What WiFi PCI Card Should I Get?

[Twisted4000]

Long story short, right now I'm unable to use an ethernet cable. I have a PCI WiFi card plugged into one of the PCI ports of the motherboard, but it's connection is so weak that it seems to lose connection every minute or so.

I want a new PCI WiFi card with a better connection, the one I currently have is apparently called the Realtek 8185, which is 802.11b/g. My main question is what numbers exactly determine the connection strength of a WiFi card? I don't know what the Mbps or whatever it's called this card has and what a "good" number is for it.

The router/modem thing is one floor below me, if that means anything. Also, does it help if the antenna of the card is facing the modem? One more thing, if there's multiple antennas on the card, what does that exactly help out with? Yes I know, I don't have the slightest clue with WiFi stuff.

 

[peanutbudder]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...320173&cm_re=Asus_ac68-_-33-320-173-_-Product

This card is amazing! I could pickup maybe 3 wireless networks using my old card and now I pickup 10-12 networks in my apartment complex. If it was paired with a Ac router and crazy fast comcast network the speeds would be insane. I get the same download/upload speeds as my other PC connected via Ethernet cable.

 

[pcgamer4life]

Might be an awesome card, but there's no way in hell I'd spend $100 on a wifi card. For $100, you could probably hire someone to come pull a single run of cable through your house. I've always used the <$10 Chinese cards from eBay, and USB adapters when I needed wireless. Not the best for gaming, but they get the job done.

 

[Twisted4000]

Might be an awesome card, but there's no way in hell I'd spend $100 on a wifi card. For $100, you could probably hire someone to come pull a single run of cable through your house. I've always used the <$10 Chinese cards from eBay, and USB adapters when I needed wireless. Not the best for gaming, but they get the job done.

Yes I understand, but the card I currently have is like a $10 one. Could anyone recommend a card that is relatively cheap and gets at least a decent connection?

 

[Daleon]

This one is very good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106192

But you really need to find out what 802.11 specs your router supports and if its dual band or not. Get the brand and model off the router. As far as antenna's go if its sticking out of the back of your pc moving it will likely make no difference. Those are weak to begin with typically. External are better, powered external even better. Do you get good wireless signal on other devices near your pc? You may want to look at powerline networking if you can't get a good signal.

 

[Twisted4000]

This one is very good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106192

But you really need to find out what 802.1 specs your router supports and if its dual band or not. Get the brand and model off the router. As far as antenna's go if its sticking out of the back of your pc moving it will likely make no difference. Those are weak to begin with typically. External are better, powered external even better. Do you get good wireless signal on other devices near your pc? You may want to look at powerline networking if you can't get a good signal.

Yes, I have a laptop in the same room that gets a fine connection.

I will get the specs of the router soon. If there's more Mbps on the WiFi card, that means it has a stronger connection, right?

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Yes, I have a laptop in the same room that gets a fine connection.

I will get the specs of the router soon. If there's more Mbps on the WiFi card, that means it has a stronger connection, right?

Not always.

For better signal I recommend one of these
Just screw it in your Wifi card instead f the crappy stock ones they give you.
They really do help.

EDIT: Also, unless your router has Wirless AC (802.11a) a Wireless AC wifi card will not increase throughput.

 

[Twisted4000]

Not always.

For better signal I recommend one of these
Just screw it in your Wifi card instead f the crappy stock ones they give you.
They really do help.

EDIT: Also, unless your router has Wirless AC (802.11a) a Wireless AC wifi card will not increase throughput.

There is a computer in the room next over to me that gets a much better connection with their WiFi card, and apparently it is this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122134

So would something like that work out alright do you think? And yes I will get that extra antenna too.

 

[Theocnoob]

There is a computer in the room next over to me that gets a much better connection with their WiFi card, and apparently it is this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122134

So would something like that work out alright do you think? And yes I will get that extra antenna too.

That is a PCI card. All the other cards we have been looking at here are PCIE. Do you know what kind of slot you have free? That's very important.

Also, an Intel wifi card will be higher quality than a Netgear.

