Wireless desktop PCI network card

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largefarrva

Limp Gawd
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Jan 13, 2009
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Any suggestions for a wireless desktop PCI network card that is actually compatible and have drivers for 64 bit Vista? Bought a PCI card yesterday for my computer because it's upstairs and we moved our router downstairs for better connectivity with our laptops. It connected to the network just fine but whenever I tried to do anything that uploaded anything it would lock up my computer to the point where I would have to hard reset it.

So....looking for a PCI card that is proven to work with 64 bit Vista.
 
Dynex b/g wifi card.

Vista x64 Home Premium and 7 Ultimate both work fine, with Windows Update drivers.

I picked one up from [H] for 10usd, they typically go for about that price, too.
 
yes, that exact card.

Vista's WU immediately found a driver for it. (Home Premium, Vista x64. It was ID'd as a realtek(? - IIRC) chip. I'll check later tonight and report back).

It works fine for file copies, both ways, ranging into the multigigabytes. (DVD files, and some HD mkv files - 2 months, almost always on)


I have to ask:

what card are you using currently, and exactly how does the problem arise?
I/[H] may be able to help you out, and solve the problem for you.
 
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What we usually do when people look for WiFI cards for desktops is suggest looking into a WiFi router in wireless bridge mode.

A WRT54G w/ Tomato is, in my opinion, a infinitely better method of wirelessly linking a desktop to the main WiFi router. You can place the bridging router anywhere, depending on how far a CAT5e cable you have. You have ZERO drivers to worry about on the client PC. And you will most definitely have better stability and options to change out antenna's and/or modify the wireless radio strength.

Just a thought.
 
criccio said:
What we usually do when people look for WiFI cards for desktops is suggest looking into a WiFi router in wireless bridge mode.

A WRT54G w/ Tomato is, in my opinion, a infinitely better method of wirelessly linking a desktop to the main WiFi router. You can place the bridging router anywhere, depending on how far a CAT5e cable you have. You have ZERO drivers to worry about on the client PC. And you will most definitely have better stability and options to change out antenna's and/or modify the wireless radio strength.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

This, too.

I had an ASUS rebranded 'travel' type dual AP/Ethernet Bridge 802.11b device.
It worked fine for the purpose, but due to constant travel, I I eventually ponied up for an internal mPCIe card (laptop).
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Linksys...Card/5333445.p?id=1051384697890&skuId=5333445

This is the card I bought yesterday that would lock up my computer anytime it tried to upload any data (IE trying to do a bandwidth test at speedtest.net as soon as it started the upload portion of the test....or when logging into WoW at the completion of the loading screen).

My wife looked at this and said that bridging wireless routers as described might make the connection slower (not be able to play WoW) but she doesn't know for sure. She says anytime anyone tried to bridge anything network wise at work it becomes a nightmare.
 
Yea well, respectfully, in this case, she is mistaken. The only thing being bridged is wired to wireless... which you will be doing anyway.

I will never touch a PCI/PCI-e WiFi adapter for a desktop again after using my WRT54G w/ Tomato firmware in bridge mode. As I said for the reasons above, its an infinitely better solution. Again though, it was just a suggestion, do what you feel comfortable with.
 
Hmmm... you're right. There are no Vista x64 drivers for ANY revision of that card :eek:
 
jeremyshaw said:
Hmmm... you're right. There are no Vista x64 drivers for ANY revision of that card :eek:
Click to expand...

Yeah I was pretty pissed last night after all the locking up and everything....left a nice review of it at best buy as well. It really should have said it was compatible with 32 bit Vista only.
 
Well as it turns out, finding a Dynex wifi card mentioned above isn't as easy to do. Can't find anyplace that has them in stock. Same with a router that is compatible with the Tomato firmware. At least as far as I can see.

Anyone have any other recommendations for a PCI wireless card that will work with 64 bit Vista?
 
my abit airpace wireless-g works great with vista! i dont know if anybody sells them anymore :'(
 
yeah, I looked through the support site first, before actually buying the card. Never know...

Anyhow, any N card will have Vista64 drivers, while G cards may not, because it's a 2005 spec.
 
I'm also in the same situation where I have a desktop computer that's no longer in ethernet range.

largefarrva, what did you end up doing?
 
Linksys is crap. They have no support for any future OS's and do not update their drivers at all. If the product is more than a year old, it will be abandoned. I do not recommend linksys at all.

+1 to the Dynex adapter or go with D-Link, Netgear, or Belkin. All of these are good solid brands with good driver and OS support with updates.

Good luck! :)
 
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