[srphoenix]

Hi, I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable than me can give me some advice and direction on this.

I've been in a home office for the past 2 years with 30mb internet, but I will be getting an office soon downtown. The building I'm moving into has free wifi, what is my best option to connect to this with my desktop?

1. Using an ethernet cable from my desktop to my ASUS rt-56n router as a bridge to connect to the buildings wifi.

2. Buying a wireless adapter to connect to the buildings wifi.

My phone only gets 2 bars when connecting so I'd like to know which of the options above will give me a faster and more reliable connection.

Thanks!

 

[bratas]

A wireless adapter should work fine.
You should also take into account that internet access could be spotty and intermittent depending on load and location of their Access points. You may want to look into getting your own internet connection since I would assume this is for your own business and should be kept in mind this would be a business expense and should be tax deductible...verify with your accountant.

 

[srphoenix]

thanks bratas, which solution do you would provide a better signal and faster connection? It would be tax deductible to get my own service but its also another cost, probably something I'll look into down the road if the free option is unbearable.

Thanks.

 

[Kotomi]

A wireless adapter should do fine.

Try get one with a moveable antenna, which then you can move around if the signal's iffy. Something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320136, which has 3 antennas (which you can move).

I'd recommend a PCI-E solution over a USB one, I've had not so good experiences with USB ones.

 

[Omicron]

So, according to your original post, both methods draw from the building's wireless?

If this is the case, it really depends which device has the best signal reception. Routers generally have a better transmitter/receiver, so your best bet may be to use it to connect and transfer data between the wireless and your computer. It will also be more flexible if you decide to add more devices to the network, simply connect them to the router itself.

Edit:

Either way, you are probably better off if a personal internet connection is cheap enough.