Wi-Fi adapters with PCIe interface

PCIe

— one of the interfaces used in internal type adapters.

All such adapters are placed in slots on the motherboard; external connectors and antennas, if present, are brought out to the rear panel of the case (similar to how it is implemented, for example, in standalone graphics cards and sound cards). Installing inside the PC case is ideal for situations where the adapter is needed for permanent use and its reconnection is not planned. Specifically, PCIe is one of the most common interfaces for connecting internal peripherals these days. It is widely used in modern motherboards (even small “motherboards” most often have several such slots), which is why it is also popular among Wi-Fi adapters. Connection via this standard can involve a different number of lanes, but wireless adapters most often use PCIe 1x connectors, suitable for slots with any number of lanes (1x, 4x, and even 16x). The data transfer rate depends on both the number of lanes and the version of PCIe — however, it is usually not less than 1 Gbps, which is more than enough in this case.

It is worth noting that this type of connection is mainly found in adapters based on full-size cards; such modules usually have rather powerful transmitters, and often even external antennas or connectors for such antennas. In miniature solutions with internal antennas, M.2 connection is gaining increasing popularity (see the corresponding section).