TRENDnet TEW-809UB AC1900 Wireless USB Adapter Review

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For the longest time, AC1900 adapters were regulated to the PCIe interface due to the number of components required for a device. With time those parts are now smaller allowing vendors to release USB solutions based on those high-performance chipsets.

Launched in late 2016, this AC1900 USB solution from TRENDnet allows potential customers to upgrade or add to existing wireless infrastructure with higher performance. The TEW-809UB supports 600 Mbps over the 2.4GHz band and 1.3 Gbps over the 5GHz band. Adding to the package, TRENDnet ships this solution with 5dBi high gain antennas for increased range and the entire solution is powered by a USB 3.0 connection.

Compatibility includes Windows XP through 10 along with OS X 10.6+, and the MSRP of the TRENDnet TEW-809UB comes in at $89.99 with a three-year warranty.

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Packaging follows the typical design seen from TRENDnet. The top left holds an image of the device and logo. Below we have just a smidge of marketing information.

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The back of the box gives a comparison of adapters from TRENDnet. Below we have more features outlined in several languages.

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The scope of delivery includes the four high gain antennas, USB 3.0 cable, and manual.

The body of the adapter houses four SMA connectors for the antennas, and this side also holds the USB 3.0 input.

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The opposite side carries the WPS button.

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Testing for these adapters was done with a Nighthawk R7000 router. With 2.4GHz testing, the TRENDnet device came in at 131.8 Mbps, on par with other adapters in the chart.

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Over on 5GHz, The TRENDnet adapter came in at 377.4, the lowest of tested adapters.

I was able to spend a good amount of time with this adapter even after the testing process was done. The build quality is on par with expectations, the USB connection is solid with no movement, and the antennas use rigid SMA connectors. This device does have a wall mounting option which I found more suitable due to the placement of the USB input on the device.

The performance of the TEW-809UB was on par with many of the devices I could put against it in 2.4GHz. On 5GHz, it came in slightly under comparable devices, but still a solid 377 Mbps.

Overall, the TEW-809UB is a relatively solid option for those needing to add or upgrade wireless components wanting to stay in the $50-100 range on their budget.

Tyler's Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Maximus IX Hero (buy from Amazon)
• CPU: Intel Core i7 7700K (buy from Amazon) / (Read our Review)
• Memory: G.SKILL TridentZ DDR4 3200 (buy from Amazon)
• Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Hybrid (buy from Amazon)
• OS Storage: Intel 730 480GB SSD (buy from Amazon) / (Read our Review)
• Secondary Storage: MyDigitalSSD BP5 512GB SSD (buy from Amazon)
• Case: EVGA DG-86 (buy from Amazon)
• Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2 (buy from Amazon)
• Networking: ASUS PCE-AC88 AC3100 (buy from Amazon)
• Networking: ASUS ROG 10G Express
• Networking: ASUS Thunderbolt EX3 (buy from Amazon)
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 (buy from Amazon)