simple computer question
 

is it advantageous (in respect to range and connection quality/speed) to use a PCI Express x1 wireless card over a standard PCI wireless card? I bought a new desktop (the one on woot yesterday) for use in my apartment and the router is far away. Those are the expansion slots available on the PC. Thanks

This is a good question. Admittingly I dont know the 100% correct answer but I would say that your range is dependent on signal strength and antenna reception rather than the expansion slot you use in the computer.

I would just go with whatever is cheaper honestly. Look into some of the products they sell that catch a wireless signal and strengthen it.

my laptop gets full signal from where I am at, but the CPU will be under the desk so it just doesn't have to be crappy. I'm just gonna buy whatever is cheaper like you say. Thanks

If you are having difficulty with connection dropping or connection speed, first look for a higher gain antenna to put on the router and PC. Higher gain antennas send and receive stronger signals than low gain antennas.

This is a 9db gain antenna, and at only $10 will give your router a real kick. Most OEM antennas are 0-3 db gain.

http://m2.sourcingmap.com/smap/image...x0258_ux_n.jpg

A PCI slot card like this will let you get the antenna up where it will send and receive stronger signals because there will be less in its way than the built in antennas in desk top PC's.

http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/prod_lrg.../209653420.jpg

Most any router and wireless card should have enough power to operate in the average size apartment. But sometimes apartments have obstacles, like lots of pipes in walls, load bearing solid concrete walls, etc blocking signals that a regular house does not have. Placing the router at eye level or higher on a book shelf usually helps improve signal quality.

For example, my Linksys wireless G router on the second floor of my house can be picked up by my neighbor about 800 feet away. Put the same router in your apartment, and you may not be able to pick it up down the hall 100 feet away.

And don't forget to encrypt the router. At a minimum, it will keep your neighbors from sucking up your bandwidth for free.

If none of that helps, get a wireless-N router rather than a wireless-G router. It operates on a higher frequency that passes through obstacles that block wireless-g signals.

cantenna

Mark- thanks for the response. What you are saying makes sense. Unfortunately I have no control over the router as it is shared among three of us, but it is encrypted and the speed is sufficient. I saw that one you pictured on amazon and I may purchase that one. It will at least allow me to move the antenna around to where I can get the best reception.

I have to admit, accessorizing computers is fun. I found a nice 20" widescreen with built in speakers. I'm gonna have a nice, low budget setup to take some strain off my laptop which is 5 months old and already showing signs of wear (thanks to grad school and car forums).

PCI vs. PCIE x1/x16/etc., in respects to wireless connections, you won't see a difference. However, definitely go with an internal connection such as that, over a USB wireless device. I always notice a bit of lag on USB 2.0.

PCI has the throughput of either 133 MB/s, 266 MB/s, or 533 MB/s depending on what bus you have on your motherboard (64 vs 32 bit, and what hertz your bus is currently compatible with).

PCIe is either 250 MB/s or 500 MB/s depending on whether or not you are running PCIe 1.x or 2.0

Wireless N (the fastest wireless currently available) operates at (about) between 6 and 16 MB/s

Wireless G (which you most likely own ) operates at 3 MB/s

What I'm trying to say is that the speed of the bus is exponentially ahead of today's wireless technology - go get yourself a good antenna :)

note: the wireless speeds I listed are speeds you'll actually see, not their claimed maximum throughput (which is STILL factors under the bus speed)

MS CS FTW

and, above all else, remember that the ACTUAL speed is the speed of the slowest link in the chain. you can have a wireless N router, solid cable speed of 12 Mb/s and your PCIe is 500 Mb/s, your actual speed will be dictated, in this case, by your cable which is 12 Mb/s.

and if you are getting 3 MB/s, please tell us where so we can sign up, too. :mrgreen:

Gotcha! I ordered a regular PCI with an external antenna that was about $40 cheaper than a PCI express. Next up, big widescreen monitor and I'll have a pretty decent system for under $400 including all my added accessories.

this is good info. Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I've learned more about computers from car forums than cars themselves :)

IS "N" even finalized yet? I thought all this stuff was still actually pre-N being sold as "actual" N. not that anyone else cares but me...... heh

N got finalised VERY recently (within the past couple months or less)