For the PC builders

The time has come that I can’t use an ethernet cable for my pc anymore. I did a bit of research and am non the wiser.

Any tips/recommendation on a solid wifi receiver?

Cheers!

Wi-Fi card? Or there is the usb option too. It depends on your needs. If you’re a gamer then look for something top of the line that will keep a solid connection and fastest speeds. If all you do is browse the web and watch some videos just stick to well known / supported cards / adapters and you might not even have to install drivers if you are running an up to date OS.

I run an Intel NUC and the WiFi built into the board has been fine for like 5 years. But it’s about time to build a new rig for audio and one gaming rig for my son. Pc part picker is awesome for getting ideas.

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I think they’re pretty much commodity items. It’s not like RAM or graphics cards where the more you spend the better it performs.

But I’d always prefer wired to wireless. Is a longer ethernet cable an option?

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Definitely not true. As synjoo said, depends on your needs. If you need a stable, wireless connection you want a good sender and receiver. USB dongles are not the way to go for stability either, in my experience

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I use a TP-Link USB wireless receiver in my desktop PC. I have had it a few years now with no problems. My router is in an adjacent room, straight line distance between router and receiver is about 10 metres through solid walls.

I did have to change the router but only because it could not reliably maintain a signal to a laptop when used in the kitchen, which is much further away from the router. A new, fairly basic router, albeit with twin antennas, cured that problem.

I have always built my own PCs (and for others) and am fairly picky with component choice, but I have not found it necessary to overspend on the wireless side of things. Just use the more well known brands.

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Thanks for the replies!

My needs, browse, download, upload and that’s about it. It’s a music only pc, so demands aren’t that high. However, it’s great to be able to upload tracks fast. Or let’s say at acceptable speed :joy:

Great advice! Yeah I recognise that. I spent hours puzzling part for my build. It’s 5 years old and still an absolute beast.

Now, I just want some WiFi as I can’t run a cable any more.

I have a cheap tp-Link TL-WN821N wifi usb stick on my new desktop I just built, because I only need internet for license stuff.
I had it on for two days while I was installing os, daw ans plugins.
Works good so far. Router is in the next room, few meter away.

You can always plug the wifi stick into an usb cable for better connection.

Usually I prefer a cable connection if possible, though.

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A few years back I would agree about direct connection, but these days only if you are experiencing interference. Even the computer which sits on the same desk as my router is connected wirelessly.
Direct connection is obviously handy for fault finding.

Faults my neighbours have had with wireless connection have always been due to insufficient signal transmission power from the router. The routers which are supplied for free by internet providers tend to be the problematic ones.

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Wireless is still much more susceptible to packet loss
But it doesn’t seem to be a concern for op, so most dongles should work fine :slight_smile: Just make sure it’s compatible with your OS. Had a cheap dongle relatively recently which didn’t live up to its plug and play promises. Was quite annoying.

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Hmm sound good, so basically I just need to try one of those dongle thingies. It seems so counter intuitive that they could work.

Check some (online) computer mags in your country. There probaply are recent tests and/or top ten wifi sticks you can find.

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