Customer Reviews

Alfa AWUSO36NH High Gain USB Wireless G / N Long-Rang WiFi Network Adapter

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I was having difficulty getting a good connection to a Linksys access point in my home (802.11g). The distance from my PC isn't actually all that far (just a couple of rooms), but apparently the walls in between and/or the low power (?) signal from the router resulted in reception hovering around 2 bars on both my laptop's built-in wireless and my desktop PC's Netgear WPN111 USB adapter (internal antenna).

Ping times to other machines on my local home network were all over the board, 5ms, 100ms, 1500ms, time-outs, it was pretty terrible. Playing online games was out of the question. PingTest.net gave me a grade "F"

So, after looking around a bit on the net and hearing generally good things about these Alfa units, I picked up this 2watt 802.11n-compatible one (figured I might be on N networks in the future).

I plugged in the Alfa, let Windows find and install drivers (I still had my Netgear USB attached at this point, to let it connect to Windows Update if needed), removed the Netgear, set up the network connection using Windows's built-in functions (didn't bother with installing Alfa's drivers/utility)...

...boom! Immediately gets 4 bars. I moved the adapter around a bit and got it to stay at 5 bars.
Local network pings are consistently <1ms and PingTest tells me "grade A." It's like night and day.

I can't say for certain if I really needed a "strongest on the market" adapter, or if any random adapter with an external antenna might have worked, but in any case, this solved all my problems very easily and didn't cost much.

For reference, the machine I'm using it on is running Windows 7 64-bit.
PingTest.net results are of course dependent on your internet connection on top of your local connection.

As the happy owner of an Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW wireless adpater, I purchased the Alfa AWUS036NH 2000mW wireless adpater for my second computer expecting to be ecstatic.

Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the 2000mW adapter has more difficulty finding, acquiring, and maintaining connections to wireless access points than does the less expensive, supposedly less powerful 1000mW adapter.

Regardless of the combinations of cables, antennas, computers, locations, and updated drivers I tried, the 2000mW adapter consistently found fewer than half as many access points and reported far lower signal strength than did the 1000mW adapter.

Assuming that I'd received a defective item, I contacted a customer service agent at DB Roth who politely handled my call and promptly shipped a replacement adapter.

Unfortunately the second AWUS036NH performed just as badly as the first. Since both 2000mW adapters had exhibited the same behavior and the 1000mW adapter performed perfectly (as has been similarly reported by other Amazon.com customers), I have decided to exchange the 2000mW adapter for the less expensive 1000mW adapter.

DB Roth customer service has been extremely helpful. In spite of a brief misunderstanding over shipping charges, Bianca in customer service deserves very high marks.

Sadly, I can't say the same for the Alfa 2000mW adapter.

I share wireless signal from my neighbor's router, I have an old linkSys WUSB11 works ok for years, usually I get two bars on signal strength. Bought a new PC with Windows 7, also need a new adapter which supports Windows 7, I bought a LinkSys WUSB100 because it is a name brand and my previous LinkSys WUSB11 works ok. Not quite, the WUSB100 only get one bar and some times two bars on signal strength. Switched to NetGear WP111, this one works better than the WUSB100, but just marginally better. Based on Amazon reviews, try this Alfa adapter, installed the drive, connected the signal, immediately I got three bars on signal strength, it does work better than other adapters. Only one thing is, the one I bought came with the original antenna and a 15 inches 9db antenna, the 9db antenna make no different and actually worst.
Update, 9/29/2010, I saw reviews on the AWUS036H (1000mw) which is lower end model than this one. Many people claim it works better. So I give it a try, yes, it is absolute better, I got 5 bars instead 2-3 bars, the cheaper lower end model did work better. Don't waste your money just go get the AWUS036H instead, don't border to get the 9db antenna too.

Out of the box works with Windows 7 x64, and Backtrack 4 R1 (vmware), I didn't even have to install the drivers just plug and play. Picked up 9 more access points then the stock wireless (Intel Wireless 4965AGN) in my laptop. I don't have any other usb adaptor to compair it to but I am going to buy the Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW to compair it with this one, also I do need 1 more wireless adaptor. I bought this mostly to pentest with Backtrack 4, and it works great with it. I only tried it on BT4 R1 wmware, I have not tried it with others.

Also I bought this after reading this from alfa's website.

