advice for best performance mini-PCIe AP

[xPliZit_xs]

Hi,

i figured this here would be the best place to ask the experts!
I see myself as an computer enthusiast but networks and networking hasn't been my main focus yet.

I recently built a custom router/firewall solution with a firewall distribution. The motherboard i use offers a mini-PCIe slot with a Intel 7260 AC card.

Just by reading popular forums most people agree that this card is a or the best performance card available. However there is this problem that i am intending to use the wireless card not as a client but as AP. Intel is blocking 5 GHZ AP mode in firmware (who would have guessed that haha).
So, i was thinking of replacing this card with another one.

It does not necessay have to be a card supporting 802.11 ac but it has to be at least 802.11n dual band with support for 5GHz.

One word to performance. I know that most cards support and claim to have the same specs e.g. 802.11n 300 Mbps. But once they are tested in a review most of the time you can see that they are far from performing the same, e.g. range, throughput over specific distances, latency etc.

So, what i am asking for is to name me a few top notch cards where you know that they are the Best money can buy at the moment.

To give an example of how a response could look like:
The product A is the best because its claimed performance is the same as all the others but on top its latency if much better than product B,C and D and its throughput is superior at the 5 GHZ band compared to product D and B. Further product A has this special feature x which half-es power consumption in specific scenarios.

Oh, one more thing. It has to have linux driver support.

Guys, please enlighten me !!!!!

P.S. this is not intended to create a fanboi war between supporters of different products, just a nice discussion.

 

[theveterans]

You must use the proset software (not windows to manage your wifi). Then on your intel wifi dashboard you can create a hotspot that will be broadcasted on either 2.4 or 5 but not simultaneously.

You cant broadcast on 5 ghz using window's built in hosted network with
7260

 

[xPliZit_xs]

Thanks, but this is all under a custom linux. So no Proset software.

 

[theveterans]

It's probably that the firmware for Linux is limited like with the driver only version for Windows. If Intel can make a Linux version of Proset or just add some option to broadcast on channels 36 - 165 in the firmware, then that will be the solution

 

[TonyH]

Hi,
OP, if don't care much about -AC mode, Killer WiFi 1202 or 1103.
You can dig out reviews on Intel 7260 vs. Killer 1202 or 1103 on the 'net. Interesting Qualicomm product. They are dual band -abgn cards, difference is 1202 has 4.0 BT. Gamers love these cards. 1103 is 3 stream so 450Mb speed.

 

[xPliZit_xs]

Hi,
OP, if don't care much about -AC mode, Killer WiFi 1202 or 1103.
You can dig out reviews on Intel 7260 vs. Killer 1202 or 1103 on the 'net. Interesting Qualicomm product. They are dual band -abgn cards, difference is 1202 has 4.0 BT. Gamers love these cards. 1103 is 3 stream so 450Mb speed.

I probably would use it if there was any linux support for it. Which as far as i know is not available.

 

[TonyH]

Hi,
Again Google, I read some where a guy managed it to work on Linux.

 

[xPliZit_xs]

Hi,
Again Google, I read some where a guy managed it to work on Linux.

Alright, i did some goggling regarding the 7260 5GHz AP mode which is disabled and Intel claims for regulatory reasons...

I also checked to see and verify for any of the killer wifi products and found out that they seem to be supported by the ath9k driver.
Since, i had a killer e2100 in the past and loved it i am inclined to go with this and try and see how it performs.

However, there hasn't been much input on how well other adpter mfg's perform e.g Ralink, Broadcom etc?
To me it looks like a huge gray area, nobody really knows what their strength and weaknesses are.
A review would be wonderful <hint> <hint> thiggins !
Isnt it what this forum is about ?

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
I really do not think you will find a 2.4 and 5 simultaneous solution. Its been hard enough to get a full fledged AP having that capability.

Like any mini-PCIe having the ability to use one.

 

[xPliZit_xs]

Howdy,
I really do not think you will find a 2.4 and 5 simultaneous solution. Its been hard enough to get a full fledged AP having that capability.

Like any mini-PCIe having the ability to use one.

Do you mean for a mini-PCIe card it is hard to find a dual band solution or in general?
Cause, i currently have a R7000 in AP mode (stock FW worked and now tomato)and no problem on either band.

 

[azazel1024]

Alright, i did some goggling regarding the 7260 5GHz AP mode which is disabled and Intel claims for regulatory reasons...

I also checked to see and verify for any of the killer wifi products and found out that they seem to be supported by the ath9k driver.
Since, i had a killer e2100 in the past and loved it i am inclined to go with this and try and see how it performs.

However, there hasn't been much input on how well other adpter mfg's perform e.g Ralink, Broadcom etc?
To me it looks like a huge gray area, nobody really knows what their strength and weaknesses are.
A review would be wonderful <hint> <hint> thiggins !
Isnt it what this forum is about ?

At a guess it is because the 7260ac supports DFS channels on the radios, but it doesn't actually have DFS capability. That means a router that is broadcasting on DFS channels, the 7260ac could see and connect to those channels. However in AP mode, it isn't able to see if there is radar activity on DFS channels and appropriately disable them. So for regulatory reasons, Intel disables 5GHz entirely instead of just restricting the DFS channels in 5GHz mode (probably to prevent any "hacks" from enabling those channels).

