Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
1 Message
0
88286
Ethernet Bridge vs Ethernet Adapter
Going wireless with my desktop w/ethernet card. What's the functional difference between attaching a wireless network bridge vs a wireless network adapter to my desktop? Price seems about the same, so mostly a functional issue, if there are any advantages either way. Is it only that the WN Adapters connect to the USB port and the WN Bridges to the RJ-45 on the ethernet card?
NemesisDB
2 Intern
2 Intern
•
7.9K Posts
0
August 26th, 2006 03:00
wireless pci: an internal device that is sytem powered
wireless USB device: an external device that is either bus powered by the system or requires a seperate AC adapter. obviously connected via USB. can either be attached directly to the system or connected via a cable.
ethernet to wireless bridge: an external, independent device that bridges/connects an ethernet and wireless network. device is usually powered by an AC adapter but can use power over ethernet. this is a seperate device in the sense that it does not require drivers or system interaction to run.
PCI would be my top preference, followed by USB. Bridge would be my last preference because of the general configuration issues (you have to log into the device each time you wish to make changes instead of just altering driver properties or being prompted for a new security code) and because bridges are usually more expensive.
Entropy42
529 Posts
0
August 28th, 2006 19:00
I'd be inclined to disagree here. PCI cards usually mean the antenna is at the back of the desktop machine, which is usually a Bad Place to put it. USB or a bridge are far better choices here. Plus for a desktop machine that doesn't move often and stays on the same network all the time, a bridge is likely to provide a more reliable and stable connection.
NemesisDB
2 Intern
2 Intern
•
7.9K Posts
0
August 28th, 2006 21:00
bridges are general pains for the configuration reasons I mentioned and for the price. if your network never ever changes then I suppose a bridge is ok but they are still more expensive. With an integrated devices you can use something like WZC to see if you have problems -- you get a realtime indication of the link quality or any problems (and things like nearby wirless nets). With a bridge you have to log into the device to see this.
USB is more unreliable than either option (though some of the latest MS hotfixes likely will help). There are plenty of pci cards with good external and movable antennas that will let you position it a bit from the case. Signal might be marginally worse due to the cable going to the antenna but I don't think it will be a problem for most homes -- the overall quality of the equipment whether USB or pci will make the most difference here. USB would presumably also get less throughput depending on what other devices were on the hub -- though that can be a problem for PCI as well. A lot of the devices are bus powered which can also create problems depending on what else is on the hub.
Entropy42
529 Posts
0
August 29th, 2006 12:00
Yeah, although honestly in the end, all solutions I've seen for desktop wireless aren't very good.
My opinion is that unless running a wired Ethernet cable is absolutely, without a doubt, NOT possible, desktop machines should be wired except in special circumstances (such as a lab machine on a cart in a business, although such machines are often simply not networked at all.)