USB or PCI wireless adapter?

Hate · 10 Jun 2006 at 21:27

I play the occasional game, and generally surf the rest of the time.

Im going to go 54MB/s, PCI or USB ?

Rokusho · 10 Jun 2006 at 21:29

No matter, they both work just as good

However this thread will quickly escalate and persuade you top go broadband.
Let me save some time by telling you now ot go broadband, if you play any game online you need broadband, otherwise you will have very poor gameplay on the few games that will actually work through a dial up modem.

Hate · 10 Jun 2006 at 21:32

eh?

I already have broadband, where on earth did you get dialup from? I was on the ADSL trials back in 1999 and had ISDN for 2 years before that

t31os · 10 Jun 2006 at 23:43

From what i've seen friends use for wireless, i can say the USB ones, from what i've seen never seen to keep a stable connection, where as the PCI ones seem to manage better.

I'm by no means saying they are better, but from what i've seen the USB ones seem more problematic and unreliable.

xirokx · 11 Jun 2006 at 01:54

yes i agree...

all the USB ones I have had have basically gone back to the shop and thats about 5 of em...

I have never tried with a pci wireless card but I would rather go with that...

Is it for a laptop or desktop? I am assuming desktop...however if laptop get a wireless network card instead

Beenom · 11 Jun 2006 at 02:04

DON'T get USB ones at all. I have BT USB ones (maybe that explains it) that sometimes fail to pick up the connection whereas my inbuilt laptop wireless receiver is flawless. :rolleyes:

Deffo get a PCi receiver

t31os · 11 Jun 2006 at 12:14

I'm glad i was'nt the only to think that then...., don't feel so bad now...

HighlandeR · 11 Jun 2006 at 13:35

usb ones are terrible, get a proper pci wireless card with attena and it will proove much more stable and reliable.

Pulsedriver · 11 Jun 2006 at 14:32

I use a Netgear USB adaptor, no problems at all with it.

Same with my mates, he's got the new 108MBPS one or something USB adaptor from Netgear, again, no problems with it.

PCI ones are naff because they take up a PCI slot, some people need if you have a decent sound card, SLI etc.

Nikolic · 11 Jun 2006 at 15:34

I had a USB one, and had constant problems with it.

Moved over to a PCI card, and it's been perfect.

Hate · 11 Jun 2006 at 16:33

pci it is then, ta

its for a desktop, i already have a wireless capable laptop

and since i gave up monster PC's many years ago (last overclock was a P4 1.6 @ 2.4) using one of my spare 4 PCI slots is no biggie

t31os · 11 Jun 2006 at 16:37

SeanyK said:
I use a Netgear USB adaptor, no problems at all with it.

Same with my mates, he's got the new 108MBPS one or something USB adaptor from Netgear, again, no problems with it.

PCI ones are naff because they take up a PCI slot, some people need if you have a decent sound card, SLI etc.

So PCI is naff because a card designed to go in the slot takes one up?.....

If you knew what you're talking about, you'd realise very few everyday devices use a PCI slot now, hardly a pain in the butt if you ask me. Personally i don't think you have much of a clue what you're talking about.

Richdog · 11 Jun 2006 at 16:42

t31os said:
So PCI is naff because a card designed to go in the slot takes one up?.....

If you knew what you're talking about, you'd realise very few everyday devices use a PCI slot now, hardly a pain in the butt if you ask me. Personally i don't think you have much of a clue what you're talking about.

While you're right, there's no need to be so harsh mate, it's not really necessary.

Anyway to the OP, PCI all the way, USB tend to b much buggier and unstable, my last two were horrible and tended to drop off now and then.

t31os · 11 Jun 2006 at 16:55

I'm just annoyed that people can make rash statements and then no one be able to quarm them without being told off for the tone they use.

At the end of the day, theres various replies in this forum advising people to do this that in the other, with no real explanation, and not all, but some can really screw things up if you a noobie.

Not everyone that visits knows their stuff, and quite frankly, not everyone that replies does, not even me, but i do have experience to go on, and i make my suggestions very clear and explain my reasons for them.

