Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 Wi-Fi Adapter Review: Incredible Speed For A Steal Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Best Products > Networking
Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 USB Wi-Fi Adapter Review
Excellent speed at an unheard of price
By Imad Khan Imad Khan Writer University of Texas Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Imad Khan is a tech writer whose work has appeared on The Washington Post, ESPN, Tom's Guide, Engadget, Digital Trends, Variety, Men's Health, VICE, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on May 14, 2020 Tweet Share Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. 4.5 Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 USB Wi-Fi Adapter
Lifewire / Imad Khan What We Like Fast Good Range Handles multiple streams and gaming What We Don't Like External antenna might be a turn off for some The Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 USB Wi-Fi Adapter is an excellent USB WiFi adapter that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. While it’s range might not be adequate for some, it’s overall speed and performance more than makes up for it. View On Amazon View On Walmart 4.5 Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 USB Wi-Fi Adapter
Lifewire / Imad Khan View On Amazon View On Walmart in this article Expand Design Setup Process Network Performance Price Competition Final Verdict Specs We purchased the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 USB Wi-Fi Adapter so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review. Sometimes it’s good to have a bit of a signal boost when there are 100 other laptops competing for wireless signal. Having an external USB WiFi adapter with a dedicated antenna can help give you a leg up when trying to download notes or browse Wikipedia in the middle of a giant university lecture hall. That’s where the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 comes in. This USB WiFi adapter could help give your used hand-me-down laptop a boost in wireless performance. It’s small enough to easily be able to throw in a backpack and sturdy enough that it won’t get crushed underneath your biology textbook. Outside of class, it can handle anything you throw at it, from multiple online streams to gaming. The Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 is an excellent performer. Design Small and glossy
The Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 is a tiny USB WiFi adapter that has one external antenna sticking out the side. Other than the constantly blinking blue light, which can be annoying to some, it’s a relatively minimalist design that doesn’t look too bad when connected to the side of a cheap Dell laptop. It won’t win any design awards, but it’s a WiFi adapter, and doesn't really doesn’t need to stand out. Lifewire / Imad Khan Setup Process Plug and browse
Setting up the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 is incredibly simple. Plugging it in should get users connected to the internet in seconds. Wise Tiger does include a CD with Realtek drivers in case things don’t work right out the box, but considering that most modern machines lack a CD drive, the usefulness of the included CD might be moot. In the instance that Windows is unable to recognize the WT-AC9006, you’ll need to find an external CD drive and get that driver loaded, or load it onto a flash drive. This is a worst-case scenario and likely will not be a problem for most people as it should work right out the box. Connectivity and Network Performance Unbelievable speeds
We put the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 up against three separate speed tests to get an overall average. We tested it on Microsoft’s Network Speed Test app, Ookla’s Speedtest.net, and Netflix’s Fast.com. On the 5GHz frequency, we saw an average ping of 36ms, a download of 195 Mbps, and an upload speed of 9 Mbps. Switching over to the 2.4GHz frequency, pings were at 36ms, with downloads at 49 Mbps, and uploads at 8 Mbps. During our range test, the WT-AC9006 performed well. At 20’ it gave us a download of 34 Mbps on the Microsoft Network Speed Test app. When going one floor down in a New York City apartment complex, lined with old heavy brick and concrete, speeds dropped considerably. Downloads were at 2 Mbps, meaning that the WT-AC9006 might not be your solution for long-range internet access. During our stress test, the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 performed incredibly well. When throwing it into the ring against two 4K streams, one from YouTube and the other from Netflix, while also playing a game of Rocket League, it kept up admirably. Pings in Rocket League were a solid 20ms. For comparison, when playing with a wired Ethernet connection, pings usually sit at around 15ms. During our stress test, the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 performed incredibly well. Price It s so cheap
At $12, it’s hard to fault the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006. It’s such an affordable and well put-together product that it’s hard not to recommend it. It delivers far more per dollar than other USB WiFi adapters on the market. It’s such an affordable and well put-together product that it’s hard not to recommend it. Wise Tiger WT-AC906 vs EDUP EP-AC1635
You’ve probably noticed on Amazon that both the Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 and the EDUP EP-AC1635 (view on Amazon) are small, highly rated, and affordable WiFi adapters. Luckily we’ve tested both and can tell you which one to buy. The answer? Either. Both are essentially the exact same device, using the exact same Realtek chipset. Both come in exactly the same packaging, just with a different name on the front. Can’t decide between the two? Pick the one that’s cheapest. Final Verdict Excellent performance, cheap price. The Wise Tiger WT-AC9006 does what so few electronics can: giving consumers stellar performance at an unbeatable value. It’s hard to find fault with the WT-AC9006. It performs incredibly well in both speed and stress tests. It looks decent, is small and compact, and delivers everything most people need from a USB WiFi adapter. We couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Specs
Product Name WT-AC9006 USB Wi-Fi Adapter Product Brand Wise Tiger UPC B07CVLSR2M Price $12.00 Release Date July 2017 Weight 2.82 oz. Product Dimensions 1.34 x 0.63 x 0.3 in. Color Black Type 600m WiFi Adapter Wireless 802.11 AC/a/b/g/n Chipset Realtek RTL8811AU Warranty Lifetime Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire EDUP EP-AC1635 Wi-Fi Adapter Review: Solid Speed And Range At An Affordable Price NET-DYN USB Wireless Wi-Fi Adapter Review The 7 Best USB Wi-Fi Adapters of 2022 Asus USB-AC68 Dual-Band USB Wi-Fi Adapter: The Most Unreliable Gaming Adapter on the Market How to Use the Netflix Speed Test Ourlink U631 USB Wi-Fi Adapter: Small Size, Solid Performance Internet Speed Test Sites (Last Updated October 2022) How to Fix it When Chromebook Won't Connect to Wi-Fi TP-Link TL-WN725N USB Wi-Fi Adapter: Only For The Basics Netgear Nighthawk A7000 Wi-Fi USB Adapter Review: Great Connectivity for Gamers Which Browser Should I Use for Watching Movies? What Is a Wi-Fi Adapter? How Fast Is a Wi-Fi Network? Expert Tested: The 9 Best Wi-Fi Range Extenders in 2022 When and How to Turn Off Wi-Fi on Your Devices How to Improve the Wi-Fi Range of a Laptop Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies