Miniature adapter. Miniature Adapter Drivers & Software

Wireless USB adapters allow you to access the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection. For such devices, it is necessary to install special drivers that will maximize the speed of data reception and transmission. In addition, it will save you from various errors and possible disconnections. In this article, we will tell you about the ways by which you can download and install the software for the D-Link DWA-131 Wi-Fi adapter.

The methods below will allow you to easily install the adapter software. It is important to understand that each of them requires an active Internet connection. And if you do not have another source of Internet connection besides a Wi-Fi adapter, then you will have to use the solutions given on another laptop or computer from which you can download the software. Now let's proceed directly to the description of the mentioned methods.

Method 1: D-Link site

The current software always appears first on the official resource of the device manufacturer. It is on such sites that you first need to look for drivers. This is what we will do in this case. Your actions should look like this:

Disable third-party wireless adapters during installation (for example, a Wi-Fi adapter built into a laptop).
The DWA-131 adapter itself is not connected yet.
Now we follow the provided link and get to.
On the main page you need to find the section "Downloads"... As soon as you found it, go to this section by simply clicking on the name.

On the next page, in the center, you will see a single dropdown menu. It will need to specify the prefix of the D-Link product for which the driver is required. In this menu, select the item "DWA".

After that, a list of products with the previously selected prefix will appear. We are looking for the model of the DWA-131 adapter in the list and click on the line with the corresponding name.

As a result, you will be taken to the technical support page for the D-Link DWA-131 adapter. The site is made very conveniently, since you will immediately find yourself in the section "Downloads"... You just need to scroll down the page a little until you see a list of drivers available for download.
We recommend that you download the latest software version. Please note that you do not have to choose the version of the operating system, since the software from version 5.02 supports all operating systems, from Windows XP to Windows 10. To continue, click on the line with the name and version of the driver.

The steps described above will allow you to download the archive with the software installation files to your laptop or computer. You need to extract the entire contents of the archive, and then run the installer. To do this, you need to double-click on the file with the name "Setup".

Now you need to wait a little while the preparation for the installation is complete. A window will appear with the corresponding line. We are waiting for such a window to simply disappear.
The main window of the D-Link installer will then appear. It will contain the greeting text. If necessary, you can check the box next to the line Install the SoftAP... This function will allow you to install a utility with which you can distribute the Internet through an adapter, turning it into a kind of router. To continue the installation, press the button "Setup" in the same window.

The installation process itself will begin. You will learn about this from the next window that opens. We are just waiting for the installation to complete.

When finished, you will see the window shown in the screenshot below. To complete the installation, simply click the button "Complete".

All the necessary software is installed and you can now connect your DWA-131 adapter to your laptop or computer via the USB port.
If everything goes well, you will see the corresponding wireless icon in the tray.

All that remains is to connect to the desired Wi-Fi network and you can start using the Internet.

This completes the described method. We hope you manage to avoid various errors during the software installation.

Method 2: Global software for software installation

Drivers for the DWA-131 wireless adapter can also be installed using special programs. There are many of them on the Internet today. They all have the same principle of operation - they scan your system, identify missing drivers, download installation files for them, and install software. Such programs differ only in the size of the database and additional functionality. If the second point is not very important, then the base of supported devices is very important. Therefore, it is better to use the software that has positively proven itself in this regard.

For these purposes, representatives such as Driver Booster and DriverPack Solution are quite suitable. If you decide to use the second option, then you should check out our special lesson, which is completely devoted to this program.

For example, we will consider the process of searching for software using Driver Booster. All actions will have the following order:

Method 3: Search for a driver by ID

We have dedicated a separate lesson to this method, in which all actions are very detailed. In short, first you need to find out the ID of the wireless adapter. To make this process easier for you, we are immediately posting the value of the identifier that relates to DWA-131.

USB \\ VID_3312 & PID_2001

Next, you need to copy this value and paste it on a specialized online service. Such services search for drivers by the ID of the device itself. This is very convenient, since each equipment has its own unique identifier. You will also find a list of such online services in the lesson, the link to which we will leave below. When the necessary software is found, you just have to download it to your laptop or computer and install it. The installation process in this case will be identical to that described in the first method. For more information, see the tutorial mentioned earlier.

