Use a USB Wi-Fi adapter

Extend a standard Screenly Player's wireless range with a USB adapter, and the one line in network.yaml it needs.

Updated September 2, 2026

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The on-board radio is usually enough. An adapter is worth it where the access point is far enough away that the built-in antenna struggles.

Which adapter

We suggest the official Raspberry Pi USB Wi-Fi dongle where you can find one, which is not always.

The adapter we have tested and confirmed is the Panda Wireless PAU06.

An adapter is a second wireless interface, so the network configuration has to name it.

Generate a network.yaml with the Network Config Generator, or open the one you already use.
Replace wlan0 with wlan1.
Copy the file to a FAT32 USB stick and insert it into the player.

The player picks up the configuration and reboots. See Connect to Wi-Fi for the full USB drive process.

This applies to the Raspberry Pi based standard player. A Player Max has its own radio and does not take an adapter.

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