I’ve only recently gotten into the world of high speed wi-fi internet access. For the last seven years I’ve been a happy camper with my free Nocharge dial-up internet service (because it’s free, of course), but it was rather slow and no good for uploading or downloading large files. However, I was turned on to the world of wi-fi when a friend of mine brought his new laptop computer to my apartment and connected to high speed wi-fi internet right before my eyes… It turns out I live near a “free wi-fi” zone in Seattle which I had been totally unaware of, but after checking out the high speed wi-fi access on my friend’s laptop I knew I had to tap into it myself. After some googling, I found that I could buy a USB wi-fi adapter for my desktop PC (a four-year-old Emachines computer running Windows XP) but also found that there were many, many wi-fi adapters on the market so I checked on some reviews online together with superboost wifi review.
After checking out all the wi-fi adapter choices on newegg.com I decided on the Rosewill RNX-G1 adapter for two reasons: the low price (on sale for $25) plus it came with an external plug-in 2dBi antenna. Most of the other USB wi-fi adapters in that price range did not have external antennas and I was concerned that without one I would not be able to connect to the free wi-fi in my neighborhood. Turns out I made the right choice…
After receiving my Rosewill RNX-G1 adapter from newegg.com I found it remarkably easy to use. I simply plugged it into the USB slot and Windows XP found it right away. The adapter comes with a driver disc which was easy enough to install, and after installing the driver I was able to immediately connect to the free wi-fi. I was impressed that the Rosweill wi-fi adapter not only found the city’s free wi-fi zone but also found many other wi-fi connections around the neighborhood including several coffee shops that offer free wi-fi. Of course, not wanting to steal bandwith from the coffee shops I stick with the city’s free wi-fi.
My wi-fi connection was very good during the summer months — I was able to connect with 2-3 bars, but often times was disconnected and would have to “repair” my connection with Windows XP network connections to restablish my wi-fi connectivity. When Fall came around my connection was not nearly as good — it was difficult at times to establish a connection and I would get disconnected frequently. I did, at the time, have my desktop computer on the floor underneath my desk with the USB wi-fi adapter plugged into the computer’s rear USB port. I found that by simply plugging the adapter into the computer’s front USB port I had better connectivity. I later purchased a USB extension cable so that I could place the Rosewill wi-fi adapter on up on top of a speaker I have on my desk and that also boosted my connectivity. I also purchased a Gasky high-gain 7dBi panel antenna that plugs into my Rosewill wi-fi adapter and that really boosted my wi-fi connectivity. Now, with my Rosewill adapter and the Gasky high-gain antenna I get great wi-fi connectivity with an average of 4 bars and rarely am disconnected… and I’m once again a happy camper!
All in all, the Rosewill RNX-G1 wi-fi adapter is a great buy for the price and it works, plus you can always buy a higher gain antenna for it if you need to. I’d recommend it to any one looking for a USB wi-fi adapter for their desktop computer. I give it three thumbs up, and I’m never going back to the world of dial-up internet, so I swear!
