I need recommendations for a wireless PCI card or a wireless USB adapter
 

I want my desktop PC to be able to have wireless internet capability. My router is a Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router (Amazon.com: Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router: Electronics). I am looking for either a wireless pci card, or a wireless adapter that I can connect to my usb port that will give me wireless capability (I would prefer something that I can just connect to my usb port). So far, I have found these 2:

Amazon.com: Linksys WUSB54GC Compact Wireless-G USB Adapter: Electronics

Amazon.com: Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter: Electronics

In general, are there wireless usb adapters that can function as well as the pci cards? I’d prefer those since I’m not sure if I will be able to fit another pci card in my desktop PC.

Thanks.

For better performance you want to go with the PCI card. USB has a lot of protocol overhead and especially pings tend to be much higher for USB-based cards (also watch out when operating multiple devices on the same root hub).

If you just want to have "access to the web" then it probably doesn't matter which one you choose. However I don't see the reason why to prefer a external solution for a desktop system. Most laptops have a internal solution anyway and I figure it doesn't happen very often that you use the same USB box for two systems (meaning: it stays connected to one system most of the time).

I've had a few USB wireless adapters, and a few wireless PCI cards and I can report that I none of the wireless USB adapters I bought lasted more than 6 months. One of them quit being able to see wireless networks, one disconnected every 4-5 minutes, and the other stopped being detected by any computer I plugged it into. I don't know much about the technical differences, but from experience I can definitely point you toward a PCI.