I have already ordered one interesting device on AliExpress - a high gain Wi-Fi adapter called KuWfi. There is enough such good for Ali. I didn't bother too much, I ordered the first one that caught my eye. And they are all about the same there, only they differ in names and a little in price. You can find them at the request "USB Wi-Fi High Gain Adapter". They are sold not only on Ali, but also in other popular online stores. You can probably find them even in our stores, but most likely the price will be higher.
If you still do not understand what is at stake, now I will explain. This is a common USB Wi-Fi adapter (receiver) that can be used with stationary computers and laptops. After connecting such an adapter, it becomes possible to connect to Wi-Fi networks on the computer. Only unlike the usual adapters, which I wrote about in the articles on how to choose a Wi-Fi adapter for a PC and how to connect a regular computer (PC) to a Wi-Fi network - these differ in that they have a built-in antenna with a high reception gain. And the adapter immediately comes with a long USB cable (5-10 meters). Plus, these adapters are protected from moisture and can be installed outdoors. The kit includes a mount with which the adapter can be mounted on a wall.
I already ordered ordinary USB Wi-Fi adapters from AliExpress and talked about them in the article Wi-Fi adapter from China: choice, review, is it worth buying. But compared to conventional adapters, these are not cheap. My KuWfi with a 5 meter cable cost almost $ 20. For this money in our market you can buy an ordinary, good USB receiver. And it will be a branded device. For example, TP-LINK Archer T2U Plus. It will also be equipped with an external antenna with a gain of 5 dBi. Plus, it has support for the 5 GHz band, and in the 2.4 GHz band the speed is up to 200 Mbps. And in our KuWfi, the seller declared an antenna with a gain of 14 dBi. There is no support for 5 GHz and the speed in the 2.4 GHz range is only up to 150 Mbps.
Yes, all the pluses in the direction of TP-LINK Archer T2U Plus, or any other proprietary USB Wi-Fi receiver for the same money that I spent on KuWfi. But there is one caveat - we have either High Gain, or High Poower Wi-Fi Adapter, which has a powerful 14 dBi antenna. And the main task of these adapters is to catch the Wi-Fi signal at a great distance from the access point (router). Where a regular adapter no longer sees a Wi-Fi network. Therefore, they are called adapters with a high receive gain. Well, the pole, due to the long cable, the adapter itself can be raised higher, or even installed on the outside of the house or apartment. After all, if these Wi-Fi adapters are protected from moisture, then according to the idea they can be installed outside. The specifications say that the type of adapter is external.
Spoiler: in practice, everything turned out to be much worse than I expected. I don't know, maybe I got such a copy, or specifically these KuWfi are so bad. Signal reception in comparison with the built-in adapter in a laptop can be better by 10-20 percent, not more. It works very unstable. Disconnects all the time, or refuses to connect to the Wi-Fi network. No speed. I think the problem is with such a long USB cable. There may not be enough power to keep the adapter stable. I connected it to a laptop, there was no way to check from a PC. In fact, reception through such an adapter is no better than through a conventional adapter (especially one with an external antenna). It is unstable and slow.
Perhaps these adapters are used for other purposes. For example, to transmit a Wi-Fi signal over a long distance. When we install two adapters, we configure one as an access point, and the other as a receiver. But for these tasks it seems like there are other devices - outdoor access points. And this is exactly the receiver for connecting PCs and laptops to a wireless network in places with a weak signal.
Since I already bought this KuWfi, let's take a closer look at it.
Overview of Wi-Fi adapter KuWfi
The set includes the adapter itself with a USB cable for 5 meters (the cable is not removable), instructions, stand / wall mount, CD with drivers and utility.
I decided to take it apart and see what's inside. And there is just a small board (Wi-Fi module), to which the wiring from the USB cable is somehow soldered and the cable that goes to the antenna is soldered.
Here's a Wi-Fi module:
And here is the antenna (the characteristics indicate the gain power of 14dBi):
I don't think anyone is very interested in what's inside. When we buy such a device, the main thing for us is how it will work and cope with its task.
Tuning a high gain KuWfi adapter
I set up KuWfi in Windows 10. In my case, it started working immediately after connecting to a laptop (I disabled the built-in module). In the device manager, it was defined as 802.11n USB Wireless LAN Card.
I also decided to install the driver and utility from the disk. And oddly enough, the driver and utility have been installed. The utility even started. I thought it wouldn't work in Windows 10.
There you can see information about available networks, about the network to which the adapter is connected, see the signal quality, and, as far as I understand, start the Wi-Fi access point. When KuWfi will distribute Wi-Fi network to other devices.
Judging by the name of the utility, this adapter has a Wi-Fi module from MediaTek.
There were no problems with setting up, which cannot be said about connecting to Wi-Fi networks and further work. But I suspect that the adapter in my case may be unstable due to poor power supply to the laptop USB ports. Moreover, through such a long cable (5 meters). In general, I do not recommend connecting adapters and modems through such long USB extension cables. And in this adapter, the cable is immediately soldered to the board. It would be better if they made a short cable and put an extension cord in the kit. I'll check it on a PC and add an article.
Boosts Wi-Fi reception?
Yes, when connected to Wi-Fi with this high gain adapter, reception is 10-20% better than the built-in adapter in a laptop. I expected more. In normal mode, when the signal from the router is normal (not far from the router), the difference in the signal level is almost imperceptible. If you look at signal divisions in Windows, then through KuWfi one division more, or in the same way as through the built-in adapter.
At a distance, when the signal is very poor, reception is better through the KuWfi adapter. Here is the receive rate via the built-in adapter:
But through KuWfi:
The adapter must be directed strictly towards the access point.
Yes, it enhances reception. But it turned out that the stability of the connection and the speed through the built-in adapter are better. Even with weaker signal strength.
My review of KuWfi and similar adapters
It seems to me that there is no point in buying such adapters for a regular connection to a Wi-Fi network. It is better to buy some kind of branded adapter with an external antenna (or even without it) for the same money. You can also buy a 1.5 / 2 meter USB extension cable to raise the adapter higher and thereby achieve better reception.
KuWfi and other adapters with high gain (powerful antennas) may make sense to use for receiving Wi-Fi from transmitters in an open space. When, for example, a router (or an outdoor access point) is installed in one building, and on the outside of another building, we install KuWfi (or another similar adapter), connect it to a computer, direct it towards the access point and connect to a Wi-Fi network. In the reviews I saw information that it receives a signal at a distance of 1 kilometer. But I think that this is an unrealistic task for these devices. And despite the fact that the adapter seems to be protected from moisture (when I disassembled it, the lid was glued to some kind of sealant), it is unlikely to work for a long time in frost and wet weather.
As for signal amplification and the use of these devices, I think we figured it out. But there is one more nuance - speed and stability of work. Due to the long cable (such adapters are available with a 10 meter cable) it is unlikely to work stably. Moreover, under load. And as I understand it, they have a not very new and certainly not the most productive chipset. And the speed of the Wi-Fi connection is up to 150 Mbps. And if you take into account the fact that the channels at 2.4 GHz are now very heavily loaded, then you can forget about the normal speed when connecting through such an adapter.
To be honest, I still do not understand why these High Poower adapters are needed, even for that kind of money. If you know some ways to use them (where they really work) - write in the comments. You can also share your experience with similar devices there, or leave a review about your adapter. My opinion (at the moment) is that this is unnecessary Chinese nonsense, which has no advantages over conventional adapters.