"This AWUS036NH vs. Alfa's popular AWUS036H 802.11g adapter: We have compared this model to the 1-watt AWUS036H adapter from Alfa. This model pulled in more signals than the AWUS036H. However the AWUS036H was getting stronger signals to many of the access points both could detect. Not a great deal stronger, but enough to indicate the AWUS036H 1-watt adapter has a better receive sensitivity for 802.11g networks. The AWUS036H is only 802.11g standard though, whereas this AWUS036NH is 802.11n standard and can get longer ranges and faster speeds when used with 802.11n standard access points. Because 802.11n is a newer standard, many of the access points around you (in neighborhoods or places you travel) will still be 802.11g. However over the next year, many technology publications indicate that a high number of people and businesses will be upgrading their wireless networks to 802.11n to meet the growing need for faster speeds. The AWUS036NH will work with these new 802.11n signals as they begin to spring up everywhere, and will work with them better and faster than the AWUS036H and other long range Wi-Fi products on the market today. If you are trying to decide between the AWUS036H and the AWUS036NH, what it boils down to is how you want to use the product. If you plan on using mostly with 802.11g signals and are trying to get the strongest signal strengths, the AWUS036H may be the best option. If you are trying to get the best range, or will be using with 802.11n access points, the AWUS036NH is the best option. "

I hope this will help someone else out.

I have 2 of these units.

One for travel with my emachine netbook, the other for a desktop pc that needed better range AND needed 802.11N capabilities.

I tested several software utilities with this device; to try and reach objective results.

I used Passmark's Wireless Mon and Xirrus' WiFi inspector.

Most of my usage was with the netbook and during on-the-road travel with the netbook.

Using the netbook's built-in atheros wireless NIC, I did okay with 802.11b/g when I was fairly close in proximity.

When I switched my wireless adapter to use the alfa 2000mw , I would often come close to doubling the amount of APs available for connection [this naturally depends on your locale and available APs within that particular area].
[Example: in one major shopping center in my area, I initially picked up only the "major, well-known" WiFi sites like Mcdonalds, Village inn, and other fast food joints offering WiFi, when using my netbook's atheros NIC. Upon switching to the Alfa device, I then found hot-spots like
the B&N bookstore about 1/2 mile away, a few local hotels, some gas stations and household
APs /routers]


I have a friend that works in RF and has the equipment that can analyze and measure the actual capabilities of this device.
Rather than dwell on "subjective" results; I plan to give one of my devices to him for an "objective" and "measurable" RF analysis this coming week.

I will update my review when I get the results for sensitivity and power, in regards to the capabilities of this devices for 802.11b, g and n.

My review of the Alfa AWUS036NH 802.11n WIRELESS-N USB Wi-Fi adapter 2 watt.

I needed an adapter/antenna that could pull in wifi signals in my apartment complex. My internal Atheros chipset was mediocre at best. I bought a NetGear usb card that said it was really powerful only to find that it was worse than my Atheros chip set. The Alfa AWUS036NH 802.11n WIRELESS-N USB Wi-Fi adapter 2 watt promised an dramatic increase to pulling wifi signals to my computer.

For the most part it has done what it promised. I couldn't get a signal into my apartment at all before I bought the card. Now I am getting some gain. The card itself boosted my gain 2 to 10 points depending on where you use it. I also made a signal dish out of aluminum foil, a plastic collander and a old CD to reflect and to hold the suction cup attachment. That really helps the USB card to pull signal. Don't think that when you buy this card that it will be a miracle cure but it will help. For under $50 it is a significant stop gap. J

Buggy drivers, overheats, intermittent operation,
the "high gain" 13 inch antenna gives less signal
than the shorter one included in the package.
I replaced it with a Gsky 500mW USB wifi adaptor
that I bought from Amazon, MUCH better, stable, and
stronger signal, compact antenna.

I am using this device on a desktop computer which is located in the SW corner of the lower level of our house. The router (Linksys G) is on the NE corner of the upper level of our house. With my old Linksys wireless USB adaptor I was getting a signal strength of 2 bars, sometimes 3 bars. With this 2 watt device I am getting 5 bars, sometimes drops to 4 bars. My speed is now 15 mb download, with the old device it was around 5 mb download. It is now running at the same speed as the computer upstairs, which is hard wired to the router. I did have some trouble installing the driver from the CD that they sent me. It did not work automatically - I had to go into the CD and run the software manually to install the driver for the device. No other problems.

I bought this adapter because of 2000mw power, thought it will give me better signal. I was so wrong. my 500mw alfa b\g adapter does better job than this 2000mw.There is no option for you to adjust the b\g\n signal.I was picking up linksys G router from another house about 200ft away. The 500w b\g adapter has no problem surf on the internet,but the 2000mw keep hanging no web page able to pull in.The n adapter does pull in more acess point. I can't tell it work better on n network , all the n network in the area have security key. I'm hoping alfa would update the driver that give you option to select the b\g\n signal.

This piece of #@&* may or may not work. You pay your money and you take your chances.

ESPECIALLY avoid Alliance-Data because they really don't care if it works or not as long as they get your money.....