News

August 31, 2013

Alfa AWUS036NHR v2 (version 2) now in stock!

Alfa AWUS036NHR v2, the newest long range WiFi USB adapter from Alfa Network Inc. is now in stock.

AWUS036NHR v2 features a redesigned interior that enhances quality and functionality. Use it to get much better Wi-Fi range on your desktop or laptop PC. No built-in Wi-Fi card is required, this is a standalone Wi-Fi receiver. Featuring a high end Realtek RTL8188RU chipset, Alfa AWUS036NHR has markedly improved receive sensitivity compared to its predecessor, model AWUS036NH. If you have been holding out on upgrading your 802.11g standard Wi-Fi adapter or your store-bought basic power 802.11n adapter isn't getting it done, now is the time to end the holdout. Alfa's AWUS036NHR combines the fast speed of 802.11n with long range reception for both 802.11g and 802.11n WiFi standards.

Now includes Windows 8 install software on CD

AWUS036NHR will work with any computer that has an available USB port and Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8. It ships with a Linux driver, but this driver comes with no warranty or support. Linux is a user supported operating system and at this time we do no have install guides for specific Linux installs. We recommend searching online using the chipset name RTL8188RU to find out if this is compatible with your Linux distro.

This works on Microsoft Surface Pro tablets running Windows 8 (requires driver download) but does NOT work with Windows Surface RT tablets or other tablets/laptops running Microsoft Surface RT, which looks like Windows 8 but is actually a locked down version of Windows that does not support 3rd party drivers.

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February 24, 2012

Alfa UBDo-nt8: 150 mbps outdoor Wi-Fi client + 12 dBi antenna

If you have been in the market for an outdoor weather resistant Wi-Fi client, the new UBDo-nt8 from Alfa Networks is an excellent choice. It features a 150 mbps 802.11n wireless receiver built into an outdoor weather resistant casing. It contains two mast-o ring mounting rings and a 8 meter (~24 feet) USB cable with a special dual-Y USB connection end that goes into your computer (features both a power/data connector and a secondary power-only connector so that you can use 2 USB ports on your computer to provide full power to the device without needing an external power source for it). Read more...


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November 29, 2011

Alfa AWUS036NEH compatible with the Viewsonic VMP75

If you are an owner of the ViewSonic® NexTV® VMP75 Full HD 1080p network media player, you might be happy to know you can increase the range of your Wi-Fi connection with the AWUS036NEH long range wireless USB adapter from Alfa Network.



Alfa's AWUS036NEH is a sleek yet compact 802.11n Wi-Fi USB adapter with an external RP-SMA antenna port. You can use it with the included 5 dBi gain antenna, or upgrade the antenna should you require even longer range. Note the above images are not to scale with each other, the AWUS036NEH is smaller in size vs. the VMP75.


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October 28, 2011

Now available- Alfa AIP-W411 low-cost 802.11n wireless router/access point

Rokland now carries AIP-W411 from Alfa Network, a 150 Mbps Wireless 802.11n router designed specifically for small business, office and home networking. With a built-in 4-port Ethernet switch, and an RP-SMA antenna connector, AIP-W411 gives you everything you need at a fraction of the price of today's retail-shelf routers with similar features. You can connect the included 5 dBi gain antenna to the router, or use a higher gain antenna you already own or may plan to buy. Many of today's 802.11n routers do not have an external antenna port which means you cannot upgrade the antenna if you range requirements demand.



AIP-W411 also features an on/off switch. For most routers, in order to power-cycle (soft reset) or turn the router off you have to directly unplug it, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back into the wall. Having the on/off switch is more convenient and allows you to quickly turn off the router so you can conserve power if you will be out of town of don't plan on using the router for an extended period of time.

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September 29, 2011

Now available- Alfa AWUS036NHA high speed Wi-Fi receiver w/ Atheros Align® technology

Now in stock at Rokland- the Alfa AWUS036NHA, a high speed Wi-Fi USB adapter featuring the Atheros AR9271 chipset with Atheros Align® technology. AWUS036NHA offers better true throughput to your ISP compared to other Wi-Fi USB adapters. It is perfect for video streaming, large downloads, and online gaming.


