If your computer's built-in Wi-Fi card uses an older standard, a USB adapter is a practical alternative to replacing the card. The NETGEAR Nighthawk A9000 is a tri-band USB 3.0 adapter that adds Wi-Fi 7 support to Windows 11 computers.
According to the manufacturer, the A9000 is BE6500 class: up to 688 Mbps on 2.4GHz and up to 2,882 Mbps theoretical speed on 5GHz and 6GHz. The bands are not used at the same time; the adapter picks one depending on conditions. Wi-Fi 7 features and the 6GHz band require Windows 11 and a Wi-Fi 7 router.
Setup
- Plug the A9000 into a USB 3.0 port (it also works on USB 2.0, at lower speed); you can use the desktop cradle supplied in the box
- Install the driver automatically or download the latest driver from the NETGEAR support page
- Connect to your network and run a speed test
Benefits in Use
- Adds Wi-Fi 7 support to your desktop computer without replacing the internal card
- Provides a fast wireless connection where an Ethernet cable cannot be run
- Being portable, it can also be used on other Windows 11 computers
For tasks such as high-resolution video editing, cloud gaming and large file transfers, the difference you see depends on your router's Wi-Fi 7 support and your internet plan's speed.
