您是否考虑过移除您家中的网络电缆并实现全无线，包括在您的台式电脑上？如果有，那么您应该考虑为您的台式计算机购买无线适配器(wireless adapter)。ASUS PCE-AC68就是这样一款能够兼容所有现代无线标准（包括 802.11ac）的设备。我们非常好奇地对其进行测试，并进一步了解当您将有线以太网连接(Ethernet connection)更换为无线(wireless one)连接时会丢失什么。我们还想了解与大多数笔记本电脑和平板电脑中的无线网卡相比，这款设备的性能如何。(wireless network)阅读此评论以了解我们的发现。
华硕 PCE-AC68 无线适配器(ASUS PCE-AC68 Wireless Adapter)拆箱
华硕 PCE-AC68(ASUS PCE-AC68)的包装非常注重传达这款无线适配器(wireless adapter)的功能。只需阅读它的盒子，您就会了解很多关于您将从设备中获得的信息。
拆箱过程简单快捷。在包装盒内您会找到PCI-Express 卡(PCI-Express card)、三个天线、磁性天线底座(antenna base)、安装光盘(setup disc)、一些手册和一个支架。
从上图中可以看出，该设备本身看起来很棒，您会迫不及待地插入它并查看它的工作情况。该包装包含您需要的一切，您无需购买任何额外的配件。(As you can see from the picture above, the device itself looks great and you will hardly wait to plug it in and see how well it works. The package includes everything you need and you won't have to buy any extra accessories.)
(Hardware Specifications)ASUS PCE-AC68的硬件规格
如您所料，此范围扩展器(range extender)能够与所有现代无线网络(wireless networking)标准配合使用，包括IEEE 802.11n和 802.11ac。它可以在 2.4GHz 和 5GHz 频率下运行，在 2.4GHz 频率上提供 600 Mbps 的理论最大(GHz frequency)吞吐量，在(Mbps)5GHz(maximum throughput)频率上(Mbps)提供(GHz frequency)1300Mbps的理论最大吞吐量。请注意，尽管这些速度是理论上的，但在现实生活中您永远无法实现。你总会遇到瓶颈：你的路由器、互联网连接(Internet connection)、你的电脑等等。
在发布此评论时，华硕 PCE-AC68(ASUS PCE-AC68)仅支持Windows操作系统的驱动程序。(driver support)在随附的安装光盘上，您会找到仅适用于(setup disc)Windows 7和Windows 8的驱动程序。可在此处找到适用于所有(here)Windows版本的所有最新驱动程序。
此外，如果您想了解其全套规格，请阅读此页面：PCE-AC68 规格(PCE-AC68 Specifications)。
使用华硕 PCE-AC68 无线适配器(ASUS PCE-AC68 Wireless Adapter)
插入ASUS PCE-AC68 无线(ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless) PCI-E 适配器(PCI-E adapter)就像插入任何其他PCI-Express卡一样简单。然后你必须将天线连接到卡上。您可以将它们直接连接到网卡(network card)本身，也可以使用磁性天线底座(antenna base)。如果您的桌面上挤满了许多PCI-Express(PCI-Express)卡，那么将天线直接连接到网卡(network card)会有点棘手。此外，他们的定位可能不是很好。
另一方面，磁性天线底座(antenna base)简直太棒了。您可以轻松地将其连接到台式计算机(desktop computer)的机箱上，安装在您想要的任何位置。它唯一的缺点是连接电缆(connection cable)在我看来不够长。我有一张电脑桌(computer desk)，可以抬高，站立和坐着都可以使用。当我提高办公桌的高度时，我必须将天线底座(antenna base)放在 PC 上，以免它掉落。
如果您尝试使用包装中包含的安装光盘(setup disc)，您会因为没有使用友好向导的setup.exe 文件而感到失望。(setup.exe file)您最好从其支持页面(support page)下载驱动程序。
安装驱动程序后，您可以在其无线局域网控制管理器(Wireless LAN Control Manager)的帮助下使用华硕 PCE-AC68(ASUS PCE-AC68)。这是一个非常优化的应用程序，它使用非常少的内存（只有 4 MB 的RAM）。它非常易于使用和设置。
使用此工具，您可以连接到您所在地区的无线网络、配置您已连接的网络、使用WPS进行连接并了解有关无线连接状态的更多信息，包括信号强度、数据速率(data rate)等详细信息在。
我注意到华硕 PCE-AC68(ASUS PCE-AC68)无法检测或忽略信号强度非常弱的无线网络。例如，在我所在的地区，我有十几个无线(dozen wireless)网络。他们中的大多数信号强度很差。ASUS PCE-AC68仅显示我所在位置信号强度最好的 4 或 5 个网络。
设置好之后，使用华硕PCE-AC68就像使用任何无线网卡一样。使用它和配置它的工作方式不会有任何问题。(After setting it up, using the ASUS PCE-AC68 is the same as using any wireless network card. You won't have any issues with using it and configuring the way it works.)