More from the manufacturer:

"Atheros Align® technology leverages the 802.11n 1–stream specification to provide the optimal upgrade path from legacy 802.11 solutions. The single-stream feature enables a new class of Wi-Fi devices that deliver performance enhancements over the existing 802.11g technology, at comparable price points. Align® solutions are forward compatible to higher-performance, multi-stream, MIMO–based 802.11n, and are available in reference designs to serve the networking, PC and consumer electronics markets. The enhanced throughput of Align 1–stream solutions improves network efficiency by occupying the wireless channel for shorter periods than slower 11g devices – reducing congestion and increasing capacity for additional wireless devices."

Alfa AWUS036NHA is now in stock and available for immediate shipment. It comes with a 5 dBi gain external antenna, USB cable, and driver CD. It is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

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September 16, 2011

Wireless Network Efficiency Tip #1

Have you noticed your home Wi-Fi network has slowed down? Do you sometimes get dropped connections or are unable to connect to your network altogether? When this happens, it is normal to think there is a problem with your wireless network adapter or on-board laptop Wi-Fi card. You might even decide to buy a brand new one, thinking your old Wi-Fi card is broken.

In fact, many Wi-Fi connectivity problems can be solved just by restarting your Wi-Fi router and cable or DSL broadband modems. Wi-Fi routers are a lot like computers- they have on-board software (similar to how your computer has a hard drive with an operating system). Just like computers, over time with a number of different connections and operations running, they can slow down and even freeze up. The easiest way to reset a wireless router is to unplug it, wait about 20 seconds, and plug it back in. This does not erase any of your settings such as your network password. We also advise doing the same thing with your broadband modem. Wireless routers can also break down over time. So if you are having connectivity issues with your Wi-Fi router, try resetting it first. If the problems continue, before deciding if it is necessary to buy a new Wi-Fi card or adapter, have a friend or family member come over with their laptop and try to connect to your network. If they also have problems, your Wi-Fi card could be just fine and it may be time to replace the router.

If you find the computer that is hard-wired (connected via Ethernet cable) to your router works without issue but multiple computers in your home have trouble connecting to it wirelessly, that could also indicate a need to reset the router, or a problem with the router.The Ethernet component of wireless routers is a different part of the router from the Wi-Fi AP (access point) built into the router. Sometimes a wired connection may work just fine but a wireless connection will not. This is where doing a reset can help- it restarts the internal AP in the router, the same way rebooting your PC from time to time unloads your computer's internal memory and makes your computer run smoother.

As always, we recommend contacting a Rokland associate for further guidance to troubleshoot any Wi-Fi networking issues you may be experiencing.

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August 16, 2011

Alfa AWUS036NHR is Backtrack 5/Linux compatible

Alfa’s AWUS036NHR is Linux compatible. It also works with Backtrack 5 (BT5), but is not plug and play. Driver installation is needed (note: at this time it does not appear to be possible to get AWUS036NHR into monitor mode AND have 802.11n capabilities at the same time, see Alfa’s AWUS036NH or Rokland’s n3 for 802.11n and monitor mode capability in Backtrack 5).



The following is a quick-install guide for Linux users.
This should allow you to use your AWUS036NHR for Wi-Fi access in most recent Linux distributions running kernel 2.6.38, but as noted, monitor mode does not appear to be supported by this driver. Further down we have a link to a driver that is reported to allow you to use AWUS036NHR in monitor mode, but the corresponding web page notes the device will only have 802.11g functionality.

To install your Realtek RTL8188RU based AWUS036NHR in Linux, first download the driver here. The following steps were taken on an HP laptop running Backtrack 5, but the steps should be similar for other recent Linux distros.

*If you are not able to unzip the driver download file in Linux, you will need to download the file to a Windows computer to unzip and then copy the contents to your Linux computer via flash drive or another method.

1. When you have the files extracted on your Linux machine, open a terminal window and navigate to the location of the drivers.
2. Type ./install.sh to install the driver package
3. If installation completes successfully, then you can connect the Alfa adapter to the computer and open “Wicd Network Manager” from the Internet menu to connect to networks. Inside Wicd, click Preferences and change the network device to the AWUS036NHR adapter. If you are