Best option for Wi Fi Network Adaptors

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Best option for Wi Fi Network Adaptors

sewsable

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#226068 19-Dec-2017 09:22

We're getting fibre soon (don't have a date yet, but have been scoped for access points). The access point they're going to use won't allow us to connect to the router using the ethernet cable for this PC so I need to look at a network adaptor instead. Wanting to know if PCI-E or a USB adaptor is best and which comes recommended. I've done some installation work on the PC before (hard drive on this one and RAM back in Windows 98 days) so I'm reasonably confident as most of the PCI stuff seems to be plug and play anyway, we did have an old Belkin USB one, but it worked on this PC for 5 minutes and then gave up the ghost. I'm hoping newer ones are more reliable.

We do a lot of You Tube and streaming, a little gaming, but mostly strategy; however that may change as this is a gaming spec PC and my eldest likes online gaming when he can't get the Xbox.

TIA.

Into Xbox, knitting, spinning yarn, and my family. Love my Android smartphone!

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#1921703 19-Dec-2017 09:38

why cant you run ethernet? if its a desktop that is the best method for a reliable connection.

how far away from the access point will the computer be? and what type of access points are they?

sewsable

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#1921725 19-Dec-2017 09:49

The PC is in the lounge, the access point will be in the hall through a door which gets shut each night; this means ethernet isn't practical without drilling holes through walls, which we don't want to do. Currently everything is in the lounge so it's worked up till now. Oh, and the access point is a Huawei Spark wi fi router; at least until we can afford to upgrade that and something comes out that we're prepared to upgrade to. We're now on our 4th one of them. Huawei seem to make good phones, but not routers.

Into Xbox, knitting, spinning yarn, and my family. Love my Android smartphone!

shk292

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#1921744 19-Dec-2017 10:10

I would put pressure on the installer to put the ONT and router in the lounge as part of the UFB install if at all possible. All the UFB information I have seen states that it should be placed where most bandwidth is used

sewsable

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#1921764 19-Dec-2017 10:43

Unfortunately the lounge would mean no phone jack without having to spend a heap extra, plus conduit pipe outside the house since it's too hard to access otherwise. The hall is actually closer physically to the PC.

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Jase2985

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#1921881 19-Dec-2017 13:19

the installer will connect it back into the houses phone wiring.

shk292

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#1921918 19-Dec-2017 13:52

Or, plug a DECT base station into the router/ONT and then put phones wherever you like.

Constraining router location due to phone location is not sensible

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PANiCnz

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#1922101 19-Dec-2017 18:32

Sounds a lot like you’re being hoodwinked by a lazy installer. I’d put my foot down and press for an optimal location that suits me best.

sewsable

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#1922102 19-Dec-2017 18:45

They won't hook it in to the house's phone wiring unless it's in the same location as existing wiring; unless we want to pay extra; which we don't. Unfortunately we have to go with what we've been told by the installer as we don't know anything about fibre.

Getting back on track, can anyone help me with my original question? I have to work with what I'm getting and I'm going to need a Wi-fi adaptor of some sort and am wanting to know what type and/or brand is going to do the job without breaking the bank.

Into Xbox, knitting, spinning yarn, and my family. Love my Android smartphone!

freakngeek

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#1922103 19-Dec-2017 18:49

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=197871 ?

hio77

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#1922105 19-Dec-2017 19:03

i feel like you should be more strong with the installer.

I'm not one to favor wifi, but i do have a usb adaptor i use for load testing - In my experience very reliable, Solid data rate and range.

Netgear A6210 It doesn't do the full 4x4 but it comes damn close to it.

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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

sewsable

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#1922109 19-Dec-2017 19:08

freakngeek:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=197871 ?

Looking at it I think that's mostly about routers and modems which in our case Spark provide the Huawei HG659. It's the bit to make the desktop able to pick up a wi-fi signal that we need; at the moment I'm using an ethernet cable which works well, but won't be ideal once things are set up as we'll have to unhook it each night so we can close the door and it'd be a tripping hazard for my autistic son.

I can get my husband to ask the tech geeks at work about the whole Enable set up, they may know.

Into Xbox, knitting, spinning yarn, and my family. Love my Android smartphone!

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freakngeek

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#1922130 19-Dec-2017 19:22

Ah, in that case https://www.pbtech.co.nz/category/networking/wi-fi-adapters ?

andrewNZ

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#1922174 19-Dec-2017 20:49

PCIe typically have better antennas, but end up behind the machine and often shielded from the signal somewhat.
USB is typically easier to put in an optimal signal location.

In your case, it probably won't matter, just grab a usb one.

Jase2985

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#1922195 19-Dec-2017 22:06

sewsable:

They won't hook it in to the house's phone wiring unless it's in the same location as existing wiring; unless we want to pay extra; which we don't. Unfortunately we have to go with what we've been told by the installer as we don't know anything about fibre.

Getting back on track, can anyone help me with my original question? I have to work with what I'm getting and I'm going to need a Wi-fi adaptor of some sort and am wanting to know what type and/or brand is going to do the job without breaking the bank.

push back, the cable from the ETP to the ONT has copper in it along with the fibre which allows them to connect back to the copper ETP and hence into the existing phone wiring.

sewsable

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#1922269 20-Dec-2017 07:27

Jase2985:

push back, the cable from the ETP to the ONT has copper in it along with the fibre which allows them to connect back to the copper ETP and hence into the existing phone wiring.

I think this is why they want to use the hall one; the current VDSL one is not connected to the rest of the copper in the house and the other spot we looked at (next to the PC) has no copper at all. The hall spot has an existing jackpoint that they can hook into which will then mean the jacks in our room; my son's room and the dining room are workers too.

Into Xbox, knitting, spinning yarn, and my family. Love my Android smartphone!

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