Question PCI wifi for my pc

[Zeipher]

Hey there,

Im going to be moving soon and im taking my desktop with me. The new place will have decent optic available with like up to 250/400 mbps of download speed available. The problem is, there isnt a cable in the wall where i want it to be and I don't really want to have a internet cable running all over the open floor.

So i have been thinking - is a pci wifi card a decent idea? How are these things nowadays? Or will I be loosing out most of my internet connection's potential? What to expect from these things?

 

[tennis2]

One word - Powerline
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704165

If you want WiFi, PCIe x1 cards are the most reliable.

 

[Zeipher]

One word - Powerline
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704165

If you want WiFi, PCIe x1 cards are the most reliable.

Thanks. From what i gather this powerline is used to extend your wifi network? For example if your router doesnt provide adequate coverage in your house entirely?

If so, thats doesnt sound something i would need right now. Wifi signal shouldnt be an issue for me.

Back to pcie cards for wifi - can they actually support those high numbers of data transfer speed they write (I see a lot have like 1000 mbps)? Can i get max speeds for internet connection with it? Or is the router going to bottleneck? Not really familiar with wifi for a desktop.

 

[Wolfshadw]

A Powerline network is network connectivity through the home's electrical wiring. Plug Ethernet adapters into a pair of power outlets;; one in the room where the router is located and the other in the room where you PC is located. Supposedly, it's faster than WiFi but not as fast as true Ethernet. It can be finicky and it's a bit of an outlay for something that may not work well.

WiFi for a desktop isn't all that different from WiFi for a laptop. In most cases it's still just a card plugged into the motherboard. All advertised speeds are theoretical. You'll never actually achieve them.

-Wolf sends

 

[tennis2]

Just my personal experience - I've had good results from the two pairs of powerline adapters I've used over the past 6 years. Got rid of the first pair because it was a no-name $20 kit and one of the adapters had coil whine. Second kit is a TP Link brand I got on sale for $25.

I've got so many WiFi networks visible from my machine that interference severely limits my connection speed. Now that I've switched over to an 802.11ac router that has more robust channel selection, WiFi has improved, but I still prefer ethernet/ powerline for my critical uses (gaming PC and streaming PC)

Yes, powerline adapters are a point of failure compared to straight ethernet, and although you can get gigabit powerline kits, they generally don't perform @ 100% of their advertised speeds. Even still, unless you're doing intra-network transfers, as long as your powerline kit can meet/ exceed your internet connection, that's all you need.

Both solutions (802.11ac WiFi vs Powerline) cost about the same, and both have strengths and weaknesses.