHz band"

To reach 867 requires totally unrealistic 160MHz channels and 256-QAM.

Unrealistic. Good to know.

https://www.cablefree.net/wirelesstechnology/wireless-lan/data-rates-802-11ac/

That would be 100MB/sec say, if it were to work. It probably
benefits from the USB3 connector they put on it.

Your router, is how old ? What standard does it follow ?

SAE? Society of Automotive Engineers is the last standard I learned
about. IOW, I don't know. Verizon installed it when they sort of
forced me to get FIOS.

If it is an older standard, the Wifi purchase will still work,
but it won't produce whizzy rates.

I don't have a Wifi router, and I only do point to point
testing, And the point to point clients are not allowed to
go all that fast.

I think the extra $3 is OK, and won't hurt anything. If you turn down
the channel width (or if the Greenfield code turns it down for you),
I doubt it is going to be overloading USB2 :-)

Since you're in the same room as the router, all of the
radios will not be running at full power. The radios can be
turned down (by the driver or the MAC) when reception is good.

good.

The only issue with a nano, is shielding from being so
close to the computer.

uh huh.

I have a USB2 TPLink Wifi here, and it came with a USB2 extender
cable in the box. And I've been using the extender cable
for my Bluetooth nano modules :-) The cables are not going to
waste. The existence of the cables is not even recorded in
the "box contents" on the side of the box. It is underneath
the white plastic tray.

My other Wifi purchase, was an AX200 from Intel, and that
has a magnetic antenna assembly with two antennas on it.
Running point to point without a router, I don't think
that runs any faster really. That would need USB3 if it had
USB, but that is a PCI Express module.

I would be dangerous if I had a Wifi router, that's for sure.

Wouldn't want that.

I would sooner put the money into Ethernet cards.

You can do USB2 to Ethernet using an ASIX chip. My adapter
for that, is USB3 to GbE, and there was also an ASIX for
USB2 to 100BT, so you have to be careful to not get them mixed
up when shopping. The reason I own one of those, is other NIC may
not have a driver in the OS, and by plugging in the ASIX, the OSes
(whether Win or Linux) have a driver for it.

Not having USB3 on computers, really sucks. On the WinXP machine,

It does have USB3 ports. Oh, you mean yours. ;)

that machine got a NEC USB3 card, and the NEC/Renesas chip is noteworthy
for having... a WinXP driver. The other brands only went back
to Win7 or so. I enjoyed the hell out of that USB3 fix. But without
an ExpressCard slot on modern laptops, there is no way to fit
items like that. When the WinXP machine died, the Optiplex 780
refurb is the next machine needing the same treatment. I've had the
card in the machine, but due to the damaged screwless retention
on the PCI slots, there is nothing to hold the cards firmly that
sit in the slots. Maybe some epoxy would hold the cards in place :-)
Hmmm.

Summary: Just spend the extra $3. Enjoy.

Okay.

And if you want a project, remove whatever cover hides the

It doesn't have separate covers.

plugin Wifi module and see what the part number is, and go look
on Ebay for an identical clunker to replace it :-)

Paul

Thanks.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026/1/20 1:30:4, Paul wrote:

[]

Summary: Just spend the extra $3. Enjoy.
And if you want a project, remove whatever cover hides the
plugin Wifi module and see what the part number is, and go loo

k

on Ebay for an identical clunker to replace it :-)

Or, just reconnect whatever has come undone ...

Paul

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Intelligence isn't complete without the full picture and the full
picture is all about doubt. Otherwise, you go the way of George Bush.
- baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller (former head of MI5),
Radio Times 3-9 September 2011.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 1/19/2026 10:19 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/20 1:30:4, Paul wrote:

[]

Summary: Just spend the extra $3. Enjoy.
And if you want a project, remove whatever cover hides the
plugin Wifi module and see what the part number is, and go look
on Ebay for an identical clunker to replace it :-)

Or, just reconnect whatever has come undone ...

Micky says there is no plate on this one, so you'd need to
remove all the screws, separate the two halves or whatever.
Not a lot of fun to "reconnect whatever".

I doubt the screw has come loose. Here, someone has ruined
the screw trying to get it out. And that's an example of
squash-able antenna cables.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ZephyrusG14/comments/1fgnl26/stripped_screw_while_replacing_wifi_card/

And this is the same module, in its street clothes. It looks
much more impressive with the big antennas strapped to it.
That's like the 5" exhaust tip on your car exhaust, giving
you ten more horsepower :-)

https://www.amazon.ca/XB530NF-2400Mbps-Antenna-Network-Cordless/dp/B0C6FQ2VG8

Paul



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:

OT This is an internet download speed connection question.

What is the line speed of your broadband connection? Not the speed of the package you've bought, but the measured speed via something like
speedtest.net.

If my Acer Aspire E15 E5-575 has USB3 ports but was built in early 2016,
is there any advantage to a Wifi-USB adapter that is USB3 over one that
is USB2?

Minimal and only if your broadband and router are seeing speeds greater
than 200mbps.

AFAIC, speed only matters to make streaming more reliable, and it seemed
fast enough and pretty reliable with the built-in wifi,
which has broken. Other than streaming, I don't down or upload large
files and if I were to once in a while, I wouldn't be in a hurry. So is there any point to USB3?

Normal broadcast TV (HD 1080) only needs about 5-10mbps and 4k (or UHD)
needs 20-30mbps. USB3 is unlikely to make any difference here.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:45:26 -0000 (UTC),
Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> wrote:

micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:

OT This is an internet download speed connection question.

What is the line speed of your broadband connection? Not the speed of the >package you've bought, but the measured speed via something like >speedtest.net.

I will check.

If my Acer Aspire E15 E5-575 has USB3 ports but was built in early 2016,
is there any advantage to a Wifi-USB adapter that is USB3 over one that
is USB2?

Minimal and only if your broadband and router are seeing speeds greater
than 200mbps.

If even then it's minimal, maybe I won't check, and I'll just stick with
what I, mistakenly, bought.

AFAIC, speed only matters to make streaming more reliable, and it seemed
fast enough and pretty reliable with the built-in wifi,
which has broken. Other than streaming, I don't down or upload large
files and if I were to once in a while, I wouldn't be in a hurry. So is
there any point to USB3?

Normal broadcast TV (HD 1080) only needs about 5-10mbps and 4k (or UHD)
needs 20-30mbps. USB3 is unlikely to make any difference here.

Great. Saved $4 and I hate returning things, even if Amazon makes it
pretty easy.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)