Wireless desktop - Bridge a router, or PCI Express 1x NIC ?

[destrekor]

Update (06 Nov):
So, I want to revisit this idea, and while I definitely won't ignore the previous comments, I am looking for more opinions and hopefully a consensus.

I have come up with four new scenarios. First, I have my WRT54G (with DD-WRT) as the Base Router, and then the WMP54G PCI card as the Receiver.

All scenarios:
Base -> Receiver

Scenario 1:
WRT54G to 802.11n Router

2:
802.11n Router to WRT54G

3:
11n Router to 11n USB

4:
11n Router to 11n Router

Which will be the best solution in terms of speed and response time / delay ?
Willing to sacrifice a little if it means making the overall expenditure drop significantly. But if the price isn't much different, I'll go with the best solution. Basically, looking at the price to performance ratio, want to keep that at an optimum level.

Of course, if I'm doing 2 routers, I want there to be a boost in overall performance across the board (link speed, response time), and one of them needs to be capable (either factory or with new firmware) of acting as a client to the actual main router.

If a USB receiver will provide "good enough" performance with a decent drop in actual cost, I'd like that route. Not having to change firmware and deal with all those settings would definitely be nice.



--------------------- Old Post ----------------------------
So, a little dilemma here... I currently have a Linksys WMP54G PCI Wireless NIC, works fairly well for my desktop... and while I'd love to upgrade the wireless here to better than 54G, not looking for that total expense, not yet.

But I am looking to use my old GPU as a dedicated physx card, so I'll my GTX285 as GPU and 8800GTS 640mb as a physx card - but that's 4 slots gone right there. The second slot I'd lose if I go this route is where my wireless NIC is currently installed. The only other PCI slot in the system is where my soundcard is installed, and thus I'd be left with one slot - it's a PCI Express 1x slot.


Is there a recommended wireless NIC that will provide good speeds with my WRT54G router (with DD-WRT) ?


Or should I get another router and set that up as a bridge and use an ethernet connection?

 

[wlee]

I would say get another DD-WRT capable router. Maybe used in the "for sale" forum here if you can't spend too much. Not all of them work in client-bridge mode, so you might have to reverse the roles. Make the "new" router your primary router and make your current WRT54G the client-bridge. That should be much better performance and less overhead than resorting to a USB WiFi dongle.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Agreed. I hooked up my two computers that way, with a Motorola WR850G v2, with v6 firmware (supports WDS), connected to the main router that was a Linksys WRT54Gv2, which has Lazy WDS supported in the factory firmware.

 

[destrekor]

Well any recommended specific routers, other than the WRT54G series (specific models required, I know)?

I wouldn't mind taking half a step toward a full draft-N wireless upgrade, as long as multiple routers can still play nice together.

I haven't been keeping up with the current WiFi certifications and capabilities of new routers..

 

[fuzzymath10]

I have had great success with USB adapters. They're easier to orient than most PCI(-e) adapters yet still get a good signal over moderate distances (e.g. 30' and 1-2 walls). I get about 20mbps on G and on N I max out the wired 100mbps network. One is a D-Link the other a Linksys.

It will also be much less cumbersome than bridging a router. Even if you are skilled in configuring them (I also have a DD-WRT router), USB adapters often work out of the box and are the size of a chunky USB drive (smaller and one less thing to power)

 

[destrekor]

So, I want to revisit this idea, and while I definitely won't ignore the previous comments, I am looking for more opinions and hopefully a consensus.

I have come up with four new scenarios. First, I have my WRT54G (with DD-WRT) as the Base Router, and then the WMP54G PCI card as the Receiver.

All scenarios:
Base -> Receiver

Scenario 1:
WRT54G to 802.11n Router

2:
802.11n Router to WRT54G

3:
11n Router to 11n USB

4:
11n Router to 11n Router

Which will be the best solution in terms of speed and response time / delay ?
Willing to sacrifice a little if it means making the overall expenditure drop significantly. But if the price isn't much different, I'll go with the best solution. Basically, looking at the price to performance ratio, want to keep that at an optimum level.

Of course, if I'm doing 2 routers, I want there to be a boost in overall performance across the board (link speed, response time), and one of them needs to be capable (either factory or with new firmware) of acting as a client to the actual main router.

If a USB receiver will provide "good enough" performance with a decent drop in actual cost, I'd like that route. Not having to change firmware and deal with all those settings would definitely be nice.