Alfa 500mW AWUS036H USB Wireless Adapter 802.11 b/g Network Radio Card. Includes 2dBi Omni Antenna

10 Review to this product

• 

  J. Wolfe
  August 25th, 2010 on 5:03 am

  Rating

  This gadget is a truly amazing device for picking up WiFi signals from a lot further away than is normally possible. WiFi is a wireless internet connection technology which normally works over a maximum distance of 100 – 200 metres (300 – 600ft). Due to the fact that this device features a much more sensitive aerial receiver, as well as a much stronger transmitter, it greatly extends the distance you can connect to a WiFi hotspot. Most laptops have a built in 50mW WiFi transmitter, so at 500mW this one is 10 times as powerful. With the Alfa, you *might* expect to still be able to connect to WiFi hotspots 2 – 3 km (1 – 2 miles) away, sometimes further. For the process of ‘wardriving’ (connecting to free WiFi hotspots on your travels), this device would seem ideal.

  It connects to your computer using a standard USB cable, which means you can keep your laptop in a convenient location, while clipping the adaptor somewhere where the reception is better – such as next to your window. Assuming that you already have an internet connection, it will automatically find and download it’s own drivers (It identifies itself to the computer as a Realtek RTL8187 Wireless Network Adaptor). There are specialist drivers for many different operating systems (Eg. Mac / Linux) available from the Alfa website at [...], and you should definitely consider using one of these drivers if it fails to automatically install.

  I work on a cruise ship where the only standard connection is via a satellite, and the internet is correspondingly very expensive. I bought this WiFi extender to see if I could connect to free WiFi hotspots in our ports of call – without leaving the ship!! I’ve previously tried to connect to WiFi hotspots using my laptop’s built in WiFi, but the distances are usually too great and connection is usually very slow (or drops out completely after a few seconds of use). I’ve only been using the Alfa for a couple of weeks, but it has completely revolutionized my browsing habits. My cruise ship goes to 8 different ports of call in 2 weeks, and I am now able to find free WiFi hotspots in 7 out of 8 ports. Often I am able to connect whilst still inside my cabin, by placing the adaptor next to the cabin porthole. If that is not possible, I go to the front of the ship and sit on the deck-chairs.

  Browsing performance is usually fast and responsive, more so if there is a single obvious hotspot to connect to. If you are in the centre of town where there are many different hotspots available, you will need a good strong one which stands out from the crowd. A clear line of sight to the WiFi hotspot is also useful, as buildings and/or mountains will usually degrade the signal significantly. My cabin on the ship is 20 metres (60ft) above the sea, so I usually get a good line of sight. At this slightly raised elevation, the performance of the device is usually good, and sometimes exceptional. I have easily connected to WiFi hotspots 2 – 3km (1 – 2 miles) away, and browsed with broadband speeds. At its most breathtaking, the ship was cruising up the east coast of Mexico, and I was able to connect and (slowly) browse some of the free beach resort WiFi’s in Cancun – and that was at least 12km (8 miles) away.

  I did mention that you needed a good strong WiFi signal which stands out from the crowd. Not all hotspots transmit with the same power – some are weak and some are strong. Grand Cayman is a good example of why you can still have difficulty finding a WiFi hotspot when there are still loads of them around. Cayman is well developed and there is a WiFi hotspot on every corner and hotel. Using a WiFi sniffing program (InSSIDer) and the Alfa, I was able to count more than 200 WiFi signals probably covering the entire west of the island. Normally, with the WiFi signal degrading beyond 100 – 200 metres, the different hotspots don’t interfere with each other. With the Alfa able to find literally hundreds of hotspots, and with those hotspots using the same channels and frequencies, I think there is a lot of interference with each other and this slows the internet connection and makes it difficult to connect. In Grand Cayman, 500 metres away from about 20 – 30 relatively weak hotspots, I had difficulty connecting to any one of them. So, rather counter-intuitively, in a built up area with multiple weak hotspots, you might be better off walking closer to a hotspot you know, unplugging your Alfa, and using your laptop’s weaker built-in WiFi.