Agree regarding screwing a more powerful antenna onto the card.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

There is a computer in the room next over to me that gets a much better connection with their WiFi card, and apparently it is this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122134

So would something like that work out alright do you think? And yes I will get that extra antenna too.

It would work sure, but Netgear isn't exactly top notch in terms of quality.
For reference, this is my card.
I also have that 8 Dbi antenna I linked to, and I still get signal from my weak Dlink DIR-601 router 2 rooms away going through 2 walls, closet and wooden chest
Tp-link makes good products as well as the Intel OC Noob suggests below

That is a PCI card. All the other cards we have been looking at here are PCIE. Do you know what kind of slot you have free? That's very important.

Also, an Intel wifi card will be higher quality than a Netgear.

Agree regarding screwing a more powerful antenna onto the card.

 

[Twisted4000]

That is a PCI card. All the other cards we have been looking at here are PCIE. Do you know what kind of slot you have free? That's very important.

Also, an Intel wifi card will be higher quality than a Netgear.

Agree regarding screwing a more powerful antenna onto the card.

I have both PCI slots and a PCIE slot available, is there an upside to either one?

 

[Shell]

I use crappy TP-Link USB and PCIe wifi devices with a huge $12 chinese dipole antenna, if you want better than that you have to spend a lot more, a good antenna makes a big difference, and directionals(dish/patch) can get extreme range.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

I have both PCI slots and a PCIE slot available, is there an upside to either one?

Pci slot = 133Mb/s bandwidth
Pcie slot = 250Mb/s bandwidth

 

[Shell]

Pci slot = 33Mb/s bandwidth
Pcie slot = 250Mb/s bandwidth

Actually 133MBps for PCI(typo?), which is why Gbit Ethernet can work at full speed... barely.

I've seen no difference with WiFi performance using either, so it's really a matter of preference, slot location for example.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

No typo, I actually thought it was 33Mb/s...

 

[NiHaoMike]

Go for an Intel or Qualcomm/Atheros chipset. Those two are considered the absolute best for wireless chipsets.

If you have problems with poor signal, look up "cantenna" and build your own. Ideally, you'll want one for the PC and one for the AP.

Also, you can try running WiFi over coax.
http://wifiovercoax.mcleodnet.com/

 

[Twisted4000]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6Dbi-Athero...US_Internal_Network_Cards&hash=item2ec756c2ea Something like this is what I'm looking at, you think it would be fine?

Also it mentions something involving the pins on it, all I need is to plug it into the PCIE slot and it should be good to go, right? http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/fenvi/install_01.jpg

 

[Theocnoob]

I think the point everyone is trying to get across to you is that these cheapo network adapters are not really the cream of the crop. If you spend $40 or $50 on it, you'll get a much better quality part. Something integrating WiFi and Bluetooth for $20 is not the kind of part I would trust. You can put a 6dbi antenna on a Hamster. Doesn't mean you'll get a good quality experience. You might... but why chance it? I'd go with at least a lower end Intel unit.

 

[Twisted4000]

I think the point everyone is trying to get across to you is that these cheapo network adapters are not really the cream of the crop. If you spend $40 or $50 on it, you'll get a much better quality part. Something integrating WiFi and Bluetooth for $20 is not the kind of part I would trust. You can put a 6dbi antenna on a Hamster. Doesn't mean you'll get a good quality experience. You might... but why chance it? I'd go with at least a lower end Intel unit.

I just think it's strange that the WiFi card in the PC next to me (also a pretty cheap old one) is working just fine and this one I have in my computer can barely even connect. No joke, it disconnects every minute or so it's so bad. I THINK that even this $20 thing should be fine, I don't really game, I just want a wireless card that gets a solid connection.

 

[Twisted4000]

So I got the card, and though it isn't a great one nor was I expecting it to really be, it gets a "very good" connection instead of "poor" (4 out of 5 bars instead of 2). It had that same disconnecting problem that the the other PCI card originally had, but apparently there was a setting I had to change in the control panel that fixed it.

I will get the new antennas on it soon as well.