Can old laptop 802.11b/g WLAN card upgrade to dual band ac card

[ccll]

Hi, my old Compaq Presario CQ40-306TU Notebook PC is running with Windows 10 with RAM upgraded to 4GB.

My current WiFi card is Broadcom 802.1 b/g, can I upgrade it to a dual band ac WiFi card to enjoy the increase in internet speed of 300Mbps? If yes which will be the compatible WIFI card?  

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

That model has a BIOS whitelist which prevents the installation of any wifi card not listed in the service manual from working.

If you want dual band AC, your only option would be to purchase an external USB AC adapter.

They make some of them very small nowadays where they hardly stick out of the USB port.

https://www.amazon.com/Edimax-Adapter-Supports-MU-MIMO-EW-7822ULC/dp/B01MY7PL10/ref=sr_1_1_sspa/131-...

[ccll]

Hi Paul,

I saw USB3.0 gigabit ethernet port adapter available online. Will this adapter better than the the AC1200 Wi-Fi USB adapter recommended by you? I need fast speed & stable internet for movies streaming & dowloading and don't mind LAN connection.

Which type of the above adapter (WIFI or erthernet) can achieve higher speed, up to 300Mbps when connect to my old laptop USB 2.0 ports?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

The type of adapter you plan to get (wired or wireless)...both are going to be hampered by the USB2 ports--especially the gigabit ethernet adapter.  To achieve the full 1 GB transfer speed, those need to be connected to a USB 3 port.

I don't know what throughput you will get from the USB 2 port.

The wireless would be the same...best from a USB 3 port.

The main consideration is convenience and what download speeds you are paying for.

For example:  if you are paying for 100 MB download speeds, having a gigabit ethernet adapter is going to be limited to the ~100 MBPS download speeds. You are not going to stream movies at 1 GB/S.

Wifi:  AC1200 = 867 MBPS on the 5.0 GHz AC wifi band, 300 MBPS on the 2.4 GHz wifi band. 

Those specs are based on an excellent signal.  The worse the signal, the worse the speed and connectivity.

So, if you plan on leaving your notebook tethered to an ethernet cable, the USB 3 gigabit ethernet adapter might be the better choice for reliablility and constant throughput.

But if you want mobility, then the USB AC wifi adapter would be the better choice.

[ccll]

Thank you very much for your well explaination.

From Device Manager, I notice my USB 2.0 port was "hub is operating at high speed" while my internet plan download speed is 300Mbps. If I opt for USB 3.0 gigabit ethernet adapter but plug to my USB2.0 port can I achieve more than 100Mbps, say 200-300Mbps easier than USB 3.0 ac Wifi adapter?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Yes, I would think the gigabit ethernet adapter would have to give you at least 300 MBPS via the USB 2 port.

Probably more.  I just don't know how much the speed could be reduced from USB 3 to USB 2.

It's gotta be better than 100 MBPS.

Depending on how far away your notebook will be from your router with wireless, the AC adapter may be just as good.

I honestly think you would be good either way, with the major decision being a rock solid ethernet connection, but limited mobility with ethernet. 

If you will get an excellent wireless signal where you plan to stream most of your videos, I would probably go with the AC adapter and run it off the 5.0 GHz band.