Trendnet intros first USB 3.0 802.11ac adapter

Trendnet announces at CES 2013 the first USB 3.0 802.11ac adapter that quickly adds support for the latest Wi-Fi standard to any existing computer.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews

CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.

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Dong Ngo

Jan. 8, 2013 12:00 a.m. PT

Trendnet's first USB 3.0 802.11ac adapter, the TEW-802USB. Trendnet

LAS VEGAS--If you are looking to upgrade your existing computer to support 802.11ac, without having to get a new computer entirely, here's something to look forward to.

Trendnet announced today at CES 2013 its first USB 3.0 802.11ac W-Fi adapter, the AC1200 Dual Band Wireless USB 3.0 adapter, model TEW-805UB.

This adapter card supports the dual-stream setup Wi-Fi standard and offers the cap speed of up to 867Mbps, when used with a 802.11ac router. It also works with existing Wireless-N routers and offers up to 300Mbps data rate in this case.

The new adapter is just about the size of a small thumbdrive and supports both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. It's imperative that you use it with USB 3.0 if you want to enjoy the speed of 802.11ac.

The AC1200 Dual Band Wireless USB 3.0 adapter is slated to be available sometime in April with the estimated price of $70.