Cheap wifi cards?

[Tippon]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a cheap wireless ac card please? I’m looking for either PCI or PCI Express x1.

I’ve got my computer linked through a USB card now, but every so often everything slows down, as if the USB bus is saturated while I’m transferring files. I also want to put one in my media server so that it can move out of the living room.

( P.S. Dave – I eventually got around to putting a wireless access point in the attic to test the signal strength, and it didn’t make much difference. Something in either the walls or ceilings is killing the wifi 🙁 )

[Dave Rice]

Unless you know the signal is good, I prefer ones with an external antenna as the back of a PC is usually the worst place.

Something like this

[Richard]

I too also suffer from walls and quite possibly ceilings that are about Wi Fi hostile as possible. I have put in three APs and some Powerline equipment to overcome the issue. Wi Fi is almost limited to the room with the AP. My latest router claims to be ‘very powerful’  yet its coverage really only extends to one or two adjacent rooms. I am reluctant to try the expensive Ubiquiti, though I noted that the preference is to install it below, rather than above the ceiling. Some modern materials may include foil for improved thermal performance, other items may include materials with similar impacts.

[Dave Rice]

I’m quite willing to loan anyone the test kit (UAP 300N) for the price of the postage. No need to power it off the mains, it has a battery pack and a PoE adapter and a long patch lead. It weighs very little and a bit of blue tack usually holds it in place long enough if there’s no one to hold it up in roughly the right place. Often I’ll just place it on the top of a step ladder.

All you do is fire it up, wait for the light to go steady green and use your smart phone (or laptop) with WiFi Analyzer to look at the signal strength around the building. We reckon anything in mid yellow (-75 db or less) is fine for general use.

[Tippon]

Dave Rice wrote:

Unless you know the signal is good, I prefer ones with an external antenna as the back of a PC is usually the worst place. Something like this

Thanks Dave 🙂

I was a bit confused looking at these, as I wasn’t sure if they were just PCIe adaptors, or if they had the card too. My knowledge has basically disappeared over the last few years.

[Dave Rice]

Some have the WiFi circuitry on a soldered on chip, this is the most common. Some, like that Asus, have a laptop adaptor in a socket. Same horse different jockey.

[Richard]

Wow you are very trusting and generous Dave, but I do not feel able in all conscience feel able to accept. Still the other part of your comment gave some good advice about trying to plot signal strength. Perhaps that way I can find the key reasons of the building murdering WiFi signals over the next couple of weeks.

[Tippon]

Dave Rice wrote:

Some have the WiFi circuitry on a soldered on chip, this is the most common. Some, like that Asus, have a laptop adaptor in a socket. Same horse different jockey.

Sorry to ask another question, but do you know why it’s got a USB connector? I would have thought that everything went through the PCIe slot?

[Dave Rice]

It’s related to the Bluetooth not the WiFi.

Coincidentally, the card on there is the same one that Blacklion has put in his new Elitebook.

[Tippon]

Thanks Dave 🙂

[D-Dan]

If you can wait until weekend, I’m not sure if I still have one or two. If one, you’re out of luck since it’s my emergency backup in case anything goes wrong with my switch. If I still have two, you can have one. But I need time to search.

Arch Linux, on a Ryzen 7 1800X, 32 GB, 5 (yes -5) HDs inc 5 SSDs, 4 RPi 3Bs + 1 RPi 4B - one as an NFS server with two more drives, PiHole (shut yours), Plex server, cloud server, and other random Pi stuff. Nice CoolerMaster case, 2 x NV GTX 1070 8GB, and a whopping 32" AOC 1440P monitor.

[Tippon]

D-Dan wrote:

If you can wait until weekend, I’m not sure if I still have one or two. If one, you’re out of luck since it’s my emergency backup in case anything goes wrong with my switch. If I still have two, you can have one. But I need time to search.

That would be brilliant Dan, thanks 🙂

If it’s there, let me know what you want for it, and for postage ?

[D-Dan]

If I have a spare, it’s yours for free. I’ll  check on Saturday. Even if I can find it, I need to make sure I can find the antennas, too. That’s probably less of a problem, though, I’m sure they are easily and cheaply replaced.

Arch Linux, on a Ryzen 7 1800X, 32 GB, 5 (yes -5) HDs inc 5 SSDs, 4 RPi 3Bs + 1 RPi 4B - one as an NFS server with two more drives, PiHole (shut yours), Plex server, cloud server, and other random Pi stuff. Nice CoolerMaster case, 2 x NV GTX 1070 8GB, and a whopping 32" AOC 1440P monitor.

[Tippon]

Thanks Dan 🙂

[D-Dan]

PM sent.

Arch Linux, on a Ryzen 7 1800X, 32 GB, 5 (yes -5) HDs inc 5 SSDs, 4 RPi 3Bs + 1 RPi 4B - one as an NFS server with two more drives, PiHole (shut yours), Plex server, cloud server, and other random Pi stuff. Nice CoolerMaster case, 2 x NV GTX 1070 8GB, and a whopping 32" AOC 1440P monitor.

[Richard]

Dave, I have been trying Wifi Analyser as you suggested. It is quite interesting, though the results are a bit of a surprise.

[Author]

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