Wireless network adapters are essential if you want to establish a wireless network connection from your device to a wireless router or a hotspot. There’s a myriad of them out there from Wireless routers, internal PCI or PCIe (PCI Express) adapters that plug directly into a PC’s motherboard, wireless network cards used by laptops, built-in adapters in mobile phones and tablets and finally, USB wireless adapters.
Recently, we had a chance to pick one as my wife’s computer needed a wireless adapter to connect to the internet connection at home. We decided to go for the cheapest one in the market, which is CD-R King’s WF-1513 USB Wireless-N Network Adapter. We bought it at just around $6. Here are its main specifications and features:
- USB 2.0 Connectivity
- 150mbps data transfer rate
- Wireless protection key
- 100-meter indoor and 400-meter outdoor ranges
- Plug-and-play capability
As you can see, CD-R King’s wireless network adapter is pretty basic. It’s enough to have good wireless network connectivity. We tested it on 2 different DSL connections and it did well. Its speed was not anywhere near the router, which is directly connected to the internet, but it’s more than enough to browse and download files quickly.
Connecting the adapter is very easy. You just need to plug it into a USB port and you’re good to go. The basic software is enough to connect to the internet. You just need to install the drivers and software utility the first time you plug it in so that you could use the adapter more effectively moving forward.
One problem with USB devices is that if you plug it in the front USB port of a computer or at the side USB port of a laptop, there’s a chance you could hit it with your arms or legs while moving, resulting in disconnection. It doesn’t happen often though, but it’s still something to consider. You could place the USB device at the back anyway.
Another problem we had was after about a month of use. We noticed that even simple chatting seemed really slow. Download speeds suddenly became turtle-like and even pictures on websites load very slowly. We also noticed that the wireless connection kept on disconnecting more frequently.
We tested the quality and speed of the connection on another wireless network adapter and checked whether the connection is good on the PC that is directly connected to the router. We also used 2 different DSL internet connections. After testing, we concluded that the CD-R King adapter is having a hard time picking up the signal. This issue may just be a one-off. I don’t know if this is the same case as with other owners of this network adapter. Nevertheless, whenever the signal is good, the internet connection is okay.
CD-R King is among the most famous brands when it comes to gadgets, office supplies, appliances, computer parts and a whole lot more. They are known for their inexpensive merchandise and a lot of people do patronize their products, especially computer components and peripherals. Their WF-1513Wireless-N USB network adapter is no exception. It’s a cheap entry-level wireless network card that does what it is intended for.
Source:
CD-R King
http://www.cdrking.com/?mod=products&type=view&sid=18998&main=50
