Device needed for connecting Desktop PC to internet through WiFi

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Pragadheesh

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Hi,

I want to connect my desktop PC to internet through Wifi. My motherboard is Intel 865. I donot have an Ethernet card. I have a router.
1) So can I just buy something like a Wifi dongle using which my PC can catch the wifi signals from the router and connect to internet.?
2) Do I need to have a ethernet/LAN card on the desktop?

Looking for some stable and reliable device. I am not much aware of the wifi products. Could you suggest some good device which would satisfy my needs. Something with good speed as well.

Thanks in advance.
 
@virus32win: Thanks for your reply.

Can I just get a Wireless USB adapter, install the driver plug it and use it.! Any compatibility issues has to be taken care.? Anything dependent on my mother board or Router.??
 
^ Yes, you can simply plug it in, install drivers and connect to router. It shouldn't be any difficult. There are many such wifi USB sticks available from Netgear, Belkin etc.
 
Pragadheesh said:
@virus32win: Thanks for your reply.

Can I just get a Wireless USB adapter, install the driver plug it and use it.! Any compatibility issues has to be taken care.? Anything dependent on my mother board or Router.??
Click to expand...
Basically this is what will happen:

1. You reach the desktop and install the driver for the USB via adapter.

2. You might have to re-start. System will tell you.

3. Plug in the USB device, and the system will 'first time' recognize it and identify the device type.

4. If all is fine your Windows networking will start to see it as a 'wireless type' of connection capability.

Just insure which ever device you pick up -- it is compatible with your OS. The sticker should say so, or the marketing page on the web should mention.

If you need recommendations...just ask. :)
 
@all: Thanks for your suggestions. My system is running on Windows XP 32 bit. I thinking of going for Netgear-wg111-usb-adapter. Is it worth the deal or any other suggestions.?
 
ok! why do you want to use a Wifi dongle for a desktop pc... isn't a d-link Network card cheaper & much reliable than a wifi option. the Dlink NIC costs somewhere around 300/-

+ Download speeds & Ping times are affected. so its not a better option. Please go with a network card instead i am sure your motherboard has a PCI card.

Speed test from my LAN gives me 5mpbs but from my wifi iphone its give me higher pings + speed is reduced to about 4mbps.
 
^ That is partially correct. You are correct when you're saying that ping times and overall latency will be higher on WiFi connection, but the download speed or net browsing speed is hardly affected unless there is signal loss (in case of using laptop in different room). You are comparing download speeds between wired desktop and wifi "phone", which is... well, wrong.

I was using the Belkin WiFi dongle for a while for my HTPC since I didn't have ports left on my router for LAN connection. I didn't have any issues with download speed on HTPC. These were exactly the same as on my other LAN connected machines (mind you, my LAN is fully gigabit). I could even stream 1080p (average bitrate approx 5mpbs or lower) content to my HTPC on WiFi from other machines without any issues.

In case you are wondering why I said that "I was using it for a while", because eventually I added gigabit switch to extend my LAN and switched my HTPC to wired connection. The main reason for that was to shift the downloading queues back on my dedicated NAS (which is atom based and more power efficient for 24/7 operation). This way I would leave the HTPC in sleep mode when not in use. Plus, it was faster to transfer the downloaded files from NAS to HTPC over gigabit lan than on WiFi. But as per OP's requirements, WiFi dongle should suffice his needs. Obviously, network card is always a better, faster and cheaper option. But if convenience of wireless is priority and primary usage doesn't necessitate wired connection then WiFi dongle is a great option.
 
I inquired in quite a few shops in Bangalore and I could find only these two models.

1) Belkin N150 Wireless USB Adapter - Rs 1175(1st shop); Rs 975(2nd shop); Rs 875(3rd shop)

2) Netgear wna1100 n150 - Rs 950(1st shop). The other shops have only Belkin products. The shopkeeper suggested that Belkin is better than Netgear though I am not sure of this.

So can I go for either of these.? Which of the two is better and how much do they cost in Bangalore(any idea).? Also are the 'N' series better than the 'G' ones.?
 
Buy only 'N' if your router supports 'N' or else it's a waste of money.

Belkin / Netgear, I am using Belkin and having no issues for the last 2.5 years..don't know about Netgear.
 
iGo said:
^ That is partially correct. You are correct when you're saying that ping times and overall latency will be higher on WiFi connection, but the download speed or net browsing speed is hardly affected unless there is signal loss (in case of using laptop in different room). You are comparing download speeds between wired desktop and wifi "phone", which is... well, wrong.

I was using the Belkin WiFi dongle for a while for my HTPC since I didn't have ports left on my router for LAN connection. I didn't have any issues with download speed on HTPC. These were exactly the same as on my other LAN connected machines (mind you, my LAN is fully gigabit). I could even stream 1080p (average bitrate approx 5mpbs or lower) content to my HTPC on WiFi from other machines without any issues.

In case you are wondering why I said that "I was using it for a while", because eventually I added gigabit switch to extend my LAN and switched my HTPC to wired connection. The main reason for that was to shift the downloading queues back on my dedicated NAS (which is atom based and more power efficient for 24/7 operation). This way I would leave the HTPC in sleep mode when not in use. Plus, it was faster to transfer the downloaded files from NAS to HTPC over gigabit lan than on WiFi. But as per OP's requirements, WiFi dongle should suffice his needs. Obviously, network card is always a better, faster and cheaper option. But if convenience of wireless is priority and primary usage doesn't necessitate wired connection then WiFi dongle is a great option.
Click to expand...
great,
how much speed it gives over gigabit lan?
what speed it shows on windows file transfer?
 
^ on 1gig lan you'll get 100MB/s transfer speed, so average file transfer speed will be between 60-90 Mb/sec
 
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