PCI or USB device to add wireless to a desktop machine?

[Eric "Shubes"]

Sounds to me like a good way to go.

Dazed_75 wrote:
> Thanks for all the information!  I am thinking I really like the Buffalo 
> solution as it does seem to avoid all the wireless driver and setup 
> issues although it means both power and signal cables for a "wireless" 
> network.  It might be the ideal though for this intended use (and others 
> too).  I should explain:
> 
> Bud Rolley (leader of the EVALUG group) was always bringing old desktops 
> to meetings for Linux demos which were then extremely slow.  Harold 
> McMullen gave me a Gateway P4 desktop to give to Bud and asked me to 
> install Ubuntu and a wireless adapter so Bud could bring it to meetings 
> and not have to string a very long ethernet cable for connectivity. 
> 
> Given the issues some people have with wireless under Linux I started to 
> look into it before buying an adapter.  The info I found on the net was 
> chaotic at best and one article seemed to say adapters varied hugely in 
> power and antenna gains.  Thats why I was hoping to find some good 
> advice based on recent experience here.  I was also worried that a PCI 
> card with an antenna on the back might be easily broken moving the 
> machine back and forth to meetings.
> 
> Here is another aspect of the buffalo solution being ideal for this 
> environment.  With the 4 port switch allowing multiple ethernet devices 
> to share the wireless connection, Bud could let others plug in to it as 
> well and none of those need be aware they are connecting to a wireless 
> network if I am reading the Buffalo information correctly. 
> 
> Any more opinions or anyone think I am reading it wrong?
> 
> On 8/22/06, *A LeDonne* <aledonne.listmail at gmail.com 
> <mailto:aledonne.listmail at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>     On 8/21/06, Dazed_75 <lthielster at gmail.com
>     <mailto:lthielster at gmail.com>> wrote:
>      > It seems the PCI devices all have the antenna attached to the
>     rear plate of
>      > the PCI card which seems a terrible place for an antenna
>     interference,
>      > blockage and breakage wise.  The USB adapter type which generally
>     looks like
>      > a jump drive usually includes a cable so you can place the unit
>     to improve
>      > reception/transmission probably have a less effective antenna.
>      >
>      > Does anyone have experience using both that could provide insight
>     which is
>      > better and why?
> 
>     I'll highlight a 3d option: a wired-to-wireless ethernet bridge.
>     http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833162168
>     <http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833162168>
>     That's the Buffalo WLI-TX4-G54HP - I've also seen it on the shelf at a
>     Best Buy. In some installations it may be your best option for several
>     reasons:
> 
>     1/ Highly flexible placement. USB max cable run is ~15'. With this
>     device, your computer is connecting via wired ethernet to the bridge,
>     for which a max cable run is much longer.
> 
>     2/ No driver headaches. Uses your existing wired nic - no worries
>     about the state of development of the driver for the chipset of the
>     revision of the make and model that you purchased.
> 
>     3/ Hook up multiple devices. This one includes an integrated 4-port
>     switch.
> 
>     It's better AND cheaper than the "wireless gaming adapters" I've seen.
>     Better signal pickup than the Belkin USB adapter I've worked with.
>     Never used a PCI wireless card.
> 
>     The obvious caveat is that this is an AC-powered device, but it should
>     work well for a desktop or multi-desktop situation.
> 
>     -A
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> 
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-- 
-Eric 'shubes'