best solution for wireless gaming getting close to wired speed

[kiranearitachi]

I am looking at a new apartment and the landlord won't let me run an Ethernet for some reason. What would be my best option to get close to the full speed of wired. One guy at work recommended wireless bridging, but would either a pcie card or USB adapter be a better or worse solution price doesn't really matter but I would prefer to keep it under $100

 

[why_wolf]

Is the PC to far from the router to just lay the Ethernet cord out on the floor? I fully understand a landlord not wanting you or anyone else knocking holes in the wall to run anything.

Is the WiFi signal not strong where the computer is?

 

[Solandri]

You can still run Ethernet on the floor against the walls, or on top of the wainscoting. You can use those 3M adhesive clips to hold the cable against the walls and around door frames. That way you're not cutting or pounding holes in the walls.
https://www.command.com/3M/en_US/command/contact-us/search/?Ntt=cord+clips

Since it's an apartment, powerline ethernet may not work unless your unit has its own power meter. Likewise, MoCA (Ethernet over coaxial cable) may work if each unit is wired for its own cable TV and you don't use it. But if the landlord provides cable TV "for free" to all apartments, then it won't work.

The problem with WiFi isn't speed or bandwidth. It's plenty fast enough for gaming. The problem is reliability. Ping times with Ethernet will be like 5 ms +/- 1 ms 99.99% of the time. Ping times for WiFi will be like 25 ms +/- 5ms 95% of the time, +/- 100 ms in an additional 4% of the time, and sometimes drifting up to several seconds in the remaining 1%. Whenever the WiFi signal encounters noise, the receiving WiFi device has to use the built-in error correction coding to recreate the original signal, or request the sending WiFi device re-transmit the data. All this takes additional time which a wired connection almost never incurs (because it's less susceptible to noise).

It's this variability in ping times which kills games, and there's just no avoiding it with WiFi. Something as simple as someone in a nearby unit starting a large download can cause your WiFi ping times to increase. And heaven forbid they turn on their microwave oven - that can completely destroy your WiFi connection until the food finishes cooking.

I would try (from best to worst)

• 
  ■Put the gaming computer in the same room as your Internet router, so you can use a short Ethernet cable for gaming. Use WiFi for the rest of the house.
  ■Run Ethernet against the walls.
  ■Use some sort of directional WiFi adapter, preferably at 5 GHz and picking a channel that none of your neighbors are using.
  https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-0000070700985-NanoStation-loco/dp/B004EHSV4W
  This can be configured as an access point (if your router doesn't have WiFi). Or as an adapter (if you don't want to buy WiFi for your desktop) - plug an ethernet cable from it into your desktop, configure it for bridged mode and associate it with your WiFi router. The directional antenna will help reduce interference and noise causing lag spikes.

 

[kiranearitachi]

I had forgot.to.mention that this is a loft so the person downstairs has the router

 

[why_wolf]

okay so its a downstairs/upstairs type problem then.

So yeah your two real options if the WiFi isn't strong enough as is are. a) a WiFi extender, something like this one https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-AC1200-WiFi-Range-Extender/dp/B014YN7LVE/ref=zg_bs_3015439011_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CQFB1DAWRSJPEQ4VW168

or a powerline adapter. Please note these units performance is entirely dependent on the layout and quality of the electrical wiring where you live. So the only way to now how well they will work to is try them out. https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-PowerLINE-1000-802-11ac-Gigabit/dp/B01929V7ZG/ref=lp_1194444_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1519323910&sr=1-6

 

[kiranearitachi]

The wifi should be strong enough but as I am planning on only using my desktop and it doesnt currently have wifi capabilities then which of the options would give me the best connection. I dont mind if its an ethernet type device like the bridge or powerline or a pcie/usb adapter.

 

[why_wolf]

well if the signal is strong enough at the desktop then just installing a WiFi card would the best option.
PCI card https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-PCI-Express-Adapter-TL-WDN4800/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519415271&sr=8-3&keywords=pci+wifi+card

 

[kanewolf]

WIFI routers are designed to radiate primarily horizontally. That is why WIFI is often poor between floors.