Method 4: Standard Windows tool

Sometimes the system cannot immediately recognize the connected device. In this case, you can push her to do this. To do this, it is enough to use the described method. Of course, it has its drawbacks, but you shouldn't underestimate it either. Here's what you need to do:

We have described to you all the ways by which you can install drivers for the D-Link DWA-131 wireless USB adapter. Remember that you will need internet to use any of them. Therefore, we recommend that you always store the necessary drivers on external drives, so as not to find yourself in an unpleasant situation.

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About 10 years ago, Wi-Fi adapters worked only as an "Internet receiver". Now they can not only distribute the Internet directly from a laptop, but also expand the coverage of surrounding routers. The D-Link DWA-131 model is no exception.

Overview of Wi-Fi adapter D-Link DWA-131

Unlike its counterparts - D-Link DWA-125/140, comparable in size to the Huawei E1550 3G modem - the DWA-131 adapter takes at least three times less space.

Wi-Fi module is several times smaller than a 3G modem

The cap is missing - it's not a flash drive or a modem, and "micro-devices" don't need it. The device asks for a permanent place of work in one of the USB ports. And big packaging is useless here.

Could be dispensed with CD and box

However, the developers have attached a CD with the driver to the DWA-131. At the moment it is not needed - the developers from Microsoft have released a stable version of the universal driver for the DWA-13x adapters.

The price of the DWA-131 adapter ranges from 300 to 800 rubles. - depending on the store or retail network and the region of delivery (when ordering online with delivery by mail). The cheapest way to order in China is with free delivery to Russia.

Table: Wi-Fi module specifications

Wi-Fi speed of 300 Mbps covers almost all the needs of the modern user. However, routers that support gigabit Wi-Fi technologies, including the 5 GHz band, will be useless for the DWA-131A.

In practice, the DWA-131 showed the maximum WLAN speed of no more than 45 Mbit / s - it is too small, with such antennas the signal loss increases sharply. To obtain the adapter speed of 300 Mbit / s, you will need to open the DWA-131 and solder the antennas.

Driver Installation for DWA-131

Officially, the drivers are available on the D-Link website.

Attention: if you have a DWA-131 device, then the driver from other DWA "130" line will not work. D-Link has drastically limited the use of "wrong" drivers. Use the native driver from your device.

Driver installation via proprietary D-Link DWA installation package

Download the installation package with the driver specifically for your model. The sequence of actions with different DWA modules, despite the incompatibility of drivers from different models, is the same and simple. For the convenience of users, all commands have been translated into Russian.

Run the installer from the driver archive file.
Proceed to configuring the D-Link installer.
Click the continue installation button for DWA-131
Wait until the D-Link DWA installation wizard is ready and plug your adapter into an available USB port.
Insert Wi-Fi adapter to continue installation
If the adapter is not inserted, it is damaged, or a failure has occurred due to the fault of the USB port (for example, a power drawdown), the D-Link DWA installation wizard will ask you to check if the connection between the PC and the Wi-Fi adapter is working properly. If everything is ok, continue with the installation.
Check if the USB connection with the adapter is working
If everything is OK, the DWA Installation Wizard will prompt you to install the driver to the default folder (for example, C: \\ Program Files \\).
It is advisable to copy the driver files to the Windows program directory
Select the interface language of the program itself.
Select Russian language D-Link Installation Wizard
Confirm the installation of the program by clicking the "Install" button.
Confirming D-Link Connection Manager Installation

The D-Link DWA Setup Wizard will start installing the driver for your Wi-Fi adapter.

Wait while the files are copied and the DWA-131 is installed

Do not remove the adapter (or USB extension cable - from the PC port or from the adapter itself) until the driver has been installed. If the D-Link DWA installer detects that the connection between the PC and the adapter is broken, the driver will not be installed or the entire installation process will be "rolled back".

Installing the DWA-131 Adapter Using Windows Device Manager

If you do not want to go through the installation of the Wi-Fi adapter through the D-Link installer, use the device manager.

In Windows 10, give the command: Right click on the Start button - Device Manager.
Find your Wi-Fi adapter in the list of unknown devices and give the command: right-click on the device icon - "Update driver".
Command the 802.11n driver to update
Select manual installation of the driver and specify the folder where the (unpacked) archive with the driver is located.
Find the driver manually if you know the location of its folder
Confirm the driver installation by clicking on the continue button.
Make sure the path to the DWA-131 files is correct
Wait until the installation of the DWA-131 is complete.
Driver for adapter DWA-131 has been updated

The Wi-Fi adapter will be installed.

