4 best network adapters

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

For the device of a new connection to the network – local or Internet – special devices are used – network adapters. There are a great many of them on the market and they differ in the same set of parameters. The editorial board decided to devote today's rating review to a narrow topic – adapters, which are in fact a kind of adapters from ordinary wired Ethernet to USB.

How to choose a network adapter

To begin with, let's briefly figure out how to choose an Ethernet-USB network adapter, because there are still quite a few of them.

Connector type

The most obvious parameter, in which it is difficult to make a mistake, but still, let's clarify some details. At the input, such an adapter will always have a standard RJ-45 network connector, which is well recognizable, and there are no other options within our topic. On the other side of the adapter, there will already be options. The USB standard has several generations and form factors. And if USB 2.0 and 3.0 are compatible at least in form, then USB 2.0 or 3.0 simply won't fit into USB-C. At the same time, your computer most likely has several or even many USB interfaces of different standards. Therefore, decide in advance which one will be most convenient and expedient (port speed) to attach the adapter.

Speed

Already less obvious, but no less important parameter. Before buying, you need to know exactly the bandwidth of the adapter and be guided by it. The fact is that if you are a happy owner of a gigabit Internet, then by purchasing an adapter with support for a maximum of 100Mbps, this is the speed you will get. And do not forget that the bandwidth of the USB 2.0 port is 480 Mbps, so even connecting a gigabit adapter to such a port, you, again, will get exactly this speed, and then at the maximum.

Form Factor and Physics

Here the main factors are: the shape of the 'flash drive' or the presence of the cable, the length of the cable, the rigidity of the cable, its quality, the presence of light indicators and their brightness, design. All this may seem like trifles, but the number of users who, because of such trifles, had to change the adapter, is very significant.

You most likely will not find an adapter in the form of a 'flash drive' (commonly referred to as a 'whistle' in common people). This does not apply to other types of adapters – 3G, Wi-Fi and others. There is just a form of a flash drive – almost a rule, but we will talk about them another time. So, just in case, an adapter of this form is acceptable for stationary computers, and even if it is plugged into a socket on the back wall. In laptops, this form is extremely undesirable, since when carrying or any other interaction with the laptop, the 'whistle' is easier than ever to hook and break it corny, damaging the port itself.

Do not underestimate the role of the cable and its quality. A hard cable is not for everyone, since the adapter block will not hang down, sometimes it is convenient. On the other hand, it must be of high quality, otherwise the insulation will break down rather quickly and after a while the wires will break. It is impossible to determine all this at the point of sale, so be sure to search the Internet for reviews before buying.

Finally, the indicator lights. Everything here is not for everybody. Someone needs them to see the status and dynamics, and indeed 'beautifully' (no kidding). But sometimes the LEDs are too bright and when the user is working at night, they really interfere with the sleep of other family members. It would seem that in this case it is possible to glue the diodes with electrical tape, but this is no longer 'comme il faut' and the cases of replacing the device for this reason are far from isolated.

Manufacturing company

Everything is pretty simple here. You should not buy 'nouns' that have just appeared on the market, even if the Internet is bursting with positive reviews – their reliability is questionable, if only because of the too short time of use. On the other hand, quite often even adapters of famous brands sometimes turn out to be useless. It is worth studying the reviews here, and this is not a contradiction, since well-known brands do not engage in such petty black marketing methods.

And now we go directly to the rating and describe the four models that experts considered the best in terms of basic parameters, including value for money.

Rating of the best network adapters

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Rating of the best network adapters	1	DELL USB-C to Ethernet adapter (470-ABND)	RUB 2,490
	2	HP USB-C to RJ45 Adapter (V8Y76AA)	RUB 2,490
	3	Gembird A-CM-LAN-01	RUB 1,022
	4	TP-LINK UE300	RUB 1,090

DELL USB-C to Ethernet adapter (470-ABND)

Rating: 4.9

First of all, let's consider the most expensive adapter in our review, manufactured by the American company DELL. The price is largely due to the increased reliability of the device, which is noted by the users themselves. The adapter lasts a long time, does not crash, does not freeze, gives 'honest' speeds in network connections.

