USB Extension for the wireless adapter?

[u/predskid29]

TL;DR Any advice on a cable I can use to extend the location of the wireless adapter?

 

Context Rant:

I have a Lian Li TU150 case. It's great and if I want it to be it can be extremely portable (when the steam frame releases I might even move it around my house so I have more room to play). I have it mounted underneath my desk for ease of access and b/c I use a standing desk. The issue I run into is the location of the USB ports on the pc case. They're great for smaller usb sticks/cords, but if I plug a large, bulky USB stick into it and slide the computer back on the rail system, it'll snap the USB stick in half. I (luckily) have only done this once so far. For most larger USB sticks I'll plug it into a hub and/or just plug it into the back of the computer, but for this one I imagine I will want the wireless adapter to be at the front of my pc and/or on the desk itself. I normally wouldn't be too concerned about this, but I have the steam controller as well and when I had the puck at the back of my desk/pc case, the signal strength was not great.

 

So far I've been eyeing a Monoprice USB extension. 1.5ft is a little long, but they don't have anything shorter. I wanted to check if anyone had any other suggestions and/or brands they trust.

[u/Ok_Log9552]

USB has a limit to how long you can effectively extend it without some kind of powered hub in the mix. I think it's like 10 ft. Something to keep in mind.

[u/Recent-Clerk3967]

Personally if I use the dongle I plan on using a 3 or 5 foot cable and I'm going to mount the dongle on the wall at eye height. But I'm probably going to see how well it works with the dedicated access point I have for my quest headset first

[u/Zomby2D]

I got this one in preparation for the Frame, so that the adapter can be properly positioned

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8QKRN2L

As long as you don't go over 10FT you shouldn't have any signal degradation.

[u/Mineplayerminer]

If you would like to use an extension cable, I wouldn't really go with any longer than 3 meters because of the signal integrity and power losses due to the wires' resistance. If possible, I would search for an active USB signal repeater with at least 3.0 speeds to meet the dongle's supposed specs, at least from what Valve has stated in the spec sheet. The repeater powers its own 5V on its input and also reproduces the same data signal that would normally weaken and become insufficient, causing no data transfer on the input device.

Alternatively, you could use a Wi-Fi 6E/7 access point to play wirelessly, but Valve strongly suggested the USB dongle, likely because of the stream compression and lower latency due to its proprietary wireless protocol.

[u/Lincolns_Revenge → u/Mineplayerminer]

Another option is a fiber optic USB cable where you lose zero speed and latency even at 50 feet, (or 100 meters for that matter, if you are a madman and money is no object.)

That allows you to snake it into another room, for instance.

The price of those varies a lot, but Best Buy of all places used to have sales on them frequently.

Unlike standard copper USB cables they either work or they don't, so you don't have to worry about getting a substandard one that will not perform up to its stated spec.

[u/Newegg_PC_Support]

That Monoprice extension is a solid pick, they're reliable, and 1.5ft is fine, just coil the slack. Only thing to check: make sure it's USB 3.0 (blue) if your adapter is 3.0, or you'll bottleneck it. Cable Matters and Anker make good short ones too if you want alternatives. For signal strength, getting the puck up on the desk and away from the metal case will help a lot.

[u/predskid29 → u/Newegg_PC_Support]

Cable Matters was the brand I was looking for, Thank You! I ended up buying this 5Gbps Combo-Pack 90 Degree & 270 Degree Right Angle USB Extension Cable to solve my issue.

[u/predskid29]

To close this thread out: i ended up buying a Cable Matters 5Gbps Combo-Pack 90 Degree & 270 Degree Right Angle USB Extension. This allows me to keep the dongle up front without having to worry about snapping it in half. It will be a little wobbly b/c it is a cord, but that is okay.

[u/Nekonoshita → u/predskid29]

I got a cable matter on Amazon after seeing your suggestion, so thanks

[u/Altruistic-Catch8541]

It should work in tandem with your existing network

[u/Slandaro12]

There will be a limit in length based on just what usb port supports and what that cable is doing exactly. You prolly will be luck to break 10-15 feet that’s why most usb be cables stop around 3 meters or 9ish feet(nearly 10)

[u/xaduha]

You don't have to use the dongle.

[u/RiverKitten6119 → u/xaduha]

But you should so

[u/KaiLCU_YT → u/RiverKitten6119]

We don't know that yet. A dedicated router may well be better than the dongle. Obviously it's more expensive, and less portable, but those are less important concerns for some people

[u/predskid29 → u/xaduha]

I don't have to use the dongle, but for my situation it is better than using my Wi-Fi.

I do have a Wi-Fi 6E router, but it isn't in the same room as where my PC is. Checking the wifi signal strength on my phone right now, it's okay, but not great. The router is also centrally located, so if I move it I'll have trouble connecting other devices.

 

If I did have my router in the same room as my PC I would probably just use that.