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08
Feb
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Upgrading Macs to 802.11n wireless with USB adapter

I recently found an affordable solution for upgrading an older Mac Computer to the newer and faster 802.11n wireless standard.200802081654.jpg

My wives computer is a 1.66 Ghz Core Duo Mac Mini that includes an internal 802.11 b/g airport card. She connects to the home network wirelessly and sometimes suffers slow or unreliable network access. The home router is a 802.11 b/g/n wireless D-Link DIR-655.

I’ve been considering how to upgrade her Macs wireless network connection speed and at the same time improve the reliability of the connection. One option, replacing the internal Airport card in the Mac Mini with a 802.11n capable wireless card, could cost over $150. That’s not cost effective for this system in my opinion.

Looking for another solution, I discovered an Encore 802.11n Wireless USB Adapter (ENUWI-N) that functions well in a Mac. This adapter not only has the higher speed of 802.11n but seems to have better range and reliability from being outside the metal case of the Mini. It also supports older 802.11 b/g standards.

The Encore USB Adapter comes with a very short USB extension cable but will plug directly into one of the four USB plugs on the back of the Mac Mini without blocking the other USB ports.

For this adapter to work on a Mac, free OS X 10.4x (Tiger) or 10.5x (Leopard) drivers must be downloaded from Ralink and installed. Set-up is straight forward using the USB setup utility (apps folder) that is installed along with the drivers.

Network connections with this adapter seem strong, stable and fast.

The Encore USB Adapter list for $40 but is currently on sale at NewEgg for $30.


Posted on: Friday, February 8, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Posted by: Earl Moore
Filed Under: Apple Mac, Hardware
Post Viewed: 677 views



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    Comments

    5 Responses to “Upgrading Macs to 802.11n wireless with USB adapter”

    1. wireless network adapter user on March 8th, 2008 11:37 am

      A lot of times an antenna can help with reception. They are usually cheaper, but still wouldn’t upgrade her to 802.11 N.

    2. Eduardo Rizo on April 30th, 2008 2:40 am

      Hi,

      Just wanted to say thank you for this information. I too have a Mac mini I need to boost to 802.11n.

      Waiting for the adapter in the mail.

      Have you experienced any problems since updating your Mac mini?

      Thanks again.

    3. Earl Moore on April 30th, 2008 6:53 am

      @Eduardo: It seems to still be working well.

    4. Eduardo Rizo on May 10th, 2008 1:19 am

      Hello Earl,

      Simply wanted to follow up and let you know that I received the adapter in the mail and everything is working perfectly with the Ralink driver and Encore adapter.

      Thanks again for the great information.

    5. Earl Moore on May 10th, 2008 8:55 am

      @Eduardo : Glad to hear that you’ve also had a positive experience with the Encore adapter. Regards…

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