Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Joe Mix photo
Italy, Rome
1 Level
740 Review
100 Karma

Review on πŸš€ Upgrade Your PC with TP-Link Archer T5E WiFi Card - Dual Band Wireless Network Card for Gaming and Streaming on Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (32/64-bit) with Bluetooth 4.2 Support by Joe Mix

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Easy to install - if the motherboard has an exposed pinned USB connector

We recently moved into a house that didn't have wired ethernet so we bought two of these WiFi cards. Both worked well with standard 2.4GHz WiFi or the newer, faster 5G version. (Bluetooth worked, too, but I immediately turned it off.) The antennas provide strong reception from opposite ends of the house. However, I was fortunate in that I 1) had a good understanding of the computer and its motherboard, and 2) was able to identify the USB connector on the motherboard. While the card plugs into a PCIe slot, it also includes a cable that needs to be connected to the USB port on the motherboard. (Just to clarify, this is NOT the standard USB port you have on the outside of your computer.) There were two free ports on my desktop, but my wife only had one, so check availability before you buy this device. Eventually, after installation, my wife's PC booted up just fine, but I had to go into the BIOS and change the boot settings for my PC. It tried to boot from a new USB device, which seemed unusual to me. Simple solution, but again requires a bit more computer skills than I expected for a basic wireless card. In the end everything is fine and the product works very well. Just be warned: if the idea of opening up your computer case and fiddling with plugs and cables scares you, I recommend buying a model that plugs into your external USB port.

Pros
  • Rugged design
Cons
  • Expensive insurance