Netgear A6210 IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi Adapter

When my older WiFi access point showed signs of age, I needed to find a replacement. Based on my prior experience with Netgear, I selected the A6210 primarily because it was compact and had the option of direct or cabled USB connect. I've been using it for several weeks now, and have had no issues with installation or operation.

The only problem, and the most annoying, is that the device will "disconnect" from the computer, like it is not plugged in at all. I have tried multiple USB ports, front and back, with no succcess. I tried different software versions, both with the netgear app and the standalone. No other USB device does this on my computer, so it is specific to the adapter. Also, doesn't matter if I use the included extension or plug directly into the PC. It is so random too, it didn't disconnect at all yesterday, but today it did it many times, even after rebooting everything in the house. Frustrated me enough to get me to write this review... When it does stay connected it works well enough for me to work from home, occasional streaming and downloading, etc. Perfectly acceptable. It gets 2 stars because the disconnects are the absolute worst and I've spent so much time trying to get it to work only to realize there is nothing I can do, but pray it stays on.