D-Link USB WiFi Adapter AC600 Mini Wireless Internet Dual Band MU-Mimo Wi-Fi Network Desktop Laptop (DWA-171),Black

This compact D-Link AC600 USB WiFi adapter exceeded my expectations. I got it to replace a very old (wireless G) adapter from Netgear that had finally died.The installation of the adapter following the software installation and could not have been much easier. It quickly paired to the existing network with a very solid and reliable connection. It is also much faster than the old wireless G adapter it replaced!Here is what I like:+ small size means it's not sticking way out from the back of this desktop PC+ reliable connection: this does not drop connections like the old Netgear.+ super simple setup and configuration+ made my client happy to have better WiFi for a very reasonable price.Downsides? Not any yet. It seems to just work and work pretty well.As should be no surprise, I'm giving this adapter 5 stars because it's easy to install & configure and provides a fast & reliable connection.

D-Link USB wifi adapters seem to be the most reliable choice for Mac/Hackintosh computers solely based on the drivers that are available for download from their site. Some of the other brands just don't support anything but Windows based desktops/laptops. In terms of speed it was great. The connection would cut out from time to time, but simply turning my wifi on/off would do the trick. Might be an issue for some but it didn't happen often enough to warrant a return or choosing a different adapter. Be careful that you don't accidentally bump into the adapter or bend it as its very delicate. Mine was plugged in via a front USB port on my desktop and I hit it with my knee and it bent slightly and stopped working. I would wiggle it in and out and could see it would connect and disconnect. Other than that, it's worth the money

Very fast even though it's just AC600. I bought these as spares as i didn't know if i'd need to expand my AC network. I was using all Edimax products which seemed to work great at first, then i would eventually get connection and reliability issues and i wasn't sure why. No errors reported from edimax, always said connected at some really good speed like 585Mbps. But my laptop had issues connecting, and my farthest computer had issues downloading things, but there was no sign of problems. After replacing the edimax with this slower rated usb dlink network adapter, i was getting fast speeds and reliable downloads again. Guess it pays to stick with name brands.

I really wanted to like this adapter but this device is not a good product. The first one I got, my computer had a hard time recognizing it. When it came to the step in the installation process to insert the adapter, the computer would give a message that my usb device was not recognized or not functioning properly. I figured it was a connection issue, so after taking it out and putting it in 10 or 12 times I finally got the computer to recognize it and complete the install (yes, I felt dirty afterward). The problem going forward was that the slightest touch to the device would cause it to become disconnected from the network. Any movement or shifting would do this. So I did a defective return and got another one a few days later. The next one didn't have quite the trouble installing but had the exact issue where the slightest touch or shifting in the usb port would cause disconnection from the network. And this one had even more trouble reconnecting after the disconnect than the first one. I'm not sure what it is about the design that won't let the adapter shift in the port even a little without disconnecting from the network, but that's what this thing does. The secondary issue I had was that it would only connect at 72mps on my 2.4 ghz frequency. The 5k had much better results at over 400mps at times. I really liked the compact size but for me the frail connection made this model unusable. I have recently upgraded my network with a d-link AC1200 router and was looking for a dual band adapter for my laptop, but I'm sending both of these back. I previously purchased a d-link dwa-140 for my desktop which works great. It connects at 130mps but doesn't have the ability to work at higher speeds on the AC standard. After all the connection issues with the dwa-171 I installed it on my laptop and tried to move it around in the usb port to see if maybe it was my laptop causing the issue or maybe if this is just normal. It has no problem no matter how much I shift it around in the port, so I have to conclude this issue is due to the design of the dwa-171. So, I will continue shopping for another dual ban ac adapter because the dwa-171 is junk.**Edit/Update 12.17.13After returning both of the Dwa-171 that I tried, I ordered the Edimax EW-7811UTC AC600 Dual-Band USB Adapter based on the good reviews it had received. I had never heard of Edimax which is part of the reason I chose the D-link product to begin with, even though the specs are similar and the Edimax is $10 cheaper. The EW-7811UTC suffers from none of the problems I had with the dwa-171. It connects in the USB port firmly and the minor play in the port that it has does not result in a disconnect should it be moved or shifted in the port. I've been using for about a week and haven't had a single disconnection. The disc that came with it did not include a driver that was compatible with windows 8.1, so my computer would continue to reboot until I unplugged it. However, with excellent customer service from Edimax I was able to find and download the correct driver and the product has worked perfectly since. Their email response time was less than 30 minutes and they stayed with me through 8 email exchanges over a short period of time until the issue was confirmed fixed. I did not expect such top notch customer service from a company I had never heard of before. Based on the excellent connection speed (usually around 400mbs) and the excellent customer service I will first consider Edimax products when shopping in the future.