Where to find a good WiFi card?

[blueskull]

I recently moved into a new home, and ATT installed their fiber access to second floor, while I'm living on third floor. My computer has 802.11ac support, but as usual, AsRock's mobo has good and stable basic functionality, but additional things suck, including WiFi card. So, I need to find an additional WiFi card.

I don't want a miniPCIe card -- my ITX chassis is a nightmare to teardown and reassemble. I don;t want to touch the internal of the case. I would like an USB one.

I bought a Netgear AC1200 one, based on MT7612U. This POS loses connection occasionally on Windows, with both Asmedia USB3.1 controller (worse, connection loses every ~30 minutes) and Intel X99 USB3.0 controller (doesn't lose connection often, but it still happens). I also tried it on Linux, and it doesn't work at all. There's no stock kernel driver, and driver from MTK website doesn't compile on Kernel 4.0+. Some fan made drivers do compile, but one fails to insert due to dependency issue, the other inserts, but crashes modem manager when using GUI network manager.

So, is there a good USB 802.11ac card that is not based on MTK solutions? I prefer big brands, like Atheros or BCM. AFAIK, I can't use an Intel card with USB. The Intel WiFi cards use PCIe channel for WiFi, and USB channel for BT.

Price must be <=$50, otherwise I will just pay $50 and get ATT workers to move installation to third floor. I probably can do that on my own if I want, the fiber is terminated outdoor in an unlocked box, with standard APC SC connector. I can just move the ONT and WiFi router to third floor, and throw a thin 2mm fiber patch cord to outside through window, and run it to outdoor fiber box.

Any ideas?

[NiHaoMike]

Just get an AC1200 or better router that supports DD-WRT, then set it to client mode.

[amyk]

WiFi is almost never 100% reliable in my experience.
Use Ethernet if you want the latter.

[Ampera]

I personally use this, currently on my HTPC:

http://www.edimax.com/edimax/merchandise/merchandise_detail/data/edimax/global/wireless_adapters_ac1200_dual-band/ew-7822uac/

It's not gonna get you near gigabit speeds. No 802.11 network is except AD which has practically no ability to penetrate anything (You have to rely on the signal bouncing off the walls) so it won't work in the next room over that well. In my case there is almost nothing on the 5Ghz band where I live besides some small electronics. So I can normally get pretty good speeds with my Ubiquiti AP. Normally around 400+ mbps with few dropped packets.

Even still, 802.11 will drop packets like nuts. Latency is going to be annoying, and you WILL have connection issues regardless of what setup you use. I am normally pretty alright on a general basis, but even I can have some issues from time to time.

However, that stick is the best thing I have used, and it's pretty fast in my experience. Good luck, but I would just suggest getting a cable installed or spending that 50 bucks. A wired connection will ALWAYS beat a wireless one in speed and reliability.

[GreyWoolfe]

I have a 60 Mbps connection here going into an Asus RT-N66U router, I don't like the crappy wireless router in the MTA supplied by Spectrum.  I just upgraded my crappy little D-Link 4 port switch to a Netgear 16 port Gigabit switch.  On my company Lenovo T460 wireless connection about 8 ft from the router, download speed was 15-20 Mbps.  Wired speed from the docking station is 111 Mbps and is visually, demonstrably faster.  I am using speedtest.net to check connection speeds.  I am only using 1 port on the router to accept the switch, all other connections are through the switch as I have 6 wired connections here in the office.  I will save the wireless for when I am onsite and tethered to my company phone.

You would be best served to reroute the fiber to the 3rd floor.  Nothing beats a wired connection.

[Marco]

Last time I did this dance for my sister's laptop Broadcom was the one with the best compatibility, Intel never again.

The newer USB 3.0 chips don't seem available in dongles, USB 2.0 ones do ... for top dollar if you want NOS.

[cdev]

Don't make splices of any kind on their side of the "Demarc"  let them do it.

Even if you know how to do it, they wont like it because if you screw up they will have to make an additional service call and they will happily charge you up the yinyang for it. It might even be illegal. Better safe than sorry.

Please..

I think it might even be highly unusual for them to put the box where it enters on the third floor of any dwelling unless the outside pole was even higher and right there. They probably have very specific rules as to where they put those things. Just go with it.

[cdev]

Good, sounds like you have a handle on it.

I've never had fiber to the home. Would need to get all new equipment to make use of it.

[GreyWoolfe]

Good, sounds like you have a handle on it.

I've never had fiber to the home. Would need to get all new equipment to make use of it.

As of now, ATT offers free installation, free GPON ONT and free GbE+AC1200 WiFi router if you order the service online, and you sign a contract that you use the service for at least a year.
The 300Mbps price is $60 per month for the first 2 years or 3, then $80 per month. Contract is signed per year, and for the first year, they will send you a $50 prepaid MasterCard, so the actual cost for the first year is $670.
ATT however, has a data cap of 1TB per user per month, and if you order DirectTV with your internet service ($20/mo) or buy $30/mo unlimited data pack (which makes no sense comparing with the DirectTV offer), the 1TB limit can be lifted.
For areas with Google Fiber, they offer a $70 per month for 1Gb internet with no data cap, but only very selected areas are eligible for this service. My area is, apparently, not eligible, while just 1.5 miles to the north my friend's place has Google Fiber.

Lucky you to even have fiber.  I think my little part of the world in central Florida will get fiber after I'm dead.  I can't even get DSL as I am too far from the CO.  I am stuck with cable or satellite (shudder) for internet service.  We have AT&T smartphones and every time we walk in they try to sell us U-verse.  I politely keep giving them my address and watch the light go out of their eyes at a missed sale.