In the Windows wizard, installation of the driver for DWA-131A from another adapter, for example, from DWA-140B3A… B3G, may work, but this is not always the case. This technique is prohibited in the D-Link installer - this is how the manufacturer insures users against improper operation of their equipment. Your unauthorized actions in this case are under your own responsibility.

Video: DWA-131 Adapter Autoset Test

Working with the DWA-131 adapter

You can configure the DWA-131 module both using the standard Windows wireless connection wizard and with the support of the D-Link DWA software interface.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi router using the D-Link wizard

The configuration using the D-Link wizard is the same for all adapter DWA models.

Launch D-Link Connection Wizard and select WPA-2 password connection.
Select to enter WPA-2 key when creating connection
Enter the SSID of your router (gadget or other adapter that acts as a Wi-Fi access point) to which you are connecting.
Enter exactly the name of your Wi-Fi network set in the router
Enter the password for the Wi-Fi network set in the settings of your router.
The WPA-2 key must match the key in the router settings
Follow the steps below to connect to your router.
D-Link Connection Manager wizard completes DWA-131 configuration
The D-Link wizard will automatically connect the DWA-131 to the router and shut down.
D-Link Connection Manager saved data on connection to the router

The Wi-Fi Connection Wizard will launch the D-Link Connection Manager and display a list of networks and information about the router to which you are connected.

DWA-131 is in the coverage area of \u200b\u200bseveral neighboring routers

You are connected to the Network. To change the router, select another network and enter the WPA-2 password from it. If the router is open to everyone, you can connect to the Internet without entering a password from this router.

Switching between Wi-Fi networks using the Windows wizard

Working with the D-Link DWA-131 Wi-Fi adapter is no different from that of a standard laptop network card: the same list of wireless networks, the same connection using the WPA-2 password entered. By clicking on the wireless network icon, you will find a list of routers operating near you.

Easier to use the Windows 7 Network List to configure the DWA-131

Select a router you know and enter the password for its network.

Connect by entering the correct password from your Wi-Fi network

The disadvantage of monitoring networks using Windows is an approximate display of the signal strength "on sticks": in comparison with the built-in wizard of new connections, the D-Link Connection Manager program shows the exact value of the signal in percent.

Using the DWA-131 module as a Wi-Fi hotspot

Every Wi-Fi adapter released today is guaranteed to work as a Wi-Fi hotspot. This reduces the waste on a new router or hotspot several times.

It is cheaper to buy a Wi-Fi module for 300-700 rubles, than to spend money on a new router - even if the cheapest one costs 2000 rubles. type Xiaomi Router Mini, or any of the budget TP-Link models.

For the DWA-131 to work as an access point, you need a Windows version no older than Vista / 7. The fact is that in Windows XP there is absolutely no support for Wi-Fi Direct technology. Thanks to the latter, "sharing" of Wi-Fi adapters is realized, which initially did not have the ability to work as a repeater of Internet access already available on a PC.

Operation of the DWA-131 module as an access point using the D-Link wizard

You can organize the distribution of the Internet from your PC or transfer files via Wi-Fi to the gadget by “sharing” the adapter as an AdHoc point.

The distribution of the Internet from your PC is ready, you can connect from the gadget to the network of the DWA-131 adapter.

Sharing the Internet on DWA adapters using Connectify Hotspot

The Connectigy Hotspot program is the most omnivorous: working with it will not cause any difficulties with configuring the distribution of traffic from the DWA-131, and indeed from any Wi-Fi adapter, even if it is a regular network card in a laptop.

When finished, click "Stop hotspot".

The 2018 version of Connectify Hotspot (Hotspot Max) turns your DWA-131 into a repeater. Thus, there is no need to buy a professional router of the "Internet center" category for 10 thousand rubles or more.

Distribution of the Internet on DWA adapters using the command line

This method is troublesome - but also trouble-free.

Now you have several ways to turn your Wi-Fi module into a full-fledged hotspot or even a router.

If the laptop has a built-in 3G / 4G network card, it also functions as a fully wireless 4G / Wi-Fi router.

Very often it is necessary to connect a regular desktop (home not laptop) that does not (in 99% of cases) have a Wi-Fi adapter. There are a lot of inexpensive USB adapters in stores now. One of these is the D-link DWA-131 Wi-Fi adapter, which I want to consider within the framework of this article.

