PCI vrs USB wireless adapters - pros & cons

Cocimon · #1 February 5th, 2005, 10:39 PM

Anyone have any pros and cons concerning USB versus PCI wireless network adapters? I am having trouble installing a USB adapter and thinking I should abandon the USB ship and go with PCI. I wanted the USB for convenience and also because the adapter will be in the basement and the router is in the attic. Didn't want the antenna on the adapter in the back of the computer hutch.

oink · #2 February 7th, 2005, 04:19 AM

You can easially get a higher gain antenna to replace the antenna on the pci card. I installed pci with the added antenna for a conference room computer that is on a small wheeled cart. It has a ups on the cart and can therefore be unplugged while running and moved to a new location. The antenna sits on top of the carts counter top. It has worked very well. I have no experience with the usb adapters.

Cocimon · #3 February 8th, 2005, 06:02 AM

Thanks Oink. I was able to get my USB adapter working. A friend of mine suggested looking at MAC address filtering in the router. Sure enought it was enabled. I simply forgot that I had enabled that several months ago when I set up the router, and I am just novice enough not to have thought about it now. USB is working great all the way down here in the basement while the router is upstairs in the attic.

I am keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way.

Cheers!