USB or PCIe Wi-Fi adapter: which one to choose?

Almost any device that can be connected via USB is much more convenient to install and configure than devices that need to be connected via PCIe on the computer's motherboard. In Wi-Fi adapters the same thing happens, we have Wi-Fi adapters who is connect in USB , but also those who are connect via PCI-E on the computer card . Are there any performance differences between them? Which one should I buy to be able to connect via Wi-Fi at the maximum speed? Today at RedesZone we give you all the keys.

Wi-Fi adapters with USB interface

As we mentioned, this type of wireless network adapter is characterized by being portable and very easy to install. At all, it makes no distinction as to what kind of computers it can connect to. Whether it is a desktop or a laptop, this adapter works in a matter of minutes, especially if you have Windows 10 since most of the chipsets they integrate are recognized by the operating system automatically. . If it doesn't install automatically, you need to follow a few instructions and download drivers for it to work properly. Either way, virtually every adapter you can find on the market has clear instructions and even a setup wizard that shows you step by step what to do.

For those who don't have a lot of technical knowledge, this is a great alternative to have hassle-free Wi-Fi connectivity. Even more sophisticated users opt for the USB adapter because it is much more convenient and is the order of the day for any connectivity emergency.

Unfortunately, one of the negatives of this type of device is that the signal reception and speeds are lower compared to PCI-e adapters . Some USB adapters do not have an external antenna, although there are others that do, and these are a great help so that we can get the most out of our Wi-Fi connectivity. .

Another situation that can compromise the effectiveness of these adapters is the path between the adapter itself and the WIFI router . You should have as little interference as possible for optimal signal reception. This also applies to PCI-e adapters, but to a lesser extent.

Does your USB Wi-Fi adapter have the latest proprietary USB standard? If it has versions earlier than 3.0, the bandwidth might be compromised, because nowadays with Wi-Fi 5, the USB 2.0 interface is insufficient, so it is necessary to verify that the Wi-Fi adapter is using USB 3.0 standard.

Wi-Fi adapters with PCIe interface

Today there are many resources online, and several of them free, that teach you how to build your desktop computer from scratch. In addition, we can also learn how to fix them and thus be able to save money that you can invest in other things. However, there are people who don't have the same interests as you so they can take the time to do so.

We mention this because the PCI-e (PCI Express) Wi-Fi network adapters will provide us with better wireless connectivity, both in terms of stability, reception of the Wi-Fi signal as well as the actual speed that we can achieve. With Wi-Fi to PCIe adapters, we can get the most out of the wireless network. However, placing and commissioning it takes time and knowledge.

The reason these adapters tend to be preferred in terms of performance is the number of external antennas they have. Most of the ones we can find have two or even three or four antennas. This allows the reception of the Wi-Fi signal to be much better so that we can have high speed connectivity.

In addition, some models have an antenna base so that we can place them on the table, and not behind the computer tower. Therefore, this option is the best in terms of performance, but it is the worst in terms of installation and configuration as we will need some knowledge to do it.

Wi-Fi 6, MU-MIMO and WPA3: what to look for to choose the best

To choose the best Wi-Fi card, regardless of its USB 3.0 or PCI-e interface, you have to look at certain aspects that are very important today:

• Wi-Fi 6 : the latest wireless standard will allow us to benefit from improvements in speed and signal efficiency, thanks to this new standard we will be able to transfer data at real speeds of over 800 Mbps approximately. An important aspect is that it is compatible with 160 MHz of 5 GHz channel width, reaching twice the speed of 80 MHz compatible cards.
• MU-MIMO (if possible) : this technology allows us to transfer from the AP to multiple clients at the same time, improving the overall speed that the Wi-Fi network is able to provide. It is mandatory that in order to use MU-MIMO, the AP or Wi-Fi router and Wi-Fi cards are compatible, otherwise we will not notice any improvement.
• MIMO : MIMO means Multiple Input, Multiple Output. It is a technology that gives us a much more robust signal quality and with less possibility of dispersion. It works because it takes advantage of differences in signal reception by antennas (in this case, Wi-Fi network adapters) that are located next to each other or even further apart. MIMO is one of the main contributors to the higher data transfer rates, which translates into a significantly better wireless connectivity experience. As we know, wireless networks do not depend on cables but on devices that have the ability to receive the signal efficiently, affecting the quality of the signal as little as possible. The use of different channels during data transmission and / or spatial multiplexing allow a quality connection. As we have seen, this is possible even if the antennas are far from each other. MIMO is implemented when there are multiple transmitters (Wi-Fi signal transmitters) and multiple receivers (Wi-Fi antennas), to increase transmission speeds. It is the detail that we comment that it is more practical to havemore Wi-Fi antennas in our adapters. The reason there is a diversity of antennas is that there is not always a 100% line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver. That is, we still have interference that prevents the signal from reaching the receiver properly. If my Wi-Fi network adapter has multiple receivers, they help me make the best decision about which data signals to process to reach our computer and which to reject. The more there hate , the more there will have transmitters, more speeds will increase .
• Beamforming : This technology allows the wireless signal to be "focused" in a certain place, in order to obtain the best reception of the signal. Routers and access points as well as Wi-Fi cards have this Wi-Fi 5 technology to have better Wi-Fi coverage and, therefore, higher speed.

Currently there are a large number of options for USB and PCI-e Wi-Fi adapters, in RedesZone we have a ranking of best Wi-Fi adapters where you can see all our analyzes carried out so far classified by evaluation, with the objective which makes the best decision.