Start

Low price, small size, well-known manufacturer, support for almost all standards of Wi-Fi networks (802.11 b / g / n) - these are the basis of users' interest in the wireless USB adapter from D-Link, a rather successful adapter in its "niche".

The new version of this adapter (the so-called DWA-131 / E) corrects almost all the shortcomings of the previous version, which cannot but please the user (see the review of the previous version of the DWA-131 rev.A adapter http://tele2life.ru/1/content/ view / 459).

Dimensions and appearance

The DWA-131 / E is a very compact device in size, only one and a half to two times larger than a standard wireless mouse adapter.

Unit size: 30 x 16 x 8.5mm

Weight: 27.22g

In the new version, the device has a proprietary "cap" (for the absence of which DWA-131 was scolded by some "aesthetes" of network Internet magazines)

The proprietary adapter cap is painted to match the adapter body.

In addition, now the LED located on the body of the device and signaling network activity is now green, which does not irritate the human eye.

Equipment

The Wi-Fi adapter is packed in a box that is large enough (compared to it).

In addition to the DWA-131 / E, the delivery set also includes a couple of instructional documents.

Specifications

The new modification of D-link DWA-131 supports a maximum Wi-fi speed of up to 300 Mbps, which is twice as much as the previous one.

The D-link DWA-131 / E adapter uses a PIFA antenna. The features of this type of antennas, in addition to quite small sizes, are: a fairly wide band of used frequencies (up to 10% of the resonant carrier frequency), high antenna efficiency (the ratio of the radiated power to the input power, sometimes reaching ~ 65%) and multi-band support (however, unfortunately not within the scope of this adapter).

All this allows you to count on:

Good signal reception despite the small size of the device

The DWA-131 / E has twice the speed of its predecessor.

Drivers and software

The USB adapter comes with a CD with drivers for Windows OS (Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 7 / Windows8 / Windows8.1 / Windows10) and the D-Link Portable Wi-fi Application utility.

There are also Linux and Mac drivers for this device.

http://ftp.dlink.ru/pub/Wireless/DWA-131_E1A/Drivers/rev.E/5.02/20151229_DWA-131E_V5.02b04.zip

After downloading the drivers from the ftp server of the manufacturer's official website, unpack the archive, open the resulting folder and activate Setup.exe.

Do not connect the USB adapter to the computer before the program prompts you to do so .

When installing the driver, you can refuse to install the proprietary utility D-Link Portable Wi-fi Application (on the first screen when you start installing the drivers). This is also one of the amenities of the new version of the DWA-131 / E1 device.

Adapter testing

I tested the Wi-Fi adapter DWA-131 / E1 and an adapter from another manufacturer (also with support for the 802.11n standard), so measuring the speed should not have been difficult. On the one hand, a personal computer with Windows 7 installed was used, on the other - a laptop with Windows 8 OC. Both computers (with wi-fi adapters) were connected to the DIR-825 router.

Testing showed that the maximum data transfer rate between computers was about 90-95 Mbps, which was still much less than the 300 Mbps promised to me by the "box".

The whole thing turned out to be the peculiarities of Wi-Fi operation, more precisely, in the features of accounting for the W-fi speed (300 Mbps) that is written on the device box. This speed is rather marketing - the maximum achievable under absolutely ideal conditions, therefore, to get the real speed of Wi-fi, the numbers on the box need to be divided by about 2 and subtract about 5-10% more (for service data).

In any case, the speed of the adapter obtained in the test should be more than enough for almost most common everyday tasks.

The D-Link Wi-Fi adapter works seamlessly with any 802.11n Wi-Fi networks. No problems were identified during the tests.

The lack of sensitivity on the "old" Wi-Fi b / g standards was also checked, for which the previous modification DWA-131 (A1) was reproached

The old DIR-300 A1 was used as a router supporting old standards.

As a result, no signal drop was detected.

The DWA-131 / E adapter showed the same "excellent signal" as the built-in Wi-fi adapter in the laptop.

conclusions

pros DWA-131:Low price, Small physical size, Supports all standards of Wi-Fi range 2.4GHz (802.11b / g / n)

Minuses DWA-131:No.

USB Wi-fi D-Link DWA-131 / E adapter left me only positive feelings.

Small dimensions, low price (in comparison with competitors), almost all the corrected shortcomings (unstable work on old Wi-fi standards, unobtrusive LED, branded cap).

It can be seen that the company listens to user requests and eliminates shortcomings.