Here's the deal.
USB 1.1 = 12 mbit/s
USB 2.0 = 480 mbits/s
802.11B = MAX 11 mbit/s (realistically, ~6 mbit/s)
802.11G = MAX 54 mbit/s (realistically, ~23 mbit/s)
Internet connection with DSL = probably about 3 mbit/s. Even with 802.11B and USB 1.1, your net connection won't be able to saturate your network bandwidth.
USB is more portable as everybody else said, which is nice, but it will also take up a USB jack on your PC, and will stick out from the back of the pc, or if it has a long wire, sit on top of the pc or something.
PCI will take up a PCI slot, and will have a huge antenna sticking up.
It's less about the speed, more about the practicality.
I just found this article on the whole deal.
http://www.everythingusb.com/forums/showthread.php?s=cae738e54f5ba5685d20accaa029a254&threadid=2596
ah yes, latency and CPU usage are definitely factors. go with PCI.
Sweet. That's what I wanted to hear allllllllllllll along.
Ian knows (or can find) all. pwnage.
haha yeah, basically I know nothing. I just like searching. Maybe I'm good at picking out the important parts or something.
So which is more practical? I have 4 usb slots, and 1 taken. I have room for a PCI card. My dad's computer...well, let's just say that might be a different deal. I'm going to get him a 802.11B adapter, but I'm going to get a 802.11G adapter for LAN parties (@ mike's or wherever) and such. For LAN gaming, which is better, then?
Summary: PCI for you, PCI for your Dad (unless he has no slots left).
Of course: directly wiring at least one computer into the router is the BEST solution.
At home, I have the modem and router sitting on my PC desk, and my PC is wired to the router. My Tivo and DVD player use wifi to talk to the router.
Hmm, my computer is faster than my dad's so I was thinking of hooking mine directly to the router, and he could get the wireless.... I forgot that I had been thinking about that, too
that's a good idea.
then you'd only notice the slower wifi speeds when transferring files across the network between PCs.