Wireless PCI Card Quality

[jmekelb]

Hello,
I'm in need of a PCI wireless NIC card and am wondering what the difference is between...

...the $12.99 version:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833340009

and the $39.99 version:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833122119

There are of course several in between these prices. I guess I'm asking which I could get away with.

Range isn't really an issue for me as my router is only about 15 feet from my desk.

 

[JackMDS]

I am Not familiar with the $12.99 card.

With the $39.99 your are paying $20 extra for the "Honor" of having a Device being called Netgear.

This is better than the two that you linked to...

Edimax PCI - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833315041

Driver/Utility for Windows 98SE/Me/2K/XP/XP 64/Vista/Vista 64

http://www.edimax.us/html/english/frames/b-download.htm

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
I am Not familiar with the $12.99 card.

With the $39.99 your are paying $20 extra for the "Honor" of having a Device being called Netgear.

This is better than the two that you linked to...

Edimax PCI - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833315041

Driver/Utility for Windows 98SE/Me/2K/XP/XP 64/Vista/Vista 64

http://www.edimax.us/html/english/frames/b-download.htm

Paying for the honor of the netgear logo as well as (if the images on newegg are current) the chipset on the cards. The Realtek on the first card and the RaLink on the edimax are "value" chipsets, the Marvell a little less so.

That said, I have 2 of the edimax cards and they've worked great. The RaLink chipset might be a value chipset, but I think it's one of the better ones out there (I have about 7 adapters with RaLink chipsets and wouldn't trade them for any others).

 

[JackMDS]

It use to be that value was measured by actual performance.

In these day Higher '''Value''" means a lot of time a brand name that spend more money on marketing.

 

[Exterous]

I saw the Edimax card and was thinking about it. I do have an issue though. My router is located on the second floor with the main computer. It's a netgear dual band router that I won from netgear. I am looking at putting a computer in the basement that I would like to stream audio files from the file server on the main level. Do you think this card would handle the range with sufficient strength to allow audio streaming?

Thanks!

 

[JackMDS]

Audio streaming does need much Bandwidth.

However it depends on the actual distance, number of walls, and other obstacles to electric signal.

No way to know without trying. Taking an 802.11g Wireless Laptop downstairs can give a Good indication.

If you can stream to a Wireless laptop the Edimax would work too.

 

[Engineer]

Anyone wanting the Edimax card can use coupon code EMCLRNP42 (as long as you are on Newegg's newsletter e-mail list) for free shipping!

 

[cmetz]

jmekelb, the RealTek and Ralink chipsets have good free software driver support. I don't know about Windows drivers, and suspect that they are okay, not great. Marvell and Broadcom have horrible free software support and should be avoided if that matters to you even as a possible option in the future.

The Intel wireless adapters are well supported in Windows and free software (this wasn't the case a few years ago BTW).

 

[JackMDS]

The Edimax mentioned here is based on Ralink 2500.