Wavlink USB to 5GbE Adapter Review (WL-NWU340G-A)

Last updated on 17 Sep 2024 📧 Subscribe
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1 Wavlink USB to 5GbE NIC Review- Worth Your Money and Your Data?
1.1 Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Quick conclusion
1.2 Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Design
1.3 Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Performance Tests
1.4 Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Conclusion
2 Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Wavlink USB to 5GbE NIC Review- Worth Your Money and Your Data?

Upgrading your network connectivity has grown increasingly easier over the last few years, largely thanks to several different network controller brands in the market that are pioneering the power efficiency and compatibility of their hardware towards more accessible client hardware. What that long sentence means is, no longer are you restricted to PCIe intrusive upgrades for your system to bolster your existing network connectivity, and instead, there are more and more options in the market that allow you to increase your network bandwidth via USB upgrades. Into this, we find the Wavlink USB to 5GbE adaptor, a $30 USB upgrade that adds five times the standard network connectivity to your system than gigabit network adaptors! USB 5G network adaptors aren’t actually a new thing, and some of the first units on the market arrived right the way back in 2019, but these were far less power efficient, utilized quite complicated builds, and ultimately ended up costing simply too much. For some users, with a fraction more money, they could upgrade to 10GbE instead. However, thanks to network adaptors like the Realtek RTL 8157, the price has been brought down substantially alongside the scale. Arriving at prices that rival that of simple legacy 1GbE adaptors. But, is the Wavlink 5GbE USB adaptor actually any good? Can it perform the way it says it can, and ultimately, does it deserve your money and your data? Let’s find out.

Note – Pricing for the Wavlink USB-to-5GbE Adapter is kinda WILD at the moment (as it just got released). The best Pricing I found was £25.39 / $31.52 on AliExpress. (as well as $36.99 on Amazon.com):

Here’s a specifications table for the Wavlink USB to 5GbE Adapter (Model: WL-NWU340G-A):

Specification Details
Model WL-NWU340G-A
Price Range $29.99 – $39.99
Interface USB-C
Supported Network Speeds 1GbE, 2.5GbE, 5GbE (auto-negotiation)
Controller Realtek RTL8157 (8mm controller)
Power Usage 1.7W
Compatibility Windows, macOS (10.8+), Linux (kernel 3.2+), Chrome OS
Driver Requirements Driver required for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Bus Power Yes, no external power required
Cooling Passive cooling (silent operation)
Connector Type USB-C (no Type-A adapter included)
Dimensions 3.14 x 1.25 x 0.66 inches
Weight 0.88 ounces
Notable Features Auto-negotiation down to 1GbE and 2.5GbE, plug-and-play
Additional Notes Realtek drivers required; no USB-A adapter included

Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Quick conclusion

The Wavlink 5GbE USB adaptor is a no-brainer! It allows you to massively scale up your existing network connectivity on your Windows, Mac, or Linux system, but also is going to allow users who host their own network servers to maximize total available bandwidth on their hardware without any wastage between 1GbE and 10GbE. No doubt there are going to be some users who scoff at the idea of a 5G USB upgrade NIC, instead questioning the point and why users don’t just jump up to 10GbE already! To those users, I say that right now, if you want to add a USB-C 10G network adaptor, you have to spend at least $100 or more, are restricted to Thunderbolt and USB4, and may well be overshooting your bandwidth needs anyway. Whereas, a $30 USB 5G upgrade is not only compatible with older generations of USB, but it allows you to utilize leftover bandwidth on a system that, although not enough to support a 10G network, may well have plenty left over to spill into 5G. Ultimately, this adaptor is about eliminating wastage in your network bandwidth in the most affordable and convenient way possible. What few issues, such as the lack of a Type-C to Type-A adaptor or the slight fragility of the build at times, are largely ignored when you remember how cheap this adaptor is to buy and just how beneficial it could be to your connected host system. All that’s left to wait for is the inevitable integration of the Realtek drivers for this adaptor to make their way into most NAS software, and you’re going to have a pretty unbeatable, affordable, and capable network upgrade in your hands.

BUILD QUALITY - 9/10
HARDWARE - 9/10
PERFORMANCE - 10/10
PRICE - 10/10
VALUE - 10/10


9.6
PROS
👍🏻Increases network speed up to 5GbE, 5 times faster than standard gigabit adapters.
👍🏻Affordable price point, typically around $30.
👍🏻USB-C interface with backward compatibility for USB 3.1 and higher.
👍🏻Supports multiple network speeds: 1GbE, 2.5GbE, and 5GbE.
👍🏻Compact, lightweight design with aluminum casing for durability and heat dissipation.
👍🏻Plug-and-play functionality for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.
👍🏻Passive cooling system ensures silent operation without the need for a fan.
👍🏻Bus-powered, eliminating the need for external power sources.
CONS
👎🏻No USB Type-A adapter included in the package, limiting compatibility with older devices.
👎🏻Limited NAS system compatibility as of now, with some platforms requiring manual driver installation.



