Dongles? - How do I make my non-wireless PC wireless?

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Dongles? - How do I make my non-wireless PC wireless?

1 | 2

kdn

203 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#1788712 26-May-2017 12:54

Forget USB wifi dongles, buy yourself a PCI wifi card (802.11ac ideally) with physical antennas on it.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETGBM1004/Gigabyte-Wireless-80211AC-Intel-8265-dual-band--Bl

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL0751/TP-LINK-TL-WN751ND-150Mbps-Wireless-PCI-Adapter-At

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#1788717 26-May-2017 13:06

Crowdie:

robjg63:

Like you, when I had ufb installed the connection moved away from my pc.
I bought one of these:
https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL0822/TP-LINK-TL-WN822N-300Mbps-High-Gain-Wireless-N-USB

How can you call this "high gain" when it has 3 dBi dipole antennas? A standard dipole antenna is around 2.15 dBi so describing this as "high gain" is just marketing rubbish preying on people who don't know any better.

Regardless - It was easy to install (just plug into a USB port and install the driver software) and seems to give adequate performace for a relatively low price.

The USB cable enables the ability to move it around a little just to ensure the PC cabinet wasnt blocking signal.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

richms

29099 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10210

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1788731 26-May-2017 13:32

PCI cards in tower cases are hopeless unless you get one with the antennas on cables, but even then there is cable loss which a USB dongle will not have.

Also if you are connecting to 2.4GHz, avoid a USB 3.0 stick, the signals interfere with 2.4GHz something massive, if you put a 2.4GHz stick into a USB 3 port beside an active flash drive or something its performance will tank when you have the USB 3 device in.

Richard rich.ms

Crowdie

228 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 87

#1788739 26-May-2017 13:40

richms:

Also if you are connecting to 2.4GHz, avoid a USB 3.0 stick, the signals interfere with 2.4GHz something massive, if you put a 2.4GHz stick into a USB 3 port beside an active flash drive or something its performance will tank when you have the USB 3 device in.

Intel have a white paper on this topic located at http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/io/universal-serial-bus/usb3-frequency-interference-paper.html.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19065 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16305

Lifetime subscriber

#1788740 26-May-2017 13:40

It always makes sense to me to start small and work your way up. If the $1 dongle doesn't work, you haven't lost much and you just advance to the next option. If it does work your problem is solved.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Crowdie

228 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 87

#1788741 26-May-2017 13:42

Rikkitic:

It always makes sense to me to start small and work your way up. If the $1 dongle doesn't work, you haven't lost much and you just advance to the next option. If it does work your problem is solved.

And you end up with the worst working solution.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19065 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16305

Lifetime subscriber

#1788752 26-May-2017 14:00

Not really. If it isn't satisfactory you still try the next option.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12766

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1788755 26-May-2017 14:04

kdn:

Forget USB wifi dongles, buy yourself a PCI wifi card (802.11ac ideally) with physical antennas on it.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETGBM1004/Gigabyte-Wireless-80211AC-Intel-8265-dual-band--Bl

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL0751/TP-LINK-TL-WN751ND-150Mbps-Wireless-PCI-Adapter-At

This

Dongles are horrible. Best option Wired next is powerline then Wifi card. Use dongles only as a temp solution.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Crowdie

228 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 87

#1788761 26-May-2017 14:16

Rikkitic:

Not really. If it isn't satisfactory you still try the next option.

So you end up with the worst performing solution that meets your requirements.

Wiggum

1199 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 472
Inactive user

#1788772 26-May-2017 14:33

I have a dongle on an old PC in the garage. Its the small tiny USB type. Router is upstairs, 5GHz does not work too great (too far, walls and ceiling). But 2.4GHz works well. Was going to run a cable a few months back but its working OK.

gzcwnk

23 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#1788780 26-May-2017 14:36

I got one of these cf-917AC units for about $35NZ for my laptop as I wanted a compact solution with speed, works in debian8 and windows 7. I have not tried testing the speed yet v the inbuilt, I will try and have a go tonight.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/COMFAST-usb-wifi-adapter-600mbps-1750mbps-Dual-Band-802-11ac-b-g-n-2-4Ghz-5/32766949713.html

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

Krishant007

1403 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 80

#1788785 26-May-2017 14:44

I actually just realised I have one of these TPLINK.

Yours for $20. Its in good working condition and will do whats needed for you.

richms

29099 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10210

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1788790 26-May-2017 14:52

When I was getting some for raspberry pi's, this is the one I found worked best (well it looks the same) great reception, as good as the inbuilt to my laptop, plug and works on windows and the pi, does 5GHz so not competing with all the other crap on 2.4 and never found it doing weird crap like stalling while pretending its connected or anything like that.

edit: actually I remember the second lot I got were the 433Mbps ones and they didnt just work on the pi, the first lot were 300 and did work. In anycase, that form factor works _so_ much better than the silly nano sized ones that look like a wireless mouse reciever.

Richard rich.ms

JoJo2

43 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 3

#1797972 11-Jun-2017 12:11

What do you recommend as a wireless USB plug in device for a vu+ TVR? (Running linux/IPTV/Kodi etc)?

1 | 2