# Difference between 54mbPs and 300mbPs network adapter - noticeable?



## vbx (Nov 29, 2009)

Okay, I currently have a 54mbps pci wireless adapter.  Will upgrading to a 300mbps adapter be worth it?  Will I be able to notice the difference in download speeds?


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## AsRock (Nov 29, 2009)

Only on a lan(other comps need to be as fast too) unless your ISP allows you to download at those speeds you will not notice.  Although a wired connection is better than a wireless one it's much less trouble and tends to be better for gaming too..

So can you download faster than 54mbs(675KBs) ?.  and does your modem support it ?.


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## TheLaughingMan (Nov 29, 2009)

Very true.  But as AsRock has just corrected while I was typing this is saying.  If the wireless route was the weak link in your connection, you will see an improvement.

Example:

ISP provides:  1 MB down/256 kb up.  This would give an average download of about 400 kbs during daytime peek hours.  You will see no change in internet service.

ISP provides:  10 MB down/1 MB up.  My connection with average of 5.4 MB/s, definite improvement.

You have a Wireless G adapter:  makes absolutely no difference because your computer wireless card will limit the connect speed.


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## Pinchy (Nov 29, 2009)

Woah getting this wrong.

54mbit card = 6.75MB/s top speed download
300mbit card = 37.5MB/s

mbps/Mb is megabits (what network speeds are calculated at)
MB is megabytes (what you download at)

Your internet connection will be 10Mb, NOT 10MB. Hence, a 54mbps wireless adapter will cover pretty much all internet connections, unless you have a better than 54Mb line, which is pretty much fibre.


This is only internet though. I run on a wireless N network (300mbps) because I stream files over the network, so it makes file transfer a lot quicker. Note though, most N devices don't go at 300mbps.


And yes, you will need to update your wireless router as well as the PCI card, if the router only has a G WLAN, or it wont make any difference.


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## vbx (Nov 29, 2009)

I have a Linksys WRT54GL.  I'm hooked up to Roadrunner highspeed cable which they provide 11MB of speed.

So a 300mbps will not do me any good correct, unless I get a new router. 

Anyways, this makes no sense whatsoever.

My OLD Belkin usb adapter is downloading at 800+ KB downloads while my Gigabyte PCI card is getting me 100-250KB downloads...  wtf.


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## francis511 (Nov 29, 2009)

To answer your question you do notice a difference BTW


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## Wile E (Nov 29, 2009)

Wireless N does not help with Internet speeds, unless you have some crazy fast internet. It only helps with LAN speeds.

If your adapter is running slow, it's likely a configuration, software, or driver problem.


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## Robert-The-Rambler (Nov 29, 2009)

*With my 30 Mbps service N is helpful*



Wile E said:


> Wireless N does not help with Internet speeds, unless you have some crazy fast internet. It only helps with LAN speeds.
> 
> If your adapter is running slow, it's likely a configuration, software, or driver problem.



I find N 300 gives me the closest thing to full 30mbps I can get wirelessly. Hardwired I get 3 megabyte downloads from STEAM. N 150 is similar to 15 mbps service giving 1.5 megabyte downloads. 30 mbps translates to 3 meg download speeds for me and 15 mbps translates to 1.5 megabytes true download speeds from STEAM. Wireless N 300 is awesome with fast internet service.


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## Wile E (Nov 29, 2009)

Robert-The-Rambler said:


> I find N 300 gives me the closest thing to full 30mbps I can get wirelessly. Hardwired I get 3 megabyte downloads from STEAM. N 150 is similar to 15 mbps service giving 1.5 megabyte downloads. 30 mbps translates to 3 meg download speeds for me and 15 mbps translates to 1.5 megabytes true download speeds from STEAM. Wireless N 300 is awesome with fast internet service.



I only have about 12Mb during off-peak hours. I get no difference between wired, G or N (aside from latency). My net just isn't fast enough. You have unusually good net to tax a G network.


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## vbx (Nov 29, 2009)

I think I'll stick with the /b/g for now.  A new N router is $90+ and add a $30+ N adapter. 

I don't need it.  I'm downloading at 800-1000KB/s so there is no need to spend money on that. 

---------

I also "fixed "my pci adapter.  I pointed the antenna down. (router is down stairs) and it's now getting the same speed as the USB adapter.


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## DirectorC (Nov 29, 2009)

vbx said:


> My OLD Belkin usb adapter is downloading at 800+ KB downloads while my Gigabyte PCI card is getting me 100-250KB downloads



Are you sure you are benchmarking this properly?  For example, a source with steady and even throughput of data to your system?

