WiFi Dongle or PCI card?

[autopilot]

I am planning to buy a Sqeezebox 2 wireless music streaming box. I was wondering what would be the best option for my PC- a USB Dongle or a WiFi PCI card. I am going to set it up as a peer-2-peer (ad hok) network as i have no other wireless hardware. Whats the range like on the USB dongles? Would that work as far as accross my home through a couple of wall? Would a PCI card with larger antena be much better?

[npk2005]

I would go for a PCI card as I find the USB adapters tend to be more problematic.

[DR]

Without doubt, get a PCI card, far more sensible

[autopilot]

Trouble is, i don't really have a free PCI slot (I have 2 free PCIe X1 slots but i can't find a WiFi card with this interconnect).

Dave, you have a Sqeezebox 2 don't you?

[DR]

Yes, but I don't use it.

You will find PCIe NICs *very soon

[Ramedge]

i would go for PCI, because its neater and less chance of getting broken, unlike dongles which are broken very easily espeically when plugged into the front of a pc or a laptop.

[autopilot]

Would a PCI one have a better range and would it be a more stable connection?

[directhex]

usb will give you better reception, but the drivers for many usb adapters are a bad, bad joke.

[autopilot]

usb will give you better reception, but the drivers for many usb adapters are a bad, bad joke.

How come? The aerials on the PCI cards look longer then any USB dongle

[directhex]

How come? The aerials on the PCI cards look longer then any USB dongle

i've always found down the back of my case to be something of a reception deadzone - something on the end of a usb cable tends to behave much better for me. as long as i don;t run windows anyway. stupid belkin.

[zachig]

Definitely PCI, no way USB and/or any other dongle!!! Why? causing trouble!

[snedger]

Hello
Does anyone have any experience of using a combined wireless and Bluetooth PCI card?
MSI do one and it works out a lot cheaper and apparently more convenient than buying two separate devices.

I would use PCI for neatness sake.
My mum has a USB wireless adapter in her workshop trying to receive a signal from my sister's house which is about 40 feet away (clearish line of sight) and the only way to make it work is to bluetack the adapter at a very weird angle to the wall. Basically a PCI card would not work in her situation, but tbh, the setup is pushing the envelope for a domestic wireless network - there's not a single Pringles can in sight!

Cheers
snedger

[eloquence]

PCI will generally have a better aerial and often better drivers. The downside is that they're stuck at the back of the PC, while a decent USB device will have a long enough lead to place it well away from power cables, etc.

It doesn't really matter whether you get a PCI or USB one. The USB ones are generally a little cheaper, although not by much. PCI is generally a neater solution, because it's just a small aerial out the back, no trailing cables from it. Both should do the trick if you're connecting 2 machines that aren't too far apart, though.

I've had a number of USB ones, and I have seen some flaky drivers, but generally if you get a branded USB one (e.g. Linksys) and download the latest drivers for it then you should be fine - it's the unbranded ones that you'll never find updates for that are liable to be a problem.

Since you said you have no slots free I'd recommend going the USB route - if only for that reason. Do either make sure it has a lead built into it (so it's not just a dongle sticking out the port), or alternatively pick up a cheap USB extension cable, so you can position the device where it gives you the best signal.