Author Topic: Adding Wireless to Desktop: USB or PCIe? (Read 1648 times)

mtnbkr · « **on:** November 26, 2012, 09:12:37 AM »

I need a low cost, but decent way to add wireless to a desktop PC. I've never added wireless to any machine, so I don't know which is better.

Choices are USB 2.0, USB 3.0 (better than 2.0 obviously, but not many options), or PCIeX1.

Chris

Ben · « **Reply #1 on:** November 26, 2012, 09:55:18 AM »

I've done this with a few systems at work. No experience with the PCIe, but USB was a snap and worked quite well. In some cases showing more networks than the office Dell laptops with internal wireless cards. Don't know if that was only because the antenna was external, or if they are more powerful as well.

Tallpine · « **Reply #2 on:** November 26, 2012, 10:01:25 AM »

We put a brand new Linksys internal wireless card (bought at the same time we bought the router, and supposedly compatible) in Ladypine's PC and it never worked at all. For a long time we thought the wireless router wasn't working but then we had guests with laptops that connected to the wireless just fine.

Finally got a much cheaper USB wireless and it worked just fine.

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #3 on:** November 26, 2012, 10:02:28 AM »

Either way is going to be about the same price. USB is quicker but can have range issues due to lower (sometimes) power and internal anntennae, but you can swap the dongle if you need quick access to the network on another machine. PCIe will likely give you a little better range and you can add an antenna extension if you are having range problems.

Brad

mtnbkr · « **Reply #4 on:** November 26, 2012, 10:22:28 AM »

The router is on the other side of the room (no, moving the PC there isn't feasible), so range isn't an issue. I'm mainly concerned with link stability, bandwidth (up to the limit of the Internet connection), and such. I don't want to find myself reestablishing the connection to the router often or troubleshooting random connectivity issues.

It sounds like a USB device is good enough.

Chris

birdman · « **Reply #5 on:** November 26, 2012, 10:33:04 AM »

A USB2.0 connection is sufficiently fast enough to saturate any wireless link, even a 5.8Ghz 802.11n link, so it comes down to antenna performance, and a pcie board with external antenna is likely to perform better UNLESS it's antenna position is compromised by position relative to where the USB dongle is (eg if the dongle is up front with a more direct path to the access point or router, and the pcie is behind and has only an indirect path.
Both devices are power limited by the FCC, and a USB port can easily supply sufficient power for most transceivers to be non-power limited, so it then depends on the amp in the dongle. (as the pcie can likely use a more powerful chipset due to relaxed space constraints)

roo_ster · « **Reply #6 on:** November 26, 2012, 11:06:31 AM »

I loves me external directional antennas, so I run with the PCIe flavor for desktops.

Fitz · « **Reply #7 on:** November 26, 2012, 11:08:40 AM »

i had issues with a Linksys USB wifi device.

Ended up just running cat 5 to my router for that computer since it was in the same room

mtnbkr · « **Reply #8 on:** November 26, 2012, 11:29:42 AM »

The Router is diagonally across the den from where this PC will sit. Now that I think about it, I may be able to run CAT5, but it will not be a straight shot. I'll have to check the path. If I can get the cable from the PC's location to our basement, then the rest of the run will be easy. The PC will sit next to our half bath off the den, which is directly above an unfinished half-bath in the foyer. That kind of provides access to the area where the PC sits and also provides access into our unfinished basement, allowing me to route the cable to the router on the other side of the den. Kind of a PITA though. May not be worth the effort...

Chris

zxcvbob · « **Reply #9 on:** November 26, 2012, 11:36:09 AM »

Quote from: mtnbkr on November 26, 2012, 11:29:42 AM

The Router is diagonally across the den from where this PC will sit. Now that I think about it, I may be able to run CAT5, but it will not be a straight shot. I'll have to check the path. If I can get the cable from the PC's location to our basement, then the rest of the run will be easy. The PC will sit next to our half bath off the den, which is directly above an unfinished half-bath in the foyer. That kind of provides access to the area where the PC sits and also provides access into our unfinished basement, allowing me to route the cable to the router on the other side of the den. Kind of a PITA though. May not be worth the effort...

Chris

A $8 USB adapter with its little antenna attached, and be done with it. They work great, as long as you can find a driver (usually not a problem)

mtnbkr · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2012, 11:56:21 AM »

Yeah, compared to the hour or more it will take to map and route the cable (not to mention the cost of the cable itself, an $8 USB adapter is very tempting. :D

Chris

Phantom Warrior · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2012, 12:01:30 PM »

I used an external USB wireless antenna on my old desktop ten years ago and it was a snap. I can't even imagine how easy it would be today. That's my recommendation.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #12 on:** November 26, 2012, 12:38:38 PM »

Quote from: roo_ster on November 26, 2012, 11:06:31 AM

I loves me external directional antennas, so I run with the PCIe flavor for desktops.

Ideally this.

Although they don't come with the antennas, just the bendable finger length antenna, but it's got the micro-BNC to hook something else up. So it is an added expense. And it otherwise doesn't matter for the reasons birdman explained. It's just that most PC's these days are tower cases, placed on a floor, and against a wall more often than not, and the chassis/backplane of the PC was made with RF shielding in mind in most cases, to prevent leakage from the internals getting out, but it does a passable job blocking the WiFi antenna too.

MillCreek · « **Reply #13 on:** November 26, 2012, 02:09:05 PM »

After I had to move my Motorola cable modem to solve a TV reception problem from the use of splitters, I could no longer plug in my desktop with an ethernet cable. So I bought this from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006JWMOOI/ref=oh_details_o07_s02_i00

Holy moly does this thing get reception. I used to be able to see about eight wireless networks of my neighbors by using an internal WiFi antenna in my laptops. This external antenna sees 29 wireless networks of my neighbors, from a much larger radius.

Devonai · « **Reply #14 on:** November 26, 2012, 03:15:28 PM »

I, too, use a Linksys USB dongle, for my gaming desktop. I trust it enough for MMO use, which I guess means I trust it completely.

Jim147 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 26, 2012, 07:00:02 PM »

I've had about four cards fail here. Zero USB failures.

Which way do you think I lean these days?

jim

GigaBuist · « **Reply #16 on:** November 26, 2012, 08:23:32 PM »

USB.

Why, do you say that, GigaBuist?

Because in the time it'll take you to physically install it is about as long as it took to read this far into my post.

And when you finally get a new desktop if for some miraculous reason it doesn't have wireless built in it'll take you about as long to move it as it took to read the first half of this sentence.

lupinus · « **Reply #17 on:** November 26, 2012, 08:43:36 PM »

USB FTW

Waitone · « **Reply #18 on:** November 26, 2012, 10:24:10 PM »

http://www.xirrus.com/Products/Wi-Fi-Inspector

Will help you sort out channel usage. Useful utility if you use wifi.

News:

Author Topic: Adding Wireless to Desktop: USB or PCIe? (Read 1648 times)