基准表现
为了评估华硕 PCE-AC68 无线(ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless)适配器提供的网络连接质量，我在我的(network connection)台式电脑(desktop computer)和Surface Pro 2上进行了一系列测试。我的 Internet 连接由ASUS RT-AC68U 路由器(ASUS RT-AC68U router)管理。
首先，我使用 1 Gbps(Gbps)有线以太网连接(ethernet connection)在我的桌面上运行了所有测试并测量了结果。然后，我禁用了有线连接并使用了华硕 PCE-AC68 无线(ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless)适配器。它连接到我家的 5GHz 无线连接，无线模式(wireless mode)设置为 802.11n + 802.11ac。从这个比较中，您将很好地了解从PC 上的有线以太网连接切换到(ethernet connection)无线(wireless one)连接时会丢失什么，以减少家中的电线。
但是，为了让您更好地了解ASUS PCE-AC68提供的性能，我还在Surface Pro 2上进行了相同的测试。两台设备同时连接到同一个网络。Surface Pro 2放在同一张桌子上，距离我的电脑几厘米。查看ASUS PCE-AC68(ASUS PCE-AC68)获得的结果并将它们与Surface Pro 2进行比较，这样您就可以很好地了解这款设备与笔记本电脑和平板电脑中的无线网卡相比的性能如何。(wireless network)
首先，我运行PingTest来评估我在所有测试场景中的Internet 连接质量。(Internet connection)正如您在下图中看到的那样，ping 回复(ping reply)和抖动（测量连续 ping 测试的差异）非常好，即使从有线连接转到无线连接也是(wireless one)如此。ping 回复(ping reply)仅增加了 1 毫秒，而平均抖动保持不变。使用华硕 PCE-AC68(ASUS PCE-AC68)的台式 PC 上的ping 回复(ping reply)比我的Surface Pro 2快 1 毫秒，而抖动则差 1 毫秒。
然后，我运行SpeedTest以测量我的Internet 连接(Internet connection)的下载和上传速度。我在所有测量中都使用了同一台服务器。如您所见，当从有线以太网连接(ethernet connection)到使用ASUS PCE-AC68的(ASUS PCE-AC68)无线连接时，(wireless one)下载速度(download speed)受到了很大的影响。下载速度(download speed)平均降低了 60% 。但是，上传速度保持不变，华硕 PCE-AC68 无线(ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless)适配器的性能仅比在我的 PC 上使用有线连接时好一点。
将相同测试的结果与Surface Pro 2进行比较时，您会看到华硕 PCE-AC68 的(ASUS PCE-AC68)表现如何。与放置在同一张桌子上、距离 PC 几厘米的Surface Pro 2相比，我在装有ASUS PCE-AC68的台式电脑上的下载速度提高(download speed)了 126% 。该无线适配器还设法提供了更好的上传速度。它比我的Surface Pro 2快 17% 。
最后，我使用LAN Speed Test Lite来测量在我的一台笔记本电脑之间传输 350 MB 文件时的(MB file)下载和上传速度。(download and upload speeds)笔记本电脑上有一个较旧的 SSD，它连接到同一个 5GHz 网络。
在我的台式电脑上使用华硕 PCE-AC68 无线(ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless)适配器时，平均上传速度比使用有线连接时慢 47%，比我的Surface Pro 2快 45% 。下载速度比使用有线连接时慢 34%，比我的Surface Pro 2快 5% 。
总而言之，这些都是非常好的结果，ASUS PCE-AC68 提供了一个高质量的无线适配器，能够比笔记本电脑和平板电脑上的传统无线网卡压缩更多的速度。(All-in-all, these are very good results and ASUS PCE-AC68 has provided that it is a high-quality wireless adapter, able to squeeze a lot more speed than traditional wireless network cards found on laptops and tablets.)
