High speed networking recommendation for desktop

[xthetenth]

I've got a 100 Mbps connection, and because I haven't had time to put into upgrading until now, my desktop has what I'm pretty sure is a little USB n connector that's limited to 20 Mbps up or down. I'd like to fix that.

Unfortunately ethernet's out of the question, not my house not my choice. I'm going through two walls but at short range, and my Surface Pro 4 can do at least ~110 Mbps through them (checked the internet speed but haven't gotten to checking the local network speed).

I'm thinking the quickest and easiest solution would just be a better USB dongle or a PCIe card. I've had power line networking recommended to me, but I'm wondering if it's actually likely to be faster or more reliable than a good wireless card. If there's a cheaper solution that's more likely to be a headache I'd really prefer to not bother unless it's a major savings (that goes within categories as well).

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Upgraded wifi is your best bet. The signal's good enough for the Surface to work well. Powerline is faster than WiFi, when it works. But it can be hit or miss depending on the house.

 

[JackMDS]

PCIe - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EKQN2KK?keywords=intel%20wireless%20card&qid=1457549028&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

USB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166104

The most important is Antenna connected with a cable and sits about 2 feet above the Computer clear of obstructions.

The PCI Intel comes with such cables. The USU can be used with USB cable.

Also note that the Speed number as appears in the Status or other spots of the Wireless menus is not the real "Speed", if you want to know the real speed, measure the time of a real File transfer/download.



😎

 

[xthetenth]

Awesome, appreciate it. I have a feeling the powerline would be on the miss side for my house, especially since I'm on a different breaker than the router if I remember right.

I decided to go with the PCIe because I'd have some possible use for the bluetooth and a general feeling that the Intel solution is a bit less likely to cause problems. Looks like it should solve my problems neatly.

As far as clear of obstructions, do you just mean no large components between the router and the antenna or does it need some clear space around it for best results?

 

[JackMDS]

A.

As far as clear of obstructions, do you just mean no large components between the router and the antenna or does it need some clear space around it for best results?

Both.



😎

 

[Binky]

Don't forget Moca/Deca if you have cable TV wiring in your walls. I've had much better luck with Moca adapters than powerline, but its still not as good as ethernet. I'm a wifi hater so I do anything I can to avoid it if possible.