  Hints & Tips… With the WiFi signal travelling over such long distances, and with the greater possibility of signal interference or dropout, there is likely to be more variability in your browsing experience. Sometimes you will be able to connect; Sometimes not. Sometimes you will be browsing at broadband speeds; sometimes at telephone dial-up speeds. The message to take away is to keep persevering. Sometimes a hotspot will appear to reject your connection, but try a few more times and eventually it may connect. Sometimes waiting an hour will make all the difference.

  Are there any disadvantages? It’s difficult to think of any, but at 500mW, you have to presume that it eats up your laptop battery much faster than the built in WiFi adaptor. Another thing: Just because you can connect to a WiFi hotspot, doesn’t mean that it will be free !!!

  Anyway, I believe I can wholeheartedly recommend this device, especially if you are trying to connect to a WiFi signal which would otherwise be too far away.
• 

  Jim_in_VA
  August 25th, 2010 on 3:44 pm

  Rating

  Talk about versatility …this adapter can be configured as an access point as well. With a EVDO/HSPA air card from Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, AT&T etc. plugged into your computer,along with the Alfa adapter, you can share the connection with multiple computers wirelessly just as if you were using an expensive EVDO/HSPA router.

  You can configure all the same security, and with the superior range this has it will put other 80211.G wireless routers to shame. With the RP-SMA antenna port there is an extensive selection of powerful directional and omni-directional antennas you can add. It is a brilliant product made even better by its ability to be an Access Point. [...]
• 

  Uncle Don
  August 26th, 2010 on 5:42 pm

  Rating

  This adaptor solves the many problems inherent in wireless cards. Sure, they make high power wireless cards, but the strongest only go up to 300mw. The antenna connections are so weak on the wireless cards, they tend to break off and become useless in just a few days.
  
  This adaptor is the strongest on the market: 500mw. It plugs into your USB port, enabling you to use high gain antennas connected directly to the sturdy adaptor.
  
  The results: Amazing. You’ll find active links you never knew existed in any geographic area previously searched.
  
  The software is simple to install, and the functionality of the adaptor’s program is fantastic.
  
  I wish I had found about this when it was first released. I wasted much too much time with my other “high power” PC card adaptors.
  
  Don’t hesitate to buy this product!
• 

  John R. Barker
  August 26th, 2010 on 9:34 pm

  Rating

  Like many others I was skeptical, if for no other reason than the cheap looking graphic and the price drop from $220 to 38.99.

  My situation -

  I recently received a new Dell desktop and I’ve had problems with weak signal reception in my office. Previous to that I’ve worked on Dell laptops in my office with 4 bar access. The desktop was only receiving 1-2 bars with frequent losses of reception.

  I was tempted to give this product fewer stars only because I had a difficult time configuring it – which is to say with a lack of clear instructions written in plain English and my own desire to make it harder that it really is, I spent almost 3 hours trying to get it to work.

  Here’s all you need to do –

  1 Attach antennae to unit.
  
  2 Plug in USB cable to unit and to computer
  
  3 Windows Vista automatically downloaded the latest driver for me. (I didn’t need to install the software that comes with it and the “old” wireless device still works.
  
  4 “Connect or disconnect” to your network using the wireless network icon in the lower right corner of your screen (two monitors and a globe) – if you already have a wireless device installed you may need to scroll to see there’s a new one. Disconnect your current connection with your old device by clicking on the correct icon, then connect to the network using “Wireless Connection 2″.

  I went from 1-2 bars to solid 5 bar connectivity. Everything’s working great now – finally. It works well and I’m happy. I nearly spent $100 plus tax for a booster at Staples, so this is a great deal.
• 

  Hermit
  August 27th, 2010 on 7:05 am

  Rating

  I just moved into a basement studio apartment in the downtown area of my little coastal city. I was able to pick up 2 unsecured signals, but only got 1 bar for each and could only connect intermittently and at very slow rates. I almost got my own service at $50 / month, but thought I would try this product first to see if it would help boost the signal.

  Well, I just got it today. Came straight home from the post office and tried it out on my Acer Extensa 4420 Laptop that has Vista on it. Plugged it into the USB port, put the CD in and it installed without a problem. I just installed the driver (not the software) and it worked with my existing system flawlessly. At my desk I used to be able to detect a signal but not connect to it. After installing this software and putting the antenna on top of my desk (so about 5ft in the air or ground level from my apartment), I went from 1 bar to 3 bars and was connected right away and started getting 1 – 1.5 meg speeds! Now I’m able to watch youtube shows, VIP shows and movies online without problem. The signal is strong and fast enough for everything I need without worry. Its great!

