two updates for Z-840 - wifi adapter and usb3.2

[hput3]

Wanting to add two items to an Z840.  A wifi adapter and usb3.2 adapter.

Just wanting to hear about few of both kinds of items that are known to work with Z-840s/

I'm usually a little lost looking for stuff like this with know real idea if what I find is going to work on my hardware.

A few recommendations on wifi adapters and usb 3.2 adapters would help that immensely 

[DGroves · Accepted solution]

i've previously commented on upgrades to the z820 on this subject and they apply to the z840 also

most usb controllers are shared in that all of the usb ports "share" the available total bandwidth of 5MBps

however there are several high end usb 3.0 controllers that incorporate a PLX switch and are pci-e x4 or x8 cards

 that allow each usb port on the card to run at 5GBps or 10GBps

Highpoints rocket 1444/1344 usb cards are one such product line

(i've used the 3.0 four port 5/10GBps models personally)

https://www.highpoint-tech.com/product-page/rocketu-1344a

older revisions of this card do show up on ebay for around 40-70 dollars and work fine on windows regardless of the revision

for wifi again i personally recommend the intel AX-210 series they can be a laptop type card placed in a pci-e card or a dedicated pci-e card  (useful) for future upgrades)

https://www.amazon.com/OKN-2974Mbps-Bluetooth-802-11AX-Wireless/dp/B07X462KRK?source=ps-sl-shoppinga...

https://www.amazon.com/802-11ax-MU-MIMO-Extended-5400Mbps-Miracast/dp/B08QCZ6FBG?source=ps-sl-shoppi...

dedicated card (can't be upgraded)

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-AX210-NGWG-Bluetooth-Wireless-Network/dp/B09X683Y8D 

[SDH]

There is such a mishmash of USB options now. You talking about 10G or 20G? Type-A port or Type-C port? I'd get one of the RocketU brand USB 3.2 Gen2 cards that he recommends. They have multiple cards and DGroves may like a particular one if you want USB-C form factor port(s) on the card. Then there's the cables...

A little while back I worked on a project to get the very nice HP wireless card they make for these more modern workstations working and it turns out the PCIe card they use is available for low cost recycled on eBay. That same PCIe card has been used for years now, as has the antenna set. Plus, the Intel WiFi/Bluetooth add-in module is available, and a very specific one is used by HP, and recommended by DGroves. A summary post is available HERE . This is what I'm using in our ZX40 and ZX G4 workstations when we need wireless. Note that if you don't need Bluetooth you don't need an interface cable to attach the card to your motherboard's internal USB2 header. Wireless goes through the PCIe bus and BT goes through the USB path.

[hput3]

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@DGroves wrote:

i've previously commented on upgrades to the z820 on this subject and they apply to the z840 also

most usb controllers are shared in that all of the usb ports "share" the available total bandwidth of 5MBps

however there are several high end usb 3.0 controllers that incorporate a PLX switch and are pci-e x4 or x8 cards

 that allow each usb port on the card to run at 5GBps or 10GBps

Highpoints rocket 1444/1344 usb cards are one such product line

(i've used the 3.0 four port 5/10GBps models personally)

https://www.highpoint-tech.com/product-page/rocketu-1344a

At the link posted I see something puzzling: The add says it is usb3.2 but when you press the "show more"  link it only talks about usb 3.1.  Makes me hesitate to order it.  I didn't see a quick way to contact them to ask.

Many thinks to all poster and especially  @DGroves  who has shown his characteristic thoroughness.

[DGroves]

here's a basic breakdown on current  usb speeds

USB 3.2 was previously known as USB 3.1 and USB 3.0. The USB-IF rebranded USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 to USB 3.2 Gen 1 to simplify naming conventions. 

Explanation

• USB 3.2 Gen 1 has a data transfer speed of 5 Gbps. 
• USB 3.2 Gen 2 has a data transfer speed of 10 Gbps. 
• USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 has twice the throughput of USB 3.2 Gen 2. 
• USB 3.2 is a separate bus from USB 2.0. 
• USB 3.2 data and USB 2.0 data run on different conductors in the cable and connector. 
• USB 3.2 is supported by the latest macOS, Linux, and Windows operating systems. 
• USB 3.2 is available in USB-A, USB-C, and microUSB interfaces. 
• USB Type-C is a connector type that is compatible with USB 3.2 and other USB standards. 

USB Type-C connectors can carry up to 5 A of current and 100 W of power. The USB PD 3.1 standard, released in 2021, increased the power transfer capability to 240 W. 

  note that usb 3.2 2x2 is only available in USB "C" connector

and the total cable length must be under 3m/10ft for all speeds

very few things need/are 20GBps i personally recommend usb 3.2 gen 2 10GBps capable cards

• USB 3.2 Gen 1

  Also known as USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 Gen 1, this has a maximum transfer speed of 5 Gbps.
• USB 3.2 Gen 2

  Also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2, SuperSpeed+, or SuperSpeed 10Gbps, this has a maximum transfer speed of 10 Gbps.
• USB 3.2 Gen 2x2

  Also known as USB 3.2 SuperSpeed 20Gbps, this has a maximum transfer speed of 20 Gbps.

USB 3.2 also supports multi-lane operation, which allows for up to two lanes of 10 Gbps operation to achieve a 20 Gbps data transfer rate.