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Whats the deal with wifi built into motherboards.

Hugo Drax

Hugo Drax

Diamond Member
I am seeing more motherboards shipping with wifi permanently affixed to the motherboard. Is this something people are asking for?
 
yeah. Only one vendor so far that I have sourced H170 mini itx boards without this addon.

it definitely limits choices. How many people really need wifi on a desktop. Instead of Wifi why is it impossible to find boards with Alpine ridge/thunderbolt.

would be nice to find mini-itx boards with them.
 
Hugo Drax said:
yeah. Only one vendor so far that I have sourced H170 mini itx boards without this addon.

it definitely limits choices. How many people really need wifi on a desktop. Instead of Wifi why is it impossible to find boards with Alpine ridge/thunderbolt.

would be nice to find mini-itx boards with them.
Click to expand...

I use built-in Wi-Fi on one of my systems and I have Wi-Fi add in cards for my other ones.

Wi-Fi is important!
 
Arachnotronic said:
Wi-Fi is important!
Click to expand...

It is... 3 of my 4 computers in the house use it and one printer, and the only reason the 4th PC doesn't is because it sets 2' from the router. I've never had a problem with USB wifi sticks, I think they work pretty well, and if they die or you need to upgrade, it's just as easy as plugging in a new one. I've noticed many (most?) mITX boards come with them, I understand the logic of it, I just wish they would make it an internal plug-in, not fixed to the mobo.
 
My ZOOM Router which supplies me a GOOD WiFi Signal sits right next to my PC......Is there ANY benefits for me to have WiFi built into my NEW Mobo too?
 
SiHawk said:
My ZOOM Router which supplies me a GOOD WiFi Signal sits right next to my PC......Is there ANY benefits for me to have WiFi built into my NEW Mobo too?
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No. But many ppl don't have every computer next to their router. I put my computer in the basement b/4 802.11ac was available, so I ran a hard line through the wall and then down to the basement. My wife's computer was located in a room that would have been a PITA to hardwire, so I hooked her system up wirelessly (802.11n, at first).
 
Insert_Nickname said:
Its usually just an mPCIe card, so no problem removing it if you don't need it.
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Yeah, fully integrated is rare, although I could see manufacturers moving that way to cut costs. mPCIe or m.2 cards are far more common in my experience.

As to why you'd want WiFi in a desktop? The majority of PC users aren't enthusiasts who wire every PC they have into their network. It's a simple, cheap add-on that justifies a higher sales price, while a large percentage of buyers see its value. I have a board with integrated WiFi in my HTPC, and while it has a wired network connection (sits 30cm from my modem ...), I use the WiFi card for using a bluetooth keyboard, which saves me the hassle of getting a shitty BT dongle that will inevitably have horrible reception and will probably fail. Also, I've used the WiFi as a bacup internet connection through my phone a couple of times when the god-awful fiber modem my ISP uses has gone haywire.

As for USB WiFi adapters, they have a deservedly bad reputation. They have significantly worse reception than anything with proper antennaes, they run hot, in my experience overheat under load, and are generally a hassle to deal with. Oh, and they usually don't include bluetooth, meaning you need another USB stick to provide that if you want it.
 
I can remember people complaining when wired NIC's were first integrated onto motherboards. Having Wi-Fi built in seems like a very convenient item. just turn it off in the bios if it's not needed.
 
most people don't need to be wired and all ISP routers have wifi since people want to use their smartphones so wifi is just convenient and expected these days.
 
I was not aware there were any mITX boards with non-removable WiFi.

OP: Are you talking about boards that include removable/upgradable WiFi modules with antenna leads going back to the i/o shield?
 
I have the X99A Xpower Gaming Titanium board, it has Intel Dual Band Wireless built in. I never thought I'd use it but it has become amazingly useful. If you're into electronics and prototyping it comes in so handy not having to deal with a router. I like to tether back and forth when my connections/4G network go down, and having personal connections between two devices over a private wireless network is appealing on a machine intentionally not connected to the internet.
 
WiFi modules often also support bluetooth, which is mostly useless for a pc, but I can think of a few applications.
- Recent gaming controllers (PS4, Xbox One S) support Bluetooth so you wouldn't need a USB dongle to connect those.
- You could also use a bluetooth remote control to control a HTPC (would make sense to use the mITX form factor for a HTPC).

It could also be useful if you want to use a bluetooth headset, however I don't think a lot of people use bluetooth headsets with a desktop or HTPC.
 
In the past, I preferred motherboards without integrated peripherals because the more crap they stuffed in, the less reliable the boards seemed to be. Modern motherboards are much better though, so the convenience outweighs any loss of reliability. Still, I find it slightly irksome when I see a board that has, for example, two extra SATA controllers so it can have a dozen SATA ports that only a handful of people will ever use fully, instead of only a perfectly reasonable 4 that a chipset might provide by itself.

MacPoedel said:
...It could also be useful if you want to use a bluetooth headset, however I don't think a lot of people use bluetooth headsets with a desktop or HTPC.
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I use a BT headset because it was the only way I could be sure that the signal was encrypted. For that reason, the WiFi/BT support on new motherboards holds some interest to me.
 
I think it's a good option to have. Bluetooth and WiFi should be built in to the mobo. OTOH, wireless sucks. If a device doesn't move I hardwire it. Wireless less reliable, less secure and slower. Now, my tablets and smartphones? That's what wireless is for!
 
I prefer wired, but having wireless can be a bonus for when it is needed.
 
WiFi will come handy if you live a household with multiple people, and especially if you are renting. Now I live alone so I don't need it, but I can doing so if I started living with others.
 
Question is, why would anyone want a wireless connection...?

They don't..! Wireless is just a personal compromise, to make something "easier", or cheaper for someone. Why even build a quality or performance orientated computer, and use wireless internet?

100ft of cat6 is pretty cheap.
 
whm1974 said:
Well duh, That is a safety hazard.
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That's why I use a AC1200 Wifi bridge. To connect my two Gigabit ethernet LAN segments. I did run a cable, before, but it runs across a doorway, and that's a violation of my lease.

(Although, if I get a cable concealer thingy, I think that it would be acceptable. Would be nice, but that's not high on my list of priorities.)
 
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