The device is designed to create a new or additional Ethernet port with an RJ-45 connector in those devices that do not contain such a port (faulty, already occupied), but have a free USB 3.1 Type-C interface. The adapter provides a reliable and stable connection at speeds of 10, 100 or 1000 Mbps.

Even minimal effort or separate driver installation is not required for the adapter to work. The 'native' driver is already contained in it. When you connect for the first time, you just need to agree to install it when a service message appears.

A notable feature of the adapter is its support for PXE technology (special software for booting a computer over a network without using internal data storage devices).

PXE is an environment for booting a computer using a network card without using local storage media.

A network adapter is made in a miniature black case, between the case of the functional module and the USB 3.1 Type-C plug there is a flat data cable. The entire surface of all parts of the device has a soft-touch surface that is pleasant to the touch.

Advantages

• exceptional reliability and continuity;
• “honest” speed;
• quality materials;
• pleasant to the touch soft-touch;
• PXE support.

disadvantages

• flat cord limits flexibility.

HP USB-C to RJ45 Adapter (V8Y76AA)

Rating: 4.8

Now let's pay attention to the adapter used for a similar purpose, only this time made by Hewlett-Packard.

The power adapter is supplied in a package with dimensions 245x110x35 mm and weighing 120 g. Full dimensions with cord: width – 4.33 inches, height – 1.38 inches. Net weight of the device – 71.4 g. It is made in dark gray color. The functional block is made in the form of a regular 'square' shape and rounded edges.

It is, just like the previous model, equipped with the same RJ-45 connector and USB 3.1 Type-C plug and operates at the same speed – up to 1 Gbps. On the side of the RJ-45 connector, there are two green and yellow LEDs indicating the connection speed (green – maximum).

This model is covered by Hewlett-Packard's standard one-year limited warranty, so in the event of a malfunction, the adapter can be replaced at any authorized service center.

Advantages

• reliability;
• quality materials;
• flexible but strong wire;
• indicator lights.

disadvantages

• not marked.

Gembird A-CM-LAN-01

Rating: 4.7

The third number in the ranking is the adapter produced by the international company Gembird, which has Dutch roots, and the production of such adapters is carried out in China. Actually, the two above-described models are also produced in the Celestial Empire.

The purpose of the device, the incoming and outgoing interfaces and the bandwidth are exactly the same as for the first two models, so we will not repeat ourselves, we will describe only the features.

The network adapter is powered by the high performance RTL8153 chip. Supports IEEE 802.3x Flow Control, 802.1P, 802.1Q, 802.3az-2010 standards. Provides a reliable and stable connection without crashes or freezes. The form factor is the same as previous models, only the functional block has a slight design refinement. Cable length – 15 cm.

The adapter is supplied in individual packaging with dimensions 25x150x150 mm. Net weight – 22 g.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• supports many communication standards;
• easy to use.

disadvantages

• not found.

TP-LINK UE300

Rating: 4.6

Our rating is completed by the adapter of one of the most famous brands of network equipment TP-LINK. This time the configuration will be slightly different from the previous models, but the tasks are the same.

In this case, the output is a plug for a regular USB 3.0 interface, and not a miniature USB 3.1 Type-C, as in the previous three models. The bandwidth is the same – 10, 100 and 1000 GB. The network adapter works on the RTL8153 chip.

The device is installed at the first plug and play connection on operating systems Windows, Linux and Mac OS X 10.9 / 10.10. For systems Mac OS X (10.5-10.8) manual driver installation is required.

This model is characterized by a pleasant appearance – a snow-white body, pleasant shapes. A good design idea is also implemented here – the USB plug is conveniently retracted into the case. The dimensions of the device are 71x26x16.2 mm.

TP-LINK provides a 24 month warranty for this model.

Advantages

• nice design;
• the plug is retracted into the body;
• broad support for many operating systems.

disadvantages

• a flat cord is not always convenient.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.