What is the best wireless N adapter for Win 7 64bit?
I need to buy a new wireless N adapter as my current one does not work with Win 7 (Search a6720y and you'll know the problem). Is a USB wireless adapter better than a PCI for desktops? I'm only going to run it on my pc and I do have an open PCI slot. Can you recommend me an adapter that is fully/100% compatible with Win 7 64bit? If you are saying USB then which one is better? (I've searched a lot on the internet and have always come down to these two)- http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/products/WUSB600N http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=459648
December 12th, 2009 11:25pm

Sounds like a question you would have better results in Hardware and Compatibility http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprohardware/threadsMCSE, MCSA, MCDST
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
December 12th, 2009 11:46pm

Hi, Here is the list of wireless N adapter which are compatible with 64-bit Windows 7. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/Browse.aspx?type=Hardware&category=Networking&os=64-bit&subcategory=Wireless%20Network%20Cards&showallcats=true Hope it helps.Vivian Xing - MSFT
December 15th, 2009 10:58am

The WUSB600N is hit or miss, I had no luck with it and it's due to a driver issue, I believe at one point they took their Windows 7 driver off their website and just told everyone to use the Vista drivers. I know other people who have this adapter and it works fine for them (thats how it came recommended to me), but according to a lot of forums, you run about a 50/50 chance of it working.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
January 21st, 2010 7:05pm

Your best bet with N is to stay with the same vendors known to work products.Your picks above are not the same N standard..the belkin is a N "Draft" product (designed before the N standard was finnished)It really only as "N" works with other N Draft Belkin devices.The linksys works best with other linksys gear.The real question here is why the N, did you fall for the hype about speed and distance??Well it is just hype in the real world setting, get out 30 feet add in a wall or 2 and you are back to G / B anyway.MIMO (N) needs 2X2, 3X3, or 4X4 radios to really work, as a single radio can only produce a single stream.a "B" locked down to 2 meg link is far more stable than a faster link, more speed means more packets to lose and that means more to retrans.that means more bandwidth used for nothing."Faster" is not always Faster...it is the total bandwidth used to produce vs total bandwidth just used.If I was hoping to get the most out of my router I would at the routers forum asking them what they are doing.BUT on PCI vs USB with USB you can add a USB extention cable so the device can be in a clearer LOS (line of site) tot he Access point.I have used up to a ten foot cable, and moving the USB device around just a few feet can make BIG diffference.
January 21st, 2010 8:07pm

With all due respect Ms. Xing in my experience the list at the link you provided is a farce. Check around the internet for user experiences or even call the manufacturers and they will tell you most of these products have little to no support for Windows 7 (or for 64-bit OS'es) and are at best hit-or-miss if they will even work (and I use "work" here VERY cautiously). I too have been searching for weeks to find a reliable 802.11n USB adapter that plays nice with Windows 7 x64 and I've yet to find one using this list. Either those on this MSFT list have more problems than the average USB adapter when using with Windows 7 x64 or when I call the maker they tell me they won't support the device if I use it with Windows 7 (or Windows 7 x64) and I'm not about to compromise reliability or warranty support because I have a new or a 64-bit OS. It's hard to believe that several years after the introduction of XP Pro 64-bit then Vista 64-bit and now 7 64-bit thatmanufacturers still refuse to make products (other than some top-of-the-line stuff) that we can rely on. I've seen Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit on $299 desktops then if the buyers want any upgrade parts to install on it they are either not available or cost 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the new computer per piece and we have to get out a microscope to look for hidden "version numbers" somewhere on the box to (maybe) have a chance of working. I boiught several desktops for business use with Windows 7 x64 and want USB 802.11n adapters but now wish I could downgrade to XP x32 so that I can have computers I can purchase reliable parts for reasonably. I am quite frustrated with the poor relationship MSFT has with manufacturers when an OS years in the making still has little true parts (and software) support three months after the official release!
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
January 25th, 2010 5:18am

I wish I knew of one myself! I bought the D-link DWA 552 Xtreme Wireless N PCI Adapter. it worked ok, for a while, and the drivers are "Win 7 64 bit compatible"... but I have had non-stop issues with it disconnecting, and causing pops and clicks with audio (when its enabled). I WOULD NOT reccommend that for sure! A good waste of $60. Im back to hard wiring it, but still searching for some other USB ones if I can find decent enough rating/review on any somewhere. I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK IN YOUR SEARCH!
May 30th, 2011 7:58am

This topic is archived. No further replies will be accepted.

Other recent topics Other recent topics