Good PC network card

[under555]

Hi, I am looking for a WIFI network card (it would be nice if it was with BT) for my PC.

I can't let the cable go, I know it will be worse on WIFI, but it's hard.

Currently I have a router with UPC (polish company) with a 500 mega net (weak router, I know) but soon there will be a router with WIFI 6 from another 1 giga operator - no router crazy, but let's say that it must be enough for the time being.
the current router is
Compal Broadband Networks CH7465LG-LC (the one from UPC) but I think it's less important because I can always buy my router in the future



I did two tests on the current router

on the desk there was an antenna from my current network card (such a crap that I disconnected it at all), i.e. Asus PCE-AC88 (in my computer)

interestingly, on the same desk I put my Thinkpad laptop with an Intel AX210NGW network card, i.e. ax210NGW
I didn't set anything up neither the computer nor the laptop, i.e. I didn't set anything up in the network cards.

Much better internet parameters were on the laptop.

The topic was so tiring that in the end (from six months ago) I gave it up, but now I want to quickly buy a PC card.

Back then, from what I remember, the final conclusion was that the Intel based network cards work best and my asus has something other than intel.



So: what network card to buy? one on the pcie (Or USB) so that the antenna was on the cable, so that it could stand on the desk.



Under WIFI 6, I would like it to serve for a long time with the latest possible chipset.



I assume that if the 2-year-old card in my thinkpad works cool, then some newer PC intel will be even better - at least a little.



What to buy and why?

 

[dark2099]

If you like the performance of the built in card with the laptop, I would assume there are desktop cards, either pcie or USB that use that chipset, so would look for those first. As for USB vs pcie, would make sure if you go for USB, it is at least USB 3.0 so it can handle pretty much any connection speed you have.

 

[under555]

I wrote down all the possible settings of my asus from the device manager, maybe something needs to be set differently or something - do you have an idea? because the network card can only be set there, right?

20/40 coexistence – auto/enab/disab

2g bandwidth capability – 2.4G: 20/40Mhz Or 2.4G: 20Mhz

40Mhz intolerant – enab/disab

802.11d support (auto-country) – disab/enab

Antenna diversity – auto/aux/main

Arp offload – enab/disab

Assoc listen interval – number like 1,2,3 etc

Beamforming – disabled/enabled

Bluetooth collaboration – auto/enab/disab

Bss plcp header – auto(short/long) or long

D2 listen interval – 1,2,3 etc i has setup 5

Enable/disable LTR – enab/disab

Fragmentation threshold – number , i has “2346”

Locally aministered mac address – number or dosent exsist (i has this one)

Ltr active value in microseconds – numbers , i have 60

Minimum power consumption – enab/disab

Ns offload –enab/disab

Power output – percents , i has 100%

Priority & vlan – P&V disabled or P&V enabled or priority enabled or vlan enabled

Rts threshold – numbers, i have 2347

Vht features – numbers, i have 7

Wake on magic pocket – enab or disab

Wake on pattern match – enab od disab

Wfd channel number – numbers, i have 11

Wifi rekeying offload – disabled/ enabled

Wmm – auto/disab/enab

Xpress (tm) technology – enabled/disabled

 

[The red spirit]

I wrote down all the possible settings of my asus from the device manager, maybe something needs to be set differently or something - do you have an idea? because the network card can only be set there, right?

20/40 coexistence – auto/enab/disab

2g bandwidth capability – 2.4G: 20/40Mhz Or 2.4G: 20Mhz

40Mhz intolerant – enab/disab

802.11d support (auto-country) – disab/enab

Antenna diversity – auto/aux/main

Arp offload – enab/disab

Assoc listen interval – number like 1,2,3 etc

Beamforming – disabled/enabled

Bluetooth collaboration – auto/enab/disab

Bss plcp header – auto(short/long) or long

D2 listen interval – 1,2,3 etc i has setup 5

Enable/disable LTR – enab/disab

Fragmentation threshold – number , i has “2346”