That is my guess anyway and its a poorly informed one at that.

 

[Daybreak]

Do you mean for a mini-PCIe card it is hard to find a dual band solution or in general?
Cause, i currently have a R7000 in AP mode (stock FW worked and now tomato)and no problem on either band.

Howdy
SIMULTANEOUS

That means both working at the same time (2.4Ghz broadcasting and 5Ghz broadcasting.)

 

[sfx2000]

Hi,

i figured this here would be the best place to ask the experts!
I see myself as an computer enthusiast but networks and networking hasn't been my main focus yet.

I recently built a custom router/firewall solution with a firewall distribution. The motherboard i use offers a mini-PCIe slot with a Intel 7260 AC card.

Just by reading popular forums most people agree that this card is a or the best performance card available. However there is this problem that i am intending to use the wireless card not as a client but as AP. Intel is blocking 5 GHZ AP mode in firmware (who would have guessed that haha).
So, i was thinking of replacing this card with another one.

Intel has never provided more than experimental support for HostAPD or SoftAP modes in their firmware - just not a priority for them compared to client mode (and AdHoc) - their Linux client drivers are fairly good once you have the right versions of firmware (included with most major distros)

It does not necessay have to be a card supporting 802.11 ac but it has to be at least 802.11n dual band with support for 5GHz.

Once you get away from the 802.11ac requirement, there's some decent options out there - Microtik has several options available - just note that they're all single band either support 2.4 or 5 Ghz - (some can do both, just not concurrently) - in any event, if you want concurrent dual band functionality, you'll likely have to use two NIC's, not one...

In any event, due to the additional costs and integration effort - I would actually recommend picking up a dedicated dual band AP.

sfx

 

[xPliZit_xs]

Intel has never provided more than experimental support for HostAPD or SoftAP modes in their firmware - just not a priority for them compared to client mode (and AdHoc) - their Linux client drivers are fairly good once you have the right versions of firmware (included with most major distros)



Once you get away from the 802.11ac requirement, there's some decent options out there - Microtik has several options available - just note that they're all single band either support 2.4 or 5 Ghz - (some can do both, just not concurrently) - in any event, if you want concurrent dual band functionality, you'll likely have to use two NIC's, not one...

In any event, due to the additional costs and integration effort - I would actually recommend picking up a dedicated dual band AP.

sfx

WOW, first of all thank you all for the very constructive input!


I was not aware that most/all mini PCIe cards do not work simultaneous!

Anyone willing to elaborate on this e.g. is that
a) either 2.4 or 5 ghz works
or
b) both work but in a like serial fashion 2.4 ghz broadcast then 50 ms later 5 ghz broadcast then 50ms later 2.4 ghz broadcast etc... (but never at the same time)?

Which solution can do it simultaneous ?
Currently, as said earlier i use a R7000 as AP. Is this one working on both 2.4 and 5 ghz simultaneous ?

Oh wait..... or is this THE reason that commerical AP's are so much more expensive????

 

[xPliZit_xs]

At a guess it is because the 7260ac supports DFS channels on the radios, but it doesn't actually have DFS capability. That means a router that is broadcasting on DFS channels, the 7260ac could see and connect to those channels. However in AP mode, it isn't able to see if there is radar activity on DFS channels and appropriately disable them. So for regulatory reasons, Intel disables 5GHz entirely instead of just restricting the DFS channels in 5GHz mode (probably to prevent any "hacks" from enabling those channels).

That is my guess anyway and its a poorly informed one at that.

Thanks Azazel1024. Sounds like they play it safe.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,

So what answer are you looking for? What exactly is the question?

mini-PCIe cards will never broadcast simultaneously

A full fledged router or access point which works concurrently. Here is the Engenius EAP1750H

 

[azazel1024]

WOW, first of all thank you all for the very constructive input!


I was not aware that most/all mini PCIe cards do not work simultaneous!

Anyone willing to elaborate on this e.g. is that
a) either 2.4 or 5 ghz works
or
b) both work but in a like serial fashion 2.4 ghz broadcast then 50 ms later 5 ghz broadcast then 50ms later 2.4 ghz broadcast etc... (but never at the same time)?

Which solution can do it simultaneous ?
Currently, as said earlier i use a R7000 as AP. Is this one working on both 2.4 and 5 ghz simultaneous ?

Oh wait..... or is this THE reason that commerical AP's are so much more expensive????

Both A and B. It works on just the band you are connecting on, but it will take some time out of its day to occasionally take a look at the other band to see what is going on (IE scoping out other SSIDs on the other band). I have no idea how much time it'll spend looking at the other band, but it is isn't much and it probably depends on how much the connected band is being used.

I would confidently say nearly all dual band clients are single mode at a time clients.

For routers/APs, these days most are concurrent dual band. Both the 2.4 and 5GHz radios are working at the exact same time. On clients it is cheaper and easier to integrate having a single radio that can work on 2.4GHz and on 5GHz instead of two radios to support both frequencies at the same time. Takes packaging space and cost to do that and clients don't generally have a use case where they need to talk both frequencies at the same time (though it would be cool to connect and use both 2.4 and 5GHz at the same time).

 

[xPliZit_xs]

Daybreak and azazel1024,

thank you for the insight.

That was helpful.