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Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Design

The Wavlink USB 5GbE adaptor arrives in a modest package. Currently available on AliExpress and Newegg for between $29 and $39, I wasn’t really expecting this adaptor to break the bank in terms of presentation. The retail package simply includes the adaptor itself, a first-time introduction manual, and a 3D barcode to reach the Realtek drivers.

Modest and does not feature any active cooling systems. Arriving in an external casing, there are no additional power requirements, and the only lights on the adaptor are for the network interface port.

This silent adaptor manages to alleviate increased temperature concerns via the use of passive cooling around the entire device. There are vents on either side, and the small metallic areas of the external casing assist in heat dissipation.

The network interface is unsurprisingly a copper 5G Base-T output with support of auto-negotiation down to 1GbE and 2.5GbE when needed.

The USB connection on this device is pre-attached to the adaptor, so no need to bring and lose your own cable. Something that may be a little annoying for some is that the device arrives with fixed USB-C connectivity, with no USB Type-A adaptor included. I tested this device with a spare Type-A to Type-C adaptor that I had, and it worked perfectly fine. Nevertheless, even despite the rather modest price tag, I’m a little disappointed that Wavlink did not include a Type-A adaptor here.

Removing the internal PCB from the external casing reveals a two-sided heatsink-adorned micro board.

Featuring the Realtek RTL8157 8mm controller, this is a fantastically lightweight USB network adaptor. This 5G to USB controller from Realtek has been made available to production companies since Spring 2024, and Wavlink have seemingly beaten most brands to the punch in rolling out their affordable adaptor very, very early.

This 8mm square controller takes up virtually no room on the PCB and occupies a Gen 3×1 line. That means that this controller has around 800 to 1,000MB per second potential bandwidth utility, and it really isn’t going to need all of that, as it can get away with needing only half of that for the 5GbE network connection.

 

Specification Details
Model Realtek RTL8157
Interface USB 3.2 (backward compatible with USB 3.1/3.0)
Supported Network Speeds 1GbE, 2.5GbE, 5GbE (auto-negotiation)
Power Consumption 1.7W
Controller Type PCIe Gen 3 x1
Maximum Bandwidth 800-1,000MB/s potential bandwidth utility
Form Factor 8mm square controller
Cooling Passive (no fan required)
Compatibility Windows, macOS, Linux
Additional Features Low-power consumption, compact design, compatible with USB-C
Production Availability Available since Spring 2024

Drivers for this adaptor are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Some NAS platforms, such as Unraid, have begun adding driver plugins to their application repositories, and if it’s not already featured on the Unraid app center, it almost certainly will be by the time you’re reading this!

Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Performance Tests

For testing this adaptor, I set up a Synology DS923+ with four SATA SSDs in a RAID 0 environment. This NAS was also fitted with a 10GbE copper network connection, and I directly connected to the Synology NAS via a Windows 10 Pro system using the USB to 5GbE Wavlink adaptor.

In practically every test I performed, the adaptor completely saturated the available network connectivity! My first test was utilizing CrystalDiskMark, and I performed a 1GB read, write, and mixed read/write test. This test resulted in full saturation on both read and write, especially given that 5GbE is actually not 500MB per second in reality; brilliant reality is actually a little closer to 570MB at complete saturation with the right file sizes and blocks. Nevertheless, these were still exceptional numbers.

Likewise, I went ahead and tested repeated 1GB test file performance using AJA Speed Test and the same Synology/Windows 10 setup. Again, repeated perfect full saturation between the SSDs on the system and my local PC!

All in all, I really cannot fault the performance here. This adaptor does exactly what it says it’s going to do, and even when I was utilizing sustained 1GB AJA file tests on this NAS using this adaptor for 30 minutes, I didn’t really see any overbearing oversaturation of the controller, the temperatures were fairly predictable and not too high, and overall it was a very reliable piece of kit.

Also, it’s worth highlighting that although Direct NAS connection over USB is still in the early days, the Realtek driver IS available on UnRAID.

Otherwise, currently, only Windows, Mac and Linux drivers are available – so an element of customization will be required to use this on brands such as Synology (recommend keeping an eye on friend of ours Dave Russell HERE on Github), with QNAP support likely officially integrated soon enough.

Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC Review – Conclusion

I think you know what I’m going to say! I really don’t think you can question this device for its $30 price tag, given that you have to spend three figures for a Thunderbolt/USB4 10G adaptor, or maybe buy a 2.5G adaptor and save yourself $5… there really is no competition here, and although the Wavlink is a very good product, we also have to acknowledge that chances are we are about to see an absolute sea of similarly priced and near-identical architectured adaptors like this one arriving on the market anytime now. Bottom line, if they are all going to be as reliable as the Wavlink USB 5G adaptor, let them arrive. I could complain about the lack of a USB Type-A adaptor or the rather modest packaging, but for just $30, this thing is an absolute bargain and a reliable network upgrade if ever I saw one!

Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC PROS Wavlink USB-to-5GbE NIC CONS
  • Increases network speed up to 5GbE, 5 times faster than standard gigabit adapters.
  • Affordable price point, typically around $30.
  • USB-C interface with backward compatibility for USB 3.1 and higher.
  • Supports multiple network speeds: 1GbE, 2.5GbE, and 5GbE.
  • Compact, lightweight design with aluminum casing for durability and heat dissipation.
  • Plug-and-play functionality for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.
  • Passive cooling system ensures silent operation without the need for a fan.
  • Bus-powered, eliminating the need for external power sources.
  • No USB Type-A adapter included in the package, limiting compatibility with older devices.
  • Limited NAS system compatibility as of now, with some platforms requiring manual driver installation.

 

 

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      53 thoughts on “Wavlink USB to 5GbE Adapter Review (WL-NWU340G-A)”

      1. Hi mate, I found out that there is still some problem for this NIC on my ds918+. After updating to the latest drive and installing the NIC, I found out that NIC worked but not 100%. It seems like my ds918+ is not able to show its statues, while when I was using my 2.5G usb NIC (RTL8125), it was clear that the NIC runs on 2500M full duplex mode.
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      2. Have you tried using this with Unraid? I’ve bought one and will work fine at 5Gbs for about 10 mins and then will drop down to 10mbs which is a bit of a pain in the dick. I’ve not been able to work out how to keep it at full speed and I’ve followed the instructions included with the driver.
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      6. Hi I bought a Realtek 2.5Gbe USB gaming controller dongle using it on windows 11 24H2 machine on USB 3 connection, I also installed the latest driver from Realtek site. My router has 1G lan ports and my boardband is 1000m. However when I tested the internet speed I only got 300+mbps on bothe download and upload. I wonder if there is any setting on device mangaer I need to set eg jumbo frames etc I have to do. Also is there anything to do with my router setting? Thanks
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      9. What are the security implications for using these (mainly Chinese) USB to Ethernet adapters? Could they install malware or alter the system configuration unnoticed?
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      10. I purchased one of these, and the USB drops out every time it is going full 5Gb during a LAN speed test. (System = AMD B550M) This is with the latest driver available from Realtek and chipset drivers from AMD. Gonna test on an older intel laptop next, but it’s totally unreliable now.
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      11. Everybody with a machine that doesn’t have a rj45 (and even that is no guarantee) should have at least one usb to Ethernet adapter. It saved me when havingbto reinstall windows on my sons laptop. Windows didn’t recognize the wifi during setup. if I hadn’t bought such a usb device for my camera I would have had to send the machine away for installing windows. This saved us a week at least
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      25. (Me swimming in my pile of coins…) OK, I’ll give you 5GbE for a laptop is sweet for not a lot of dosh. Not good enough for a NAS where the bandwidth is shared possibly among a small office or even home. Most of the time it would be fine, except when it’s just frustrating. Better than 1 and 2.5, yeah, no doubt.
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      26. Finally something affordable to upgrade my nas and other networked devices with thanks for bringing this to our attention. Was considering 10Gbps but the price was making me hesitate.
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      29. Go large or go home… start from the core infrastructure as much B.Width as possible and future proof as far as possible… as often said buy cheap you’ll buy twice, so what’s cheaper in the long run ? Buy once, buy the best you can…
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      31. I guess it’s the USB 3.2 that’s changed, baecause I’ve had two 5GbE USB adapters and the USB overhead meant they were barely any faster than 2.5GbE LAN.

        I know TrueNAS doesn’t like Realtec multi-gigabit NICs, so that could be an issue. It’s still a gateway product though and will probably spark a new price point for these devices from other brands.
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      33. I guess this unit does not support VLAN-tagging (IEEE 802.1Q) nor enforcement.
        Nor WOL (802.1X). For that price that would be a wee bit too much I gather but something I personally would require in my home-environment. But the price is very nice, especially when you compare it to the (now legacy) QNAP QNA-UC5G1T.
        Which also ran quite hot, btw.
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      46. Great review. Thanks a lot. Did you get a feel for the temperature under load and idle? I have a QNAP 5Gbps adaptor (you probably know it well) and it is super toasty both in operation and at idle. Wonder how this compares.
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      47. I am clearly not understanding the Synology demo part of this video. I totally understand when he had it hooked to his laptop, but I think that was a DS923 and that comes with a 1 GBE port; wouldn’t that be the bottle neck here? What am I missing?
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      48. I bought OWC 10GbE Thunderbolt Adapter for my Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge but snapdragon doesnt comminucate with thunderbolt, i only have 2 USB4 ports, i think this is the best adapter for me, bye bye 2.5 ugreen 🙂 hello 5GbE , ordered from amazon de for 30,49 Euro ( if you read this, please reply me with a 10GbE usb 4 adapter link or name, not thunderbolt 3 or 4.Thank you)
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      50. Weird question…. i would maby like to use such an adapter on the nas side.(10gbit) if it is posible in the future enyways… sinse i want to use it and my ups and posibly an expanding unit in the future can i attach an usb dongle on the usb port and connect the ups and 10gbit in tendam?
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