I'm in a bit of a bind here. My room is in the basement of our apartment, while the router is in my roommate's room upstairs, right above me. Pulling a long ethernet cable isn't feasible since it would need to stretch over 100 feet and drilling through the floor is a no-go for me. We have fiber internet with speeds up to 1G both up and down, but the WiFi gets pretty unreliable down here in the basement. Should I be looking at getting a WiFi card for my PC, as I see some solid options for under $50? Or would a WiFi extender be a better choice, connecting my PC to that with an ethernet cable? My main goal is to have the best gaming experience possible, and my budget is under $150. Just to note, my motherboard is an ROG Strix x570-F.
5 Answers
I've had good luck with a USB WiFi dongle like the Netgear A600; it was pretty affordable. If it doesn’t work out, most places let you return items like that, so it might be a low-risk option for you.
Honestly, I'd skip the WiFi extenders; they’re usually not worth it. Your best bet might be to either run a long ethernet cable if you can manage it or get a good wireless card. Some people suggest powerline adapters too, but they can be hit or miss.
Thanks for the tip! I'll keep that in mind.
If you're only a floor away from the router, the WiFi should theoretically be okay. Check the speeds on your phone. Alternatively, if you have coaxial connections, consider trying MoCa adapters, which can give you solid speeds comparable to Ethernet.
MoCa sounds interesting! I'll check if I have those hookups available.
You might want to first check how good the WiFi signal is in your room. Just run a speed test on your phone where your PC would be. If it's decent, getting a WiFi card (6E or 7) could work well for you. If the speed’s awful, look into a mesh system or a better router.
If the WiFi is directly above you, you should be fine unless there’s a lot of interference. Just make sure your drivers are installed correctly and antennas set up right. A hardwired connection is always best for gaming, though!
Good point! I want to get the most stable connection possible.
That’s a solid suggestion, thanks! I'll look into it.