PCI or USB wireless network card?

Arnstein

Norway3381 Posts

September 04 2010 22:04 GMT

I found out that it would cost me $150 to get a thingy so I can get wired network to my computer(I don't know the name, but it's basically the whole where you put the cable

)

Anyways, since I don't know if I will live in this apartment more than one year, I don't want to spend $150 on this, so I'm thinking of buying a wireless card. The question is, should I get PCI or USB? I will be using it for downloading tv series and playing SC2. I've heard that USB is just as stable as PCI, but can that really be true? I have no idea, so please enlighten me

Creek

United States177 Posts

September 04 2010 22:10 GMT

I use a 30 dollar usb dongle, works fine for me.

download regularly at 1mb/s+

fabiano

Brazil4644 Posts

September 04 2010 22:13 GMT

Me too, pretty stable actually.

micronesia

United States24612 Posts

September 04 2010 22:14 GMT

What is it that you would need to pay 150 for? A network jack in the wall?

If you are content with wireless then just get a pretty cheap usb one... I've used those before.

Arnstein

Norway3381 Posts

September 04 2010 22:15 GMT

No lag playing? No disconnects? I absolutely HATE losing games because of disconnecting!

Arnstein

Norway3381 Posts

September 04 2010 22:22 GMT

On September 05 2010 07:14 micronesia wrote:
What is it that you would need to pay 150 for? A network jack in the wall?

That's probably the name. We don't have internet in our apartment yet, and we're going to install the router in our hang-out room, and I have my PC in my own room.

xmShake

United States1100 Posts

September 04 2010 22:25 GMT

I think what you're talking about is a Network Interface card, and no, basic wired internet functionality in one is NOWHERE near $150.

Here's an $8 PCI one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156107

They even have them in usb ($15)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156133

If you have the option of having wired internet, by all means take advantage over it. It's more stable, and you get your full output. However, this doesn't mean wireless is necessarily a bad choice either if you happen to like wireless better. As for PCI vs USB on wireless adapters, I prefer PCI because it doesn't take up any USB ports (important if you have a small number of USB ports). I would choose usb if you intend to use it on multiple computers. Functionality wise, they perform similarly so you don't really need to take that into account.

fabiano

Brazil4644 Posts

September 04 2010 22:34 GMT

On September 05 2010 07:15 aPsychonaut wrote:
No lag playing? No disconnects? I absolutely HATE losing games because of disconnecting!

When I lag or disconnect its usually my ISP being bad or Windows Aero randomly turning itself off so I end up losing the connection, but never the USB failing.

Grobyc

Canada18410 Posts

September 04 2010 23:03 GMT

Shake pretty much summed it up. NICs aren't expensive, so I would just regular a regular wired one. Wireless ones aren't too expensive either, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to get one if you have to go wireless in the future.

Arnstein

Norway3381 Posts

September 05 2010 14:45 GMT

#10

I have a network card with an input for wired network, but as I would have to buy a 20 meter long cable that would go through our whole aparment and making doors unable to lock, that's not an option

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