If just switching from your Belkin USB adapter (something like what I probably use, which has no problems with 10+Mbit throughput) to the PCI card caused this speed drop, then I say your PCI card is missing an antenna, LOL.


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## Robert-The-Rambler (Nov 29, 2009)

*Walmart has a $30 Belkin Wireless N 150 router on clearance*



vbx said:


> I think I'll stick with the /b/g for now.  A new N router is $90+ and add a $30+ N adapter.
> 
> I don't need it.  I'm downloading at 800-1000KB/s so there is no need to spend money on that.
> 
> ...



Go to Wallymart!!!


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## vbx (Nov 30, 2009)

Downloading at over 1MB with this pci adapter. nice...


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## Mussels (Nov 30, 2009)

Pinchy said:


> Woah getting this wrong.
> 
> 54mbit card = 6.75MB/s top speed download
> 300mbit card = 37.5MB/s
> ...



pinchy got everything right except one minor detail.

WIreless speeds are measured in full duplex, which is market speak for "54Mb/s both directions at the same time" - you only get half that each direction (half up, half down) - so 54Mb wireless (802.11g) can download at 27Mb (faster than most internet, except fiber), aka 3.75MB/s

Now the thing is, thats assuming you have good signal strength and no interference - if you had 1-2 bars of signal, yeah, going wireless N will give you a good boost.


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## Deleted member 3 (Nov 30, 2009)

Pinchy said:


> Your internet connection will be 10Mb, NOT 10MB. Hence, a 54mbps wireless adapter will cover pretty much all internet connections, unless you have a better than 54Mb line, which is pretty much fibre.
> 
> .



I disagree, your 54Mb conection won't get close to 54Mbit. Even with a 20Mb ASL line your wifi is not unlikely to be a bottleneck.


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## Mussels (Nov 30, 2009)

dan: see my post  27Mb would cover a 20Mb ADSL line fine, assuming you had perfect signal strength


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## TheLaughingMan (Dec 1, 2009)

Well in the defence of my obvious stupidity in this subject *reaches for textbook to brush up*, theoretical yield and actual throughput will be vastly different.  While these possible numbers look nice in calculations, we all know he will never get that much.

But like everyone has said, you will not see a different in your Internet, so don't waste the money.  I guess my case was more the fact that router I replacement was like 8 years old and had nothing to do with the new one being N.  So if your router is so old it has connections on the back you don't recognize or stickers that brag about features for Wireless B, you may want to replace it just to get updated hardware.


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## Mussels (Dec 1, 2009)

TheLaughingMan said:


> Well in the defence of my obvious stupidity in this subject *reaches for textbook to brush up*, theoretical yield and actual throughput will be vastly different.  While these possible numbers look nice in calculations, we all know he will never get that much.
> 
> But like everyone has said, you will not see a different in your Internet, so don't waste the money.  I guess my case was more the fact that router I replacement was like 8 years old and had nothing to do with the new one being N.



thats actually a common thing. people replace hardware and assume its because of some fancy feature, when its just the fact their old one is crap.

I know someone who swears RAID is the best thing since sliced bread, its so fast - he went from a 250GB 5,400RPM drive to 2x500GB 7,200 RPM drives - of course its faster, but it would have got faster even without RAID.

Moral of the story is not to assume without testing! (EG, buying a new N router and running G mode could give a speed boost over an old router, due to newer tech)


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## v12dock (Dec 1, 2009)

My N (300mbps) router died and I switched to a G (54mbps) with a N adapter.
Honestly I can say I didn't notice a difference.


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## francis511 (Dec 1, 2009)

You notice a difference transferring files. Add windows 7 to the mix and WHOOSH !


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## vbx (Dec 1, 2009)

I can say that transferring files from the laptop to my desktop via wireless connection is extremely slow.

I downloaded a Rockets game to watch and tried to transfer it over to my desktop but it took a little too long so I grabbed my mp3 player to transfer the files.  Took less than 5 minutes to transfer from laptop to mp3 player to desktop.


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## INFRNL (Dec 3, 2009)

vbx said:


> I can say that transferring files from the laptop to my desktop via wireless connection is extremely slow.



I agree. My internet on G gets 16-17mbits/s just as a wired computer; However when I try to transfer files wirelessly; speeds are usually really slow. sometimes just access to the computer is slow, sometimes fast, but actual transfers are slow..very very slow a lot of times


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## DirectorC (Dec 3, 2009)

All this over a guy who didn't understand line of sight and signal bouncing.


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