need some answers!

[evanznotdead]

1. in basic terms, what is PCI Express?

2. also, if your router is "up to 54 mbps" but your wireless card is "up to 108 mbps"....do they mix, or are the transfer rates just 54 mbps max?

3. is there any advantage to having a wireless desktop card with a PCI input over a USB input or vice versa?

 

[TRDCorolla1]

PCI Express is the latest graphic interface for connecting a video card to your PC and it is the successor to AGP in terms of gaming graphics performance. Future enhancements will make it even faster than what it is now.

For the transmission throughput, the fastest transmission is rate is only as fast as the weakest link. In that case, the 54mbps router is holding you up. Everything will dumb down or step down to the 54mbps level. WHen you reach the WAN, it slows down even more anyways. LAN is always faster.

I personally like PCI wireless cards better than USB. Technically, anything over a PCI bus is faster than USB but actual transmission rate again, is related to a bunch of factors such as signal strength, PC specs, type of data, etc. USB is portable meaning you can use that wireless adapter anywhere so that's one good thing about USB adapters. PCI is permanent (well, you'll have to open up the case and pull that sucker out). I hear USB wireless adapters get a lot of drop offs. That's just from reviews I hear from some of the people at my work and some reviews over the internet.

 

[TreeHugger]

i have heard that at my work aswell.