The TP-Link BE6500 TBE400UH USB adapter adds Wi-Fi 7 to your Windows PC or laptop, with superior reception strength and speeds compared to the built-in wireless antenna.
It uses a USB-A 3.0 connector for direct connection to a USB-A 3.0 (blue) port that supports up to 4800Mbps. If placed in a USB 2.0 port (black), it returns to 480 Mbps. It has a cradle with a 1.2m cord for convenient placement.
TP-Link BE6500 TBE400UH USB adapter Wi-Fi 7 features
- Easy to add Wi-Fi 7 including 2.4GHz (688Mbps), 5GHz (2880) and 6GHz (2880 13dBm) bands
- Needs a USB-A 3.0 port (can use a USB-A to USB-C adapter) or USB-2.0 at slower speeds
- Windows only (currently). MacOS blocks external adapters.
- Superior antenna reception strength.
- The cradle can be placed up to 1.2 meters away for best reception.
- Supports 160MHz MLO for a maximum full-duplex throughput of 2822/2822Mbps on 5Ghz and 6GHz bands (Note MLO is not 320MHz due to ACMA restrictions).
- WPA3 security (also supports WEP, WPA/WPA, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK)
- 30 x 17.7 x 107 mm
- Uses Realtek 8912AU USB WLAN chipset (May be 89122AU)
- Driver 5002.24.117.4
- This is the Australian-certified version, which operates on the correct 5 and 6GHz bands. A model TBE6500UH is available for unrestricted US bands only.
Australian Review: TP-Link BE6500 TBE400UH Wi-Fi 7 USB adapter
| Website | AU Website Product Page User Guide |
| RRP 7/04/25 | $129 (at Bing Lee) |
| Warranty | 3-year ACL if purchased from authorised resellers. |
| Made in | China |
| Company | Products include high-speed cable modems, wireless and mobile routers, range extenders, switches, IP cameras, powerline adapters, print servers, media converters, wireless adapters, power banks, USB Hubs, and smart home technology devices. Brands include Archer routers, Deco mesh, Omada (business networking) and Tapo (Smart home). TP-Link USA is one of the largest suppliers of home networking products, operating from its base in California. According to IDC, TP-Link has held the #1 home networking market share (about 20%) in over 170 countries by volume since 2010. |
| More | CyberShack TP-Link news and reviews CyberShack network news and reviews |
We use the following ratings: Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations), and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) for many of the items listed below. We occasionally give a Passable rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass+ rating to indicate it is good but does not quite meet the Exceed standard. You can click on most images for an enlargement.
First Impression – Modern black rabbit ears
It is a USB-A 3.0 device with a data transfer speed of 4800 Mbps. The Body has two swing-out (up to 180°) antenna ears. It fits into a cradle with a 1.2m cable (approx.)
It is not meant to look sexy but to do the job – add Wi-Fi 7 Tri-band 2×2, OFDMA, MU-MIMO and Multi-RU to any Windows computer or laptop with a USB-A 3.0 port. If you use it on an older PC, it may only achieve 480 Mbps.
Setup – easy’ish
The user guide states that it has built-in Windows drivers, and we suspect that in our haste to play, we overlooked this. If so, you can download the latest drivers from AU support.
Unzip the driver and click on Setupinstall.exe. Windows Defender and most antivirus apps will block this by default, and you may need to approve or trust the app.
Reboot for good measure, then go to Windows Setup and select Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
You will see Wi-Fi (switch this off to disable the computer’s internal Wi-Fi) and Wi-Fi 2 (switch this on to enable TP-Link).
Tests – Exceed
Tests were performed using a Microsoft Surface Studio Laptop 2 with an internal Wi-Fi 6E Intel AX210 160MHz chip. It is approximately 5m from the TP-Link Deco BE85 Wi-Fi 7 BE22000 tri-band mesh router – If you feel the need for speed in the next room, but it passes through built-in cupboards and a plasterboard wall.
Note: Any reviews citing SpeedTest results are irrelevant, as this is not about the NBN’s internet download and upload speeds. It is about the speeds Tx/Rx between the computer and router.
| Internal Intel Wi-Fi 6E | TP-Link BE6500 TBE400UH | |
| 2.4GHz (Channel 10) | 287/287 | 688/688 |
| 5GHz (Channel 48) | 1922/1922 | 2822/2822 |
| 6Ghz (Chanel 69) | 1922/1922 | 2822/2822 |
| Latency | 4-5ms | 2-3ms |
On a pure speed and latency basis, this meets or exceeds my expectations.
CyberShack’s view: TP-Link BE6500 TBE400UH can fill an important home network gap
If you have Wi-Fi 6E AXE like my MS Studio Laptop 2, then it is not an imperative. Still, the results are impressive.
If you have Wi-Fi 5 AC or Wi-Fi 6 AX, then $129 for a substantial speed increase from 433/1900 Mbps is a no-brainer.
TP-Link BE6500 TBE400UH rating
We won’t give it a formal rating – suffice it to say that if this is what you need, it is a 10/10.
- Features: Reaches maximum 2.4, 5 and 6GHz speeds at 5m – seldom seen with internal Wi-Fi
- Value: Low cost and no real competition
- Performance: Reaches maximum speeds
- Ease of Use: Although it can be a bit unwieldy when plugged into a USB-A port (it can use a USB-C adapter ), the cradle makes this process very easy.
- Design: Basic black
Pro
- Does what it says – adds Wi-Fi 7 to Windows PCs and laptops
- Great reception strength – more so than internal Wi-Fi
- Reaches maximum advertised speeds
- Plug and play
- Good support from a local company
Con
- None really
Comments