7060, WiFi, External vs Internal Antenna

Welcome to the Dell Community  @rc07 

Internal vs External not much difference in performance or range.

The reason for the external antenna is if your desktop did not have any internal antenna wires installed or you could not purchase and install the internal antenna wires yourself.

If your desktop has the internal antenna wires just purchase the WiFi card.

If not purchase the WiFi card and external antenna.

Best regards,

U2

there are 2 choices

PCI-e slot wifi card with external antenna , short stub or even full sized antennas, endless choices even  dish. or yagi. yes antennas endless. (some folks like to use the free wifi next door a the holiday inn.. (funny folks)

or USB wifi, with short stub antenna, sold on fleabay for $4...  vast persons use  these, millions.(zillions)?

but next to your router not, 10feet not 50ft?  then a stub antenna works,  but not buried in a faraday cage, OK?

RF rules, wifi is radio. 2.4gHz and up,

my OptiPlex has aluminum full case. and that  forms RF "faraday" shield, (no RF out , none comes in) by design

and by Part 15 B, regs.  USA  FCC. ok?

that means only external antennas  work on metal desktops or those rare versions of desktops with plastic cases  but is coated on the inside with metal plating. for the same reason, part B regulations FCC. oK.

Also the antenna has a farther range and with that faster speeds.

that is how wifi works ok,

and the lowband the farthest of all.

license radio guy I am.  (credentials)

@savvy2 

Yes desktop cases are of a "Tempest" design!!!

That's why the antennas are mounted to the "OUTSIDE" of the case."The cables originate from the inside of the case."

Depending on the model and manufacture they could be mounted behind the "Front Plastic Bezel" or "Top Plastic Cover"

"Front Mount under Plastic Bezel"

"Top Mount under Plastic Bezel"

I have also seen one antenna mounted to the front and one mounted to the rear of a desktop.

Best regards,

U2

the OP never posted links to his buy list

so answers go to laws of physics (guessing above, is silly, so we do physics)

here is better, ( move the antenna out of the faraday cage metal confinement)

is this clear?

on laptops the antenna is moved to the LCD bezel; rim where no metalized plastic frame exists, By Design.

an rule 2,  higher is better. for range.

or go whole hog here and burn $14

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Antenna-PCI-E-300Mbps-300M-802-11b-g-n-Wireless-WiFi-Card-Adapter-for-Desktop/283481344792?hash=item4200ce0b18:g:KrYAAOSw8w1YAJyn

we pack this on vacation so if a LT PC wifi dies.(hw dies)

we pop this in and we win.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/600Mbps-USB-Wireless-WiFi-Network-Adapter-802-11n-g-b-LAN-Card-Dongle-w-Antenna/322276610787?hash=item4b092ed2e3:g:OrMAAOSwiuxb4lYa

behind air works best.

behind metal not. (faradays laws are not repealed.)

behind plastic is ok.

it's just radio propagation laws.  and 5ghz is worse, even thin walls block it easy. laws of physics all.

Hello I hope you can help me. I just got an Optiplex 7060 MT. I ordered the Intel 9560 separately hoping to add wifi+bluetooth to my system. Dell sent me the 9560 by itself (not even the screw to secure it) I also seem to be missing the antenna for this to work.

I contacted Dell, but so far no success (not even with support) to find out what I need to get to make this work.  I don't find anything on the manual on how to add antenna to my computer (only a visual of the computer's back showing the holes for some antenna.

Welcome to the Dell Community  @Palmvim 

You could try "Generic" Wifi cables and antenna.

Mini PCI-E Wifi Cable Antenna:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Pair-Internal-U-FL-Antenna-Cable-For-Laptop-Mini-PCI-E-Wifi-Card-Intel-7260HMW/253198975192?hash=item3af3d5c0d8:g:RgIAAOSwc1FZ2y3m

Then mount the antenna's on the exterior of the metal case.

Make sure the cables are long enough to reach the outside!!!

Best regards,

U2

Visible external MIMO antenna will have better range.