Wireless: works, but way too slow. Also: what's a good wireless card?

[abalone]

First off: I've never tried wireless at home before, and only once abroad. Please bear with me.

Problem: A measly 255 kbit/s downstream on an otherwise functioning 16 mbit/s ADSL line. Even the wireless router/ADSL modem's own config webpage loads at some abysmal dialup-modem-like rate. Once in, the config page reports 17693kBit/s, so I suppose the problem's "inside the room". wicd reports a signal strength of 49%/-66 dBms. Shouldn't that be more, at 3-4 metres and almost in line of sight? Could this be the problem?

Hardware: I'm using a Speedport W 500 wireless router/ADSL modem from my ISP. I've set it up to use 802.11g, WPA2 with preshared key, 100% signal strength, and channel 13. I also tried 802.11b/g, WPA/WPA2 with preshared key, and channel 11. Firmware is the latest version, updated for 16 mbit. I'm using the Ralink 25something PCI card that came with the motherboard, an ASUS A8V Deluxe Wi-Fi g.

Software: There're wicd, wicd-client, wicd-monitor processes running. I have the wpa-supplicant package installed, though I don't know if I have to. I connect using the wicd-client GUI, wext driver, and "WPA/WPA2 with preshared key".

I don't know what to try anymore. Please help.

edit: see below, and changed title to match

[abalone]

Re: Wireless: works, but way too slow. Also: what's a good wireless card?

Wifi PCI card's little rubber antenna has a broken cable, though I don't know if that only happened right now while I was trying to see if it was screwed on properly (all that twisting).

Now, given all the problems people seem to have with wireless, what'd be an unproblematic replacement?

[Detonate]

Re: Wireless: works, but way too slow. Also: what's a good wireless card?

Check out:

http://www.ubuntuhcl.org/

[abalone]

Re: Wireless: works, but way too slow. Also: what's a good wireless card?

Thanks, that looks like a good resource.