Help finding reliable wireless setup for desktop...

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STrooperTK421

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
466
My wife's computer (desktop) is in need of a wireless adapter. I already tried one, a USB Netgear job that I bought for about $35 dollars, which turned out to be a complete piece of shit. It would work fine for a while, then it would just cycle through the channels over and over again and even when I manually pointed it at my wireless access point it did nothing. I would have to completely uninstall the device and software then re-install everything, that just sucked. Then even that stopped working and out of hatred and spite I put it in the microwave.

I have searched the egg, but everything that I see seems to be "somewhat" crappy. Frankly I don't care if its PCIe, USB 2.0, it just doesn't matter I just need something that doesn't cost a fortune and that actually freaking works.

Also, why does it seem that PC's with built in NIC's have the NIC portion go tits up after a year or so? I have had 4..yes 4... separate computers that the NIC just "stops working" and will no longer see the network or anything, but Win swears up and down it is working properly...

I really really HATE that.
 
First we need to know the make and the model of the notebook, the wireless nic cards you have tried and the access point brand and model and some basic configuration information, and the layout of the location and more details on where and when you have the problem in order to give you usable answers.

Second, in my experience I have never seen four built in wireless adapters crap out. Then again I only purchase intel based wireless nics.

Third, are you certain that your access point is not the problem? Have you verified that with a known good working wireless client?

as my Final thought, have to ever ran inSSIDer on one of your notebooks to verify that there is not huge amounts of wireless pollution in your area and what channels (frequncies) would work best for you?

All of the above are questions you should get answers to. If you can give us these details above, then there's a good chance we can help you out.
 
It is a full sized desktop PC. I have only tried that one USB wireless "thing", and when it worked it worked well, but I got sick of every few days having to uninstall and the re-install everything, then of course that stopped working as well. I asked a few of my neighbors with computers and wireless cards if they could see my access point and all of them said yes, and with great signal as well. Now, do I let people actually use it. Hell no. :)

As far as the NIC's go, the ones that die are the built onto the mobo wired jobs. Its been 4 PC's that have experienced the same thing since 2006. A few Dells, and the like. I would get them, use them for a while, everything would be ok and like my last Dell which I still use (and which I am going to have to buy a NIC for...) I powered it off to move it to my new place, and when I powered it back on the NIC just didn't work. It has been like that almost every time. Could just be bad luck, but it sucks having to track down a freaking NIC to replace the on board device.

Access point that I was using was ok, it is built into my EMTA I got from my cable company. This next week however, I am being upgraded to the DOCSIS 3.0 based service and I decided that I would like an access point that had more capabilities so I opted for the non wireless version.
 
If yours and your wife's computer are close to each other, running a wireless bridge that connects to your main router would probably be cheaper than having to get wireless adapters.

Topology:
Code: 
[FONT=Courier New]Your computer ---.
                 |-- Wireless Bridge ))) Main router --- Internet
Wife computer ---'[/FONT]
 
If you have had 4 nics go out on your i think you have static or electrical issues. I have only had 1 nic die on me in 12 years of computing.
As for wireless nics. I never had good things come from netgear. Linksys however seems to make decent quality consumer products.
 
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