We tested each adapter to see how it could do in a real home. For example, an AC1200 adapter is rated to provide 300 Mbps (megabits per second) on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz bands, but no adapter can achieve that. We started by looking at each adapter’s AC rating: while those numbers are generally pretty misleading, they do tell you each adapter’s maximum theoretical throughput. You need throughput to download updates and stream videos at the quality you’re paying for. Good throughput: Think of the tasks you do the most where you’re waiting and watching a spinning pinwheel.
