TP-Link Archer TX20U Plus: Wi-Fi 6 USB adapter with two antennas and a stand

The TP-Link Archer TX20U Plus is aimed at desktop PCs with no Wi-Fi or only slow Wi-Fi. Instead of a small stick you get a stand with two adjustable antennas, connected to the computer by a USB cable about one metre long. That lets you move it out of the cable clutter under your desk and place it where reception is best.

The adapter uses Wi-Fi 6 on both bands. TP-Link quotes up to 1,201 Mbps gross on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, hence the AX1800 label. USB 3.0 makes sure the interface is not a bottleneck. With a Wi-Fi 6 router you also get MU-MIMO and OFDMA, meant to deliver more even connections and lower latency on busy networks; beamforming focuses the signal towards the router.

It supports WPA3, and older Wi-Fi 4 or 5 routers work too thanks to backward compatibility. According to the datasheet the adapter is designed for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Worth knowing: full Wi-Fi 6 performance requires a matching router; on an older router the adapter connects using that router's standard. The 6 GHz band (Wi-Fi 6E) is not supported. TP-Link does not list macOS or Linux as supported. There is no Bluetooth built in. Use a USB 3.0 port directly on the PC where possible, as a USB 2.0 port will limit speed.