Wifi adaptors: USB vs. PCI - by Thirith
Thirith on 20/10/2010 at 11:29
Since I probably have to buy a new wifi adaptor, can anyone here tell me which is preferable: USB or PCI? My wireless router is roughly 7-8 metres away from the computer and there are two walls in between.
Ostriig on 21/10/2010 at 19:52
Um, definitely get a second opinion on this, I might be off, but aren't all USB ports running on the same single bus? As in, the more USB devices you have transmitting data at the same time, the slower they all are? If that's the case, I think the internal PCI card would be the better option just to keep things nice and tidy.
Al_B on 21/10/2010 at 21:37
Yes and no. USB devices on the same root hub share the available bandwidth, but most PCs have several root hubs so it's not as drastic as it might first appear. PCI is definitely technically superior in terms of throughput but for this particular application it probably doesn't make much difference.
I've not been particularly enamoured with either PCI or USB adapters, but getting something you can relocate to a different location if your PC is in a dead spot would be an advantage. In either case I'd avoid the ultra cheap adapters. In my experience they do work, but have a nasty tendency to lose their connection at random intervals and cause more hassle than they're worth.
Thirith on 22/10/2010 at 06:01
Cool, thanks. Will keep these things in mind. :-)
