Who here uses a wifi pci card in their htpc? recommendations?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Who here uses a wifi pci card in their htpc? recommendations?

Asmodeus

1015 posts

Uber Geek

#27775 6-Nov-2008 11:49

Hi,

I bought a generic $20 wifi pci card thinking thats all I would need but it was absolute rubbish, I couldnt even get it going on ym vista machine and it hardly worked on xp either. I canned that and bought $40 card Asustex WL-138G

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=12&l2=42&l3=137&model=1047&modelmenu=1

This card picks up my 54MBs wireless network fine and connects to the internet intitially but is always dropping the internet and then unable to reconnect. In short, its a piece of crap too. I have a cheapo $20 usb wifi card that works magically but I want an internal solution.

I plan to get rid of the asus as well, but would like to know what you guys use. I will be web browsing, using xml EPGs, doing updates and watching/listening to streaming media.

I am definitely willing to pay more for a decent solution but would rather not pay the earth. Any recommendations?

Cheers

FreddyK

84 posts

Master Geek

#176284 6-Nov-2008 12:43

Whats the signal strength like? I use to get crap signal on my WIFI but instead of hunting around for what I thought would be a better card, I brought a better antenna and havent look back.

I brought a cheapie 5dBi aerial from DSE (unfortunately they dont sell my type anymore but sell a much more expensive one). It was connected to the WIFI card via a meter long cable so I was able to place it in a better position for maximum reception.

Just another option to consider.

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ATinyChipmunk

138 posts

Master Geek

#176311 6-Nov-2008 15:34

I use a linksys 54g pci card, has prettyg good recepection on the other side of the house inside a wooden cabnet, doesnt drop ( i dont think) and my router is a netgear :S altho it sits on 1-2 bars reception, might have to look into a range booster as well.

Ive had experance with the el cheepo PCI wireless cards. they are bull shiz, count even get reception in the next room!

askelon

858 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#176327 6-Nov-2008 17:00

I found the ASUS cards are hit and miss with alot of wireless AP's.. I used to use a couple of 108's with my netgear router but it was too unstable. Ended up switching to ethernet over power (85mb one).. Works alot better. Still not quick enough to watch DVD's over the network though. Perfectly fine for everything else - streaming music, playing divx etc.

richms

27916 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#176349 6-Nov-2008 17:39

Extend the antenna. It will never work when its so close to the case, and its stupid that they sell cards with those pathetic stubs of antennas on them.

You will never get as good performance as a laptop unless you get a card with 2 antennas, 3 and supporting N or just plain G with MIMO prefered to simple diversity.

Richard rich.ms

Asmodeus

1015 posts

Uber Geek

#176739 7-Nov-2008 22:44

Extending the antenna worked a treat, cheers!

Why do they have thse sh1ttee little aerials on them if they dont work in the next room lol?

richms

27916 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#176744 7-Nov-2008 23:00

Because it would add cost to it to give a decent antenna array on a PCI card.

You still have no diversity with a single antenna so you may find that as conditions change it ends up in a deadspot again and needs to me moved a couple of cm left or right. But thats just 2.4Ghz for you.

Richard rich.ms