If you want to connect to the Internet via cable, it is sometimes necessary to purchase an adapter. Many laptops, especially smaller ones, do not come with a built-in Ethernet port. That means that you will only be able to connect via Wi-Fi, unless you buy an external network card. In this article we are going to talk about what you should take into account if you are going to buy a usb ethernet adapter. Not all are the same and it is convenient to choose well which one to buy.
How to choose the USB Ethernet adapter
It is important to choose this type of device well, because if you choose one that does not have sufficient quality, you will not achieve a good speed. You will be limited to Fast Ethernet, which basically means that the speed will not exceed 100 Mbps. You will not be able to take advantage of the fiber optics that you have contracted.
gigabit speed
Something fundamental is that the USB Ethernet adapter is gigabit. You will see, in the product information, that it works at 10/100/1000 Mbps. That means that it can reach up to 1 Gbps of symmetrical speed. If you have contracted fiber optics of more than 100 mbps and you want to take advantage of it, it must be so.
The other option, the one that cheaper or older devices usually have, is up to 100 Mbps. But of course, nowadays we are interested in reaching much more than that speed, unless you simply want to connect a computer for something specific and you don’t care too much the speed you have.
usb type
Another factor to take into account is the type of USB that this adapter has. It will depend mainly on the computer where you are going to place it. There are some who have so much usb3.0 as USB-C. What is certain is that you should not buy one that is USB 2.0, since you will not reach the maximum 1000 Mbps.
If you use a small and modern laptop, the most normal thing is that it has a USB C port and even only that type. If it is an older computer, then you will need to purchase an adapter that is USB 3.0. However, both are suitable and you just have to see the compatibility of your devices.
Material
The material with which the USB Ethernet adapter is made is also a point to consider. It’s not really going to be determinative in the short term, but it will be in the long term. If you want it to always work well, prevent it from overheating or have problems in the event of a blow or simply from use, take the material into account.
Many models are made of aluminum casing. It’s fine and you shouldn’t have any problems. It’s better than using a plastic casing.
Compatibility
You should also look at the compatibility with the devices where you are going to use it. Normally they are plug and play, so simply by connecting it you will be able to connect to the Internet. But it is something that you should review, in case there is some kind of incompatibility or you see that something does not work as it should.
An Ethernet USB adapter can also be connected to a mobile. In this case it must be USB type C, since a mobile does not use the larger classic USB ports. If it is Plug and Play, you will have no problem using it.
In short, as you can see, you can take into account what we have explained when buying an Ethernet adapter that works through USB. There are many options available, they are inexpensive, and they work well. It is useful to connect a computer by cable if it does not have a network port.