Which is the best USB Wi-Fi adapter for an older laptop?

My old Asus laptop has been through a lot. It’s travelled all over the country in my campervan, thrown under a pillow for travel and on the ‘kitchen’ side during the day, through cold temperatures and the heat of a van cooking in the summertime. It’s had things spilt on it and sand gets stuck between the keys. In short…it’s been abused.

And yet it’s still going strong after three years. Not bad for a sub £200 laptop.

But recently it’s started to complain about the internet. Disconnecting ‘willy nilly’ (I love that phrase…). I’ve tried testing the wifi adaptor (see how to below) but it’s not worked. So we’ve gone old school!

Back in the day before built in wifi we used to have dongles. Dongles for your home PC used to come equipped with a 5 inch aerial which could be adjusted for every angle, none of which made the connection any better, stronger or faster.

These days a little wifi dongle is no bigger than my thumb (literally a thumb drive!).

If resetting your wifi, the adaptor, your laptop and making a sacrifice to the laptop gods hasn’t worked, you can extend the life of your laptop by buying an external USB Wi-Fi dongle to solve your connectivity issues.

I bought a TP link dongle which took minutes to install and I haven’t had a problem since. I hope it works for you too!

How to install a TP-Link 1300 USB dongle onto a laptop:

Before you begin, make sure to have the TP-Link 1300 USB dongle and its driver CD or access to the driver download from TP-Link’s website.

1. Insert the Dongle:
   • Plug the TP-Link 1300 USB dongle into an available USB port on your laptop.
2. Wait for Recognition:
   • Your laptop should automatically recognize the dongle and attempt to install basic drivers. Wait a few moments for this process to complete.
3. Install the Full Driver:
   • If your laptop doesn’t automatically install the driver or if you want to use the latest version from TP-Link’s website, insert the driver CD into your laptop’s CD/DVD drive or download the driver from TP-Link’s official website.
4. Run the Driver Installation File:
   • Double-click on the driver installation file (usually with a “.exe” extension) to begin the installation.
5. Follow On-Screen Instructions:
   • Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the driver installation. This typically involves accepting the license agreement, selecting the installation location, and confirming the installation.
6. Connect to a Wi-Fi Network:
   • Once the driver installation is complete, you should see the Wi-Fi icon in your system tray (usually at the bottom right corner of the screen).
   • Click on the Wi-Fi icon, and a list of available Wi-Fi networks will appear.
   • Select the network you want to connect to, enter the password if required, and click “Connect.”
7. Wait for Connection:
   • Wait for your laptop to connect to the selected Wi-Fi network. Once connected, you should have internet access.
8. Enjoy Your Wireless Connection:
   • Your TP-Link 1300 USB dongle is now successfully installed and configured. You can enjoy a wireless internet connection on your laptop.

That’s it! You’ve successfully installed the TP-Link 1300 USB dongle on your laptop and connected to a Wi-Fi network.

How to reset your Wi-Fi adaptor – Windows

Resetting a laptop’s Wi-Fi adapter can often resolve connectivity issues when it fails to connect to a wireless network. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you do this:

1. Turn off Wi-Fi:
   • Locate the Wi-Fi icon in the system tray on your laptop’s taskbar (usually at the bottom right corner of the screen).
   • Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon.
   • Select “Turn off” or “Disable” to turn off your Wi-Fi adapter. The icon should change or gray out to indicate that Wi-Fi is disabled.
2. Wait for a moment:
   • Give it a minute or two to ensure that the Wi-Fi adapter is completely turned off.
3. Turn on Wi-Fi:
   • Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon again.
   • Select “Turn on” or “Enable” to re-enable your Wi-Fi adapter. The icon should return to its normal state.
4. Reconnect to the network:
   • Click on the Wi-Fi icon.
   • A list of available Wi-Fi networks should appear. Select the network you want to connect to and click on it.
   • If the network requires a password, enter it when prompted. Make sure you enter the correct password.
5. Troubleshoot:
   • If the Wi-Fi adapter still fails to connect, you can run the built-in Windows Network Troubleshooter to diagnose and fix common network problems.
     • Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon.
     • Select “Troubleshoot problems” or “Troubleshoot.”
     • Follow the on-screen instructions to let Windows attempt to identify and resolve the issue.
6. Restart your laptop:
   • If you’re still experiencing problems after performing the above steps, try restarting your laptop. Sometimes, a simple restart can help resolve persistent issues.
7. Update Wi-Fi drivers:
   • Outdated or corrupted Wi-Fi drivers can also cause connectivity problems. You can update your Wi-Fi drivers by:
     • Right-clicking on the Start menu and selecting “Device Manager.”
     • Expand the “Network adapters” section.
     • Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and select “Update driver.”
     • Follow the on-screen instructions to search for and install updated drivers. You can either let Windows search for the latest drivers online or manually install them if you have downloaded them from your laptop manufacturer’s website.
8. Check for physical issues:
   • Sometimes, Wi-Fi issues can be caused by physical problems, such as a loose Wi-Fi card or antenna. If you’re comfortable doing so, you can open your laptop and check if everything is properly connected. However, this step should be taken cautiously, and you may want to consult your laptop’s manual or a professional technician.