判决
ASUS PCE- AC68双频(ASUS PCE-AC68 dual-band)无线PCI-E 适配器(PCI-E adapter)是一款高级设备，适合那些想用无线连接代替有线网络连接的用户。它并不便宜，但它确实提供了非常好的性能。唯一的条件是您使用Windows，因为它不支持其他操作系统的驱动程序。ASUS PCE-AC68是一款高品质无线适配器(wireless adapter)，可提供尽可能高的速度。它很贵，但你买它不会出错。在我们所有的测试中，它设法提供了您可以从无线连接中挤出的最大容量。至少与传统的无线(wireless network)网卡相比。
Reviewing the ASUS PCE-AC68 PCI-Express Wireless Adapter for PCs
Have you considered removіng the network сables in уour house and going full-wireless, includіng оn your desktоp PCѕ? If you have, then you should consider purchasing a wireless adapter fоr your desktop computers. ASUS PCE-AС68 іs one such device that is аble to work with all modern wireless standards, including 802.11ac. We were very curious to test it and learn more about what you lose when you recplace уour wired Ethernet connection with a wireleѕs one. Wе also wanted to ѕee how well this device fares when compared to thе wireless network cards found in most laptops and tablets. Read this revіew to learn what we have found.
Unboxing the ASUS PCE-AC68 Wireless Adapter
The packaging for the ASUS PCE-AC68 focuses a lot on communicating the capabilities of this wireless adapter. Just by reading its box, you will learn a lot about what you are about to get from the device.
The unboxing process is easy and fast. Inside the box you will find the PCI-Express card, three antennas, the magnetic antenna base, the setup disc, some manuals and a bracket.
As you can see from the picture above, the device itself looks great and you will hardly wait to plug it in and see how well it works. The package includes everything you need and you won't have to buy any extra accessories.
Hardware Specifications for the ASUS PCE-AC68
As you would expect, this range extender is capable of working with all the modern wireless networking standards, including IEEE 802.11n and 802.11ac. It can operate in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies and it provides a theoretical maximum throughput of 600Mbps on the 2.4 GHz frequency and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz frequency. Be aware though that these speeds are theoretical and in real-life you will never achieve them. You will always have bottlenecks: your router, Internet connection, your PC and so on.
At the time when this review was published, ASUS PCE-AC68 had driver support only for Windows operating systems. On the setup disc bundled with it, you will find drivers only for Windows 7 and Windows 8. All its latest drivers, for all Windows versions, can be found here.
Also, if you would like to know its full set of specifications, read this page: PCE-AC68 Specifications.
Using the ASUS PCE-AC68 Wireless Adapter
Plugging in the ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless PCI-E adapter is just as easy as plugging in any other PCI-Express card. Then you have to connect the antennas to the card. You can connect them directly to the network card itself or you can use the magnetic antenna base. Connecting the antennas directly to the network card is a bit tricky if your desktop is crowded with lots of PCI-Express cards. Also, their positioning might not be great.
On the other hand, the magnetic antenna base is simply awesome. You can easily attach it to the case of your desktop computer, in any position you wish. Its only downside is the connection cable which is not long enough in my opinion. I have a computer desk which can be elevated and used both while standing and sitting. When I raise the height of my desk, I have to place the antenna base on the PC so that it doesn't fall.
If you try to use the setup disc included in the packaging, you will be disappointed by the fact that there is no setup.exe file with a friendly wizard to use. You are best served by downloading the drivers from its support page.