Locally aministered mac address – number or dosent exsist (i has this one)

Ltr active value in microseconds – numbers , i have 60

Minimum power consumption – enab/disab

Ns offload –enab/disab

Power output – percents , i has 100%

Priority & vlan – P&V disabled or P&V enabled or priority enabled or vlan enabled

Rts threshold – numbers, i have 2347

Vht features – numbers, i have 7

Wake on magic pocket – enab or disab

Wake on pattern match – enab od disab

Wfd channel number – numbers, i have 11

Wifi rekeying offload – disabled/ enabled

Wmm – auto/disab/enab

Xpress (tm) technology – enabled/disabled

Would disable Xpress. It's very old technology meant for 802.11g and it can have detrimental effects on performance. If you have wifi drop outs, try setting RTS to 1. See if it helps. If it does, then you know that you have interference. Then you can try to leave highest value possible, that doesn't make speed fluctuate a lot or cause packet loss. All RTS does is that it asks if two device can transfer packets, if they can, then packet is sent. Without it (or default setting of 2346) packets are sent regardless. Nothing checks if they can be sent, but in case of packet loss, TCP protocol asks for resend again. In environments with many routers or device or walls, lowering RTS threshold can help. Basically the same fragment threshold, which is basically a packet size, before fragmenting. It helps by repackaging packets into smaller ones, so if packet is lost, then it's more granular. If your environment isn't like that, then there will be performance penalty and you shouldn't mess with either value. Most likely, you can adjust those two in your router too.

 

[Mussels]

Would disable Xpress. It's very old technology meant for 802.11g and it can have detrimental effects on performance. If you have wifi drop outs, try setting RTS to 1. See if it helps. If it does, then you know that you have interference. Then you can try to leave highest value possible, that doesn't make speed fluctuate a lot or cause packet loss. All RTS does is that it asks if two device can transfer packets, if they can, then packet is sent. Without it (or default setting of 2346) packets are sent regardless. Nothing checks if they can be sent, but in case of packet loss, TCP protocol asks for resend again. In environments with many routers or device or walls, lowering RTS threshold can help. Basically the same fragment threshold, which is basically a packet size, before fragmenting. It helps by repackaging packets into smaller ones, so if packet is lost, then it's more granular. If your environment isn't like that, then there will be performance penalty and you shouldn't mess with either value. Most likely, you can adjust those two in your router too.

OP hasnt logged in since Jan.


What matter is the router settings vs what's working on the PC, and we've only been given a copy paste of possible settings instead of what was actually happening (the laptop was good but the desktop was bad, but no info on connection speeds, 2.4GHz vs 5GHz, etc)

"better internet parameters" means nothing, and is likely why no one replied to help (because they had no information to work with)

 

[delshay]

For me to get Intel 6E card working on windows 10 you have to have the driver on hand. If you install the card without any driver installed nothing will show-up. Some older Wi-Fi cards will load a default windows driver so that you can get up & running, giving you access to download the Intel drivers, but not this card AX-210.

 

[Mussels]

For me to get Intel 6E card working on windows 10 you have to have the driver on hand. If you install the card without any driver installed nothing will show-up. Some older Wi-Fi cards will load a default windows driver so that you can get up & running, giving you access to download the Intel drivers, but not this card AX-210.

If its newer than the OS, the OS cannot have drivers for it

 

[delshay]

If its newer than the OS, the OS cannot have drivers for it

Well that make's sense, but with all the updates you would think the basic windows driver would be included at some point.

 

[Mussels]

Well that make's sense, but with all the updates you would think the basic windows driver would be included at some point.

The only time that's ever happened in the past, has been with service packs.
OEM's also need to provide a generic driver to microsoft for testing, and may not do so with new products until they're sure the drivers stable enough.

You can always use ethernet or USB tethering of a phone to grab the driver, if you dont have it pre-downloaded
(Unsure about apple, but android has generic driver support in 10 and 11, and works to get wifi or mobile data to USB)