Wireless Card Adapters? (Mini PCIe to PCIe x1)

[Ethan819]

A really long time ago, I bought this wireless card.

I didn't realize that it was PCIe half-mini, which my mobo doesn't have. However, I was only planning on using it for some Bluetooth earbuds, which I lost. So, I forgot about the card, until I moved.

At my last house, I had an ethernet cable from my router directly to my PC. Now, the router is situated on a different floor than my PC. So, I bought a powerline adapter.(Netgear PLP1200-100PAS)

However, this offers a spotty connection, I suspect due to poor wiring. I tested it at my last house, and it worked fine, 3 green LEDs all the time. Now, the bottom one (indicating connection to the other unit) is usually red, but occasionally turns greens for a moment. At other times, the internet connection completely dies for a minute or two, before turning back on.

So, I would now like to use my wireless card as a backup. I would also like to look into some Bluetooth peripherals (For media. Not gaming, of course.) But, this leads me back to the problem above. I don't have a mini-PCIe slot on my mobo. I want to buy an adapter, but I have no idea what to buy. Are they all the same? Should I buy one with antennae? Do I need to buy a special card due to the half-height (is half-mini PCIe the same as mini PCIe?) I am especially curious about the antennae. I believe that the card has a built-in antenna, but I'm not sure. If so, will additional antennae improve range of WiFi, Bluetooth, both, or neither?

 

TLDR: Are all PCIe-mini to PCIe cards the same? What should I take into consideration when buying one? Will they all be compatible with my wireless card?

 

I really have no idea when it comes to wireless hardware, as I've always had the ability to go wired, and done so gladly. If this card is terrible (it probably is, it was $20) I will look into upgrading it in the future. But, I can find plenty of info on that myself.

 

EDIT: Removed everything but the TLDR, to hopefully get some replies.