Best Wireless card?

[shamrock1313]

What is the best wirelees card? Just ingeneral, that can pick up ANY signal within range and actually keep it without disconnecting after a couple of hours. I mean it doesn't have to be a special brand that works with any special router. Like a Netgear or a Linksys. I am talking about every brand like Gigabyte, MSI, etc. Anything will work like I have been saying.

I just need it to keep a connection at all times. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[ohnnyj]

You could try Belkin's Pre-N stuff it is suppose to have 800% the coverage and 600% the speed of g networks. They tested this thing over at cnet.com and it bested everything else out there. I'm sure other companies are working on similar stuff, in fact I remember hearing about a Linksys product from CES.

 

[shamrock1313]

Is any of it out yet? Did I mention I need this for a desktop? If that does help any. I really need a new one. This one I have has been nothing but trouble.

 

[Amaroque]

11b is always stronger

Doesn't matter what brand, 11b always has a stronger, more stable signal than any 11g.

Just thought I'd put that on the table.

 

[shamrock1313]

Are you sure? I thought 11g is better than B? What is it called, Super-G something like that. I heard that was the best. Can someone clarify what is the best connection type and what is the best card to use.

Also, I am looking for a new router too. I would appreciate any help.

 

[wisdomtooth]

What is the best wireless card? It's hard to say.

Performance depends not only on the card itself, but many other factors such as the environment, the router, and interference generated by other devices in the area such as 2.4gHz cordless phones.

Sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are not.

What you can do is stack the odds in your favor though: I'm not going to name brands and make myself look like a salesman, but check out reviews on routers to see which one puts out the strongest signal. Or if you are adventurous, you might want to get a router that lets you flash with public domain firmware that allows you to boost signal strength. It might also help if you place the router somewhere where its signals won't get blocked/attenuated by thick walls or water-filled objects like fishtanks. Ditto with the card-- you want a card that has an antenna on a cable so you can adjust its position for optimum reception. And of course, you need to rid yourself of any interference sources such as 2.4gHz cordless phones, which interfere with 802.11b and g.

HTH.

 

[shamrock1313]

I wouldn't mind if you sounded like a salesman... I need woudln't mind recommendations. I need to purchase a new router. It is quite slow. 11mbps on B. It is an old Netgear. MR814v2 and the card is a Netgear WG311v2 and is able to run at 54mbps on g but is limited because of my router. Although, I just bought the card a couple of weeks ago and the antenae pretty much came off the card. I went to turn it to get a better signal and the whole antenae came off. I mean the antenae and the part where you screw it on. I tried to fix it and sort of did. I have a stable connection now but from time to time it disconnects and goes down to no connection or a very low connection.

 

[Amaroque]

Originally posted by: shamrock1313
Are you sure? I thought 11g is better than B? What is it called, Super-G something like that. I heard that was the best. Can someone clarify what is the best connection type and what is the best card to use.

Also, I am looking for a new router too. I would appreciate any help.

11g has a faster throughput. But, 11b will always transmit farther, with a stronger signal.

I'm not going to recommend any brands either. All I can tell you is that I've been happy with Linksys.

 

[shamrock1313]

Is there anysite that shows comparisons with different models/makes of routers and wireless network cards? That would be a great help. Also, I was thinking about grabbing a Linksys, but I have heard that the Netgear something W64 or something is the best router available. I remember it ran at 108 mbps and it used super-G and it was black.

Thanks for your help Amaroque.

Does anyone here know of the best brand available. Or if someone can send me a site showing me the best brand available. Thanks.

 

[wisdomtooth]

Originally posted by: shamrock1313
I wouldn't mind if you sounded like a salesman... I need woudln't mind recommendations. I need to purchase a new router. It is quite slow.

Well, in that case...

For a wireless router, I have used both a Linksys WRT54GS and a DLink DI624. The Linksys I bought for home use because the user is able to fool with the firmware-- You can download Sveasoft firmware for it, which lets you do things like boost the signal strength. The stock signal strength settings is a bit weak.

The DLink DI624 I bought for work because I read here that it has the strongest stock signal strength of the SOHO 11b/g routers. It's not as easy to configure as the Linksys IMHO, but it works well.

The wireless adapters I chose for work is the Linksys WUSB54G Version 4. Since the work computers have USB 2.0, it is not a bottleneck. Since they are on a 6-ft. USB wire, I can adjust the location of the antennae for optimum reception. They work well, haven't had them drop a connection yet, and this is in a health-care office with 8 wireless computers all talking to a server that handles patient databases (yes, we are encrypted as per the Federal HIPAA regulations).

In all instances, I made sure the environment is as wireless-friendly as possible (900mHz cordless phones rather than 2.4gHz, microwave ovens with sufficient RF shielding, etc).

I'm sure there are other fine gear out there that works as well, but those are the ones I have experience with.

HTH.

 

[shamrock1313]

How are the usb wireless adapters compared to the internal PCI Wireless cards?

 

[ohnnyj]

Well I have the Pre-N router and desktop card from Belkin and the only problems I have had stemmed from the 2.4Ghz phone that sat right in between my room and where the router was. Since I moved the phone and changed the channel that the router was using to broadcast its signal (per Belkin's excellent tech support instructions) I have had no dropped signal. An added benefit is that the desktop card actually comes as a PMCIA PCI card and a Notebook card so you can use it in your desktop machine and if you happen to have a laptop you could pull it out of the desktop and stick it in your laptop and your ready to go. Plus Belkin has a lifetime warranty on their equipment.

 

[wisdomtooth]

Originally posted by: shamrock1313
How are the usb wireless adapters compared to the internal PCI Wireless cards?

Supposedly PCI wireless adapters do give a stronger signal... It's better to get one that has an antenna on a cable though, rather than those that are fixed to the card.

 

[shamrock1313]

What kind of PCI carted w/ cable antenna is the best? Should I go with one that is high in mbps?

 

[wisdomtooth]

I've seen this one in action before and it seemed to work well. Just 11b/g should be good enough.

 

[flamingspinach]

Originally posted by: wisdomtooth
I've seen this one in action before and it seemed to work well.

I second that.

-fs