• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

USB Network Adapters

ktorrresxiii

ktorrresxiii

Junior Member
I'm wondering if you guys could give any info on USB Wireless Network Adapters and Wireless Network Adapters (PCI/PCIe Card)

Is one better than the other?

Specifically the Netgear N300 Wireless USB Adapter

Thanks everyone
 
I generally prefer USB wireless because you can use an USB extension cable to get the unit move to a place with better signal.
 
I prefer PCI or PCIe cards personally. They seem to give me better connectivity in my experiences. Plus USB 2 is limited when looking at higher end n (600) and now ac USB adapters. USB 3 will fix that but have seen very few.

The n300 USB adapter you're looking at should be good.


What is it's intended use?
 
saratoga172 said:
I prefer PCI or PCIe cards personally. They seem to give me better connectivity in my experiences. Plus USB 2 is limited when looking at higher end n (600) and now ac USB adapters. USB 3 will fix that but have seen very few.

The n300 USB adapter you're looking at should be good.


What is it's intended use?
Click to expand...

PCI cards tend to have beefier external antennas on them, while the usb ones have it all crammed into a thumb drive form factor these days. For a desktop that needs wireless i'd definitely go with a PCI/PCI-E card, but if mobility is a concern (eg. you're replacing a dead internal wireless card on a laptop) the USB cards are adequate.
 
Mushkins said:
PCI cards tend to have beefier external antennas on them, while the usb ones have it all crammed into a thumb drive form factor these days. For a desktop that needs wireless i'd definitely go with a PCI/PCI-E card, but if mobility is a concern (eg. you're replacing a dead internal wireless card on a laptop) the USB cards are adequate.
Click to expand...

Normally I would agree but I have had the worst luck with them. I tend to think it has something to do with the desktop typically being on the floor (below the (optimal) wifi radio bubble) and this huge metal box in front of the antenna that tends to reflect and absorb the signal.
 
I think that people do not realize that the Antenna of a Wireless card and its location is just as important (and in many cases even more) than the Wireless card per-se.

Consumers Wireless’ card chipsets come from five manufacturers and all hardware manufacturers get from them the chipset and basic drivers for their Wireless cards (Laptops and Desktops).

There can be day and night differences in the Wireless performance of Laptops that have the same Wireless cards. The One with better designed and placed Antenna will perform much better in term of coverage and bandwidth. As an example MacBook Pros Wireless tend to be better when Win 7 is used in Booth camp installation as compare to other Laptops.

Many other laptops use the same Wireless cards and Win 7 yet their performance is inferior because of careless design around the same card and software.

As for desktop, the main differences are in the Quality of the Antenna and its location.

Many PCI Wireless cards end up with little antennae stuck low behind the tower's metal back panel and the wall, thus the puny 33mW signal is grossly suppressed.

USB (I am talking about full size USB Module with an external Antenna not a silly Dongle/Nano) can be used with USB extension cord and put high above the system thus provides better propagation, or use a PCI card that it’s Antenna is extended via short coax.

Currently my choices are.

For USB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833166046

For PCIe - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833106135
Both are Dual Band.

Some people ask, what about 802.11ac?

Right Now the overall demand for add-on 802.11aci s almost No existing, and the advantages are minuscule.

IMHO it does not worth while to get into quantity low price manufacturing of 802.11ac add-on Wireless cards.

However for people who suffer from the psychological condition known as “Early Adopter”.

One can try this - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833106192



😎
 
Last edited:
I'd double down on that antenna placement thing being key. My laptop has radically better speeds than my tablet, but if you look at sheer signal strength, my tablet with its smaller internal antenna has better performance than the larger and twin antennas in my laptop. Big reason why? My laptop has the antennas located around the screen, with a metal lid (plastic front bezel though), where are my tablet has a plastic backing. Much better RF windows with my tablet than with my laptop. So at extreme range, my tablet extra performs better than my laptop, even though closer in, my laptop beats the pants off my tablet in performance.

LoS and about 8ft away my laptop will push 170-180Mbps on 2:2 11n 40MHz. My tablet can only do 1:1 11n...and is SDIO (100Mbps hard cap) and hits about 70-80Mbps. A few walls in the way and 40ft and my laptop will drop to about 20Mbps, but my tablet actually can still hit mid 20's. InSSIDer reports about 2-4dBm higher signal strength on my tablet at most locations compared to my laptop.

By comparison, my iPad 2, which was even worse for RF would hit around 35Mbps absolute max, but drop to around 0-6Mbps in those locations where my laptop and current tablet still have poor, but not terrible connections.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top