  So then I tried installing the antenna on my Acer One Netbook that has XP on it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a workable driver online, and so I just copied the files on the CD to a jump drive and then put those on my netbook. It would not detect the driver as my Vista laptop did, so I had to install from the files I got from the disk. This did install the driver and software and I was able to get online. Unfortunately, I have to use the software that came with it and I really don’t like it very much. But beggars can’t be choosers, right? Now, over on my sofa (where I usually sit and do my work) I am able to get 1/2 meg with the antenna sitting on my desk. If I put it on the back of the sofa or on top of a peanut can, I get the 1 -1.5 megs and the connection works great. I’m using it right now!

  Love this product. Absolutely recommend it if you have free hotspots available to you but the signal is too weak. This took me from 1 bar to 3 bars and gave me a strong enough signal that I do not have to get my own service and can save $50 / month. Very nice.
• 

  D. D. Dupont
  August 28th, 2010 on 8:26 pm

  Rating

  This USB wireless adapter is easy to install and it works just as advertised. To install on Windows XP, first plug the device into a USB port, and the “install wizard” will pop up and tell you that you should insert the CD that comes with the adapter. Go ahead and put the CD into your CD drive, and tell the wizard to look for the driver on that drive. Then just follow the wizard to the end, and your adapter will be ready to use. The whole installation process takes under two minutes.

  Like others who have commented here, I instantly got much improved reception. I was using a Linksys USB adaptor that could barely detect a signal in the downstairs corner of my house. With this new high power adapter, I am getting an excellent signal (I went from one bar to five bars in the reception).

  I tried other “range boosting” solutions and they didn’t work. This one does, and it’s easy to install.
• 

  R. Mallery
  August 28th, 2010 on 9:26 pm

  Rating

  This is the only WiFi adapter I have found in its size and price range that works better then the internal WiFi that came installed in my laptop. It does not perform miracles but it does greatly improve weak or non-existent signals in hotel rooms and other public locations. It works exactly as promised and it was exactly what I had been looking for for months.
• 

  C. Mondo
  August 30th, 2010 on 4:27 pm

  Rating

  This adapter really does improve signal strength. I had a D-link DWL-G550 PCI card, and the ALFA has considerably increased my connectivity. The power makes a difference.

  The software utility is also very nice. You can set it to work as an AP or client, and it provides lots of info and good control over your wireless situation. There is a newer driver version on the Realtek website that you can download.

  I did experience a problem with the driver + utility package though, because it seems the utility on their site is older than the one on my CD? (I didn’t look into this too much because it works anyway, but when i uninstalled BOTH utilities – yes, they created seperate installs – then re-installed what i had from the CD it gave me the newer utility version, but after updating only the driver it then displayed the older utility version.. weird)

  Also of interest: this adapter uses a RP-SMA antenna connector. The connector has threads on the outside and a prong sticking out in the middle. So if you’re ordering a seperate antenna, make sure you get one that screws ONTO this; one with threads on the inside, and a hole in the inside. See [..]
• 

  A reviewer
  August 30th, 2010 on 7:25 pm

  Rating

  I was skeptical of this item because of the inflated claims (“strongest on the market”) but I was pleasantly surprised when I hooked it up and saw significant signal increases on every wireless network in the vicinity. I had previously tried a Hawking HWUN1 and Hawking is supposed to have an excellent reputation, but this vastly outperformed it! It’s very simple to install too, just follow the enclosed instructions. Also, you can easily add a more powerful external antenna if you need even more range (I use Hawking’s HA12W). One thing to be aware of, this unit has the wireless adapter built-in so you should disable your computer’s internal wireless adapter if it has one before hooking this up.
• 

  Bent
  August 31st, 2010 on 6:47 am

  Rating

  This is a really good product for increasing the range of your wireless desktop or laptop, I have a netbook and the wlan card in it is good when I’m at home and on my home network but out in public it sucks. So i got the range extender and picked up about three more bars vs the the stock card. Setup was easy in windows and in linux. I couldn’t be more satisfied.