I think if people are going to make bold statements (which people can and sometimes will follow) then other people should be able to express conflicting statements to.

I'm not saying i'm above the rules, but some people's advice (not any in this thread) have the potential to instruct people to do things to the PC that could potentially damage the hardware.

If i post why i think A is better over B i post why i think that... and if any, what the risks are.

If OCuk want customers receiving that kind of support via their forums though, i'll gladly keep the tone down.

Sorry if anyone was offended, its honestly and sincerely not the intention.

Pulsedriver · 11 Jun 2006 at 17:56

t31os said:
So PCI is naff because a card designed to go in the slot takes one up?.....

If you knew what you're talking about, you'd realise very few everyday devices use a PCI slot now, hardly a pain in the butt if you ask me. Personally i don't think you have much of a clue what you're talking about.

You have no idea how much I know.
I've had both, so im sure I have the right to comment.

I am talking from a personal experience thankyou, I use a DFI motherboard, it has TWO PCI Slots.

One has a Soundcard in, and the other, another professional audio device.
I had to take out the PCI network card because of that.
PCI is still a popular interface for peripherals.

It also used to interfere with the audio card when I had a 3 PCI Slot MSI motherboard before that, IRQ sharing, which, believe it or not, DOES exist in Windows XP no matter what people lead others to believe.

Some motherboards, barely have ONE useable PCI slot, so if a user has SLI or a huge double-slot cooling device for graphics cards, not many options for a soundcard or anything similar if they use a PCI network card.

The OP wants opinions, i've offered mine, USB is the way forward IMO, and I also speak on behalf of many mates who also think the same.

HighlandeR · 11 Jun 2006 at 21:29

I work in a Returns/Support section for purpleworld and on a daily basis we get nothing but usb wireless adaptors coming back....

Customers always moaning about intermitant signal loss or its not strong enough....

I even tested a belkin usb adaptor on the shop floor once and it didnt even pick up our network had to refresh and restart twice before it picked up 3 with weak signals... so I then plugged in the attena to the pci wireless card and bang came up pronto 5 networks all good signals and connected fine, so much for me showing how easy it is for customers to pick up a wireless signal lol

Course im sure with the other 1000 usb wireless adaptors that are brought daily most are happy, proberly using there pc few metres away or in the next room

benjo plz. · 11 Jun 2006 at 21:37

SeanyK said:
The OP wants opinions, i've offered mine, USB is the way forward IMO, and I also speak on behalf of many mates who also think the same.

With UWB/Wireless USB or 802.11N, yes. But with 802.11B/G No. I think the main problem is the lack of antenna upgradeability, whereas with pci you can remove the antenna and stick on a bigger on using sma, or an extension.

Tbh if I was in the situations you gave, I'd use a ethernet wireless access point.

HighlandeR said:
I even tested a belkin usb adaptor on the shop floor once and it didnt even pick up our network had to refresh and restart twice before it picked up 3 with weak signals... so I then plugged in the attena to the pci wireless card and bang came up pronto 5 networks all good signals and connected fine, so much for me showing how easy it is for customers to pick up a wireless signal lol

Course im sure with the other 1000 usb wireless adaptors that are brought daily most are happy, proberly using there pc few metres away or in the next room

They usually work better if they have the same chipset in both, I know there was a story from Which? a few years back where they tested a linksys router, but couldn't get a signal from it using a Netgear card.

Richdog · 11 Jun 2006 at 21:50

Used USB for ages, and since I switched to PCI my signal is about 2x stronger and stability is hugely increased. USB's are much more unreliable and prone to failing in my experience, and besides my USB ports are more precious to me than my PCI slots.

crashuk · 12 Jun 2006 at 00:59

usb wireless adaptors are crap you better off getting a pci card if you have room, but i still prefer cat5

Freakish_05 · 12 Jun 2006 at 12:45

crashuk said:
usb wireless adaptors are crap you better off getting a pci card if you have room, but i still prefer cat5

Couldn't agree with you more!!!

PCI cards are definately the way to go. I've never had trouble with my belkin gear. lan will always be better than wlan, but when you're parents wont let you destroy half the house getting the cable up to your room then you're pretty stuck!