After you install its drivers, you can use the ASUS PCE-AC68 with the help of its Wireless LAN Control Manager. This is a nicely optimized application which uses very little memory (only 4 MB of RAM). It is very easy to use and set up.
With this tool you can connect to the wireless networks in your area, configure the networks you have connected to, use WPS for making connections and learn more about the status of your wireless connection, including details like the signal strength, the data rate and so on.
I have noticed that the ASUS PCE-AC68 doesn't detect or simply ignores wireless networks with very weak signal strength. For example, in my area I have more than a dozen wireless networks. Most of them have very poor signal strength. The ASUS PCE-AC68 displayed only the best 4 or 5 networks which have decent signal strength in my location.
After setting it up, using the ASUS PCE-AC68 is the same as using any wireless network card. You won't have any issues with using it and configuring the way it works.
Performance in Benchmarks
In order to evaluate the quality of the network connection provided by ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless adapter, I have run a series of tests on my desktop computer and my Surface Pro 2. My Internet connection was managed by an ASUS RT-AC68U router.
First, I ran all the tests on my desktop while using a 1 Gbps wired ethernet connection and measured the results. Then, I disabled the wired connection and used the ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless adapter. It was connected to my home's 5GHz wireless connection, with the wireless mode set to 802.11n + 802.11ac. From this comparison you will gain a good understanding of what you lose when switching from a wired ethernet connection on your PC to a wireless one, for the benefit of having less wires in your home.
But, in order to give you a good understanding of the performance provided by ASUS PCE-AC68, I also ran the same tests on my Surface Pro 2. Both devices were connected to the same network, at the same time. The Surface Pro 2 was placed on the same desk, centimeters away from my PC. Look at the results obtained by ASUS PCE-AC68 and compare them to the Surface Pro 2, so that you get a good idea of how well this device performs when compared to the wireless network cards found in laptops and tablets.
First, I ran PingTest to evaluate the quality of my Internet connection in all test scenarios. As you can see in the graph below, the ping reply and the jitter (the variance in measuring successive ping tests) were great, even when going from a wired connection to a wireless one. The ping reply has increased by only 1ms while the average jitter remained the same. The ping reply on my desktop PC with ASUS PCE-AC68 was 1ms better than on my Surface Pro 2 while the jitter was poorer by 1ms.
Then, I ran SpeedTest in order to measure the download and upload speeds of my Internet connection. I have used the same server in all of my measurements. As you can see, the download speed took a very big hit when going from a wired ethernet connection to a wireless one with ASUS PCE-AC68. The download speed was on average 60% lower. However, the upload speed remained the same and the ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless adapter performed just a bit better than when using a wired connection on my PC.
When comparing the results of the same test with the Surface Pro 2, you see just how well the ASUS PCE-AC68 performs. The download speed was 126% better on my desktop PC with ASUS PCE-AC68 than on my Surface Pro 2, placed on the same desk, centimeters away from the PC. This wireless adapter managed to deliver also a better upload speed. It was 17% faster than on my Surface Pro 2.
Lastly, I used LAN Speed Test Lite to measure the download and upload speeds when transferring a 350 MB file to and from one of my laptops. The laptop had an older SSD on it and it was connected to the same 5GHz network.
When using the ASUS PCE-AC68 wireless adapter on my desktop PC, the average upload speed was 47% slower than when using a wired connection and 45% faster than on my Surface Pro 2. The download speed 34% slower than when using a wired connection and 5% faster than on my Surface Pro 2.
All-in-all, these are very good results and ASUS PCE-AC68 has provided that it is a high-quality wireless adapter, able to squeeze a lot more speed than traditional wireless network cards found on laptops and tablets.
Verdict
The ASUS PCE-AC68 dual-band wireless PCI-E adapter is a premium device for those who want to replace their wired network connections with wireless connections. It is not cheap but it does deliver very good performance. The only condition is for you to use Windows as it doesn't have driver support for other operating systems. ASUS PCE-AC68 is a high-quality wireless adapter that delivers the maximum possible speed. It is pricey but you won't go wrong with buying it. In all of our tests, it managed to deliver the maximum you can squeeze out of a wireless connection. At least when compared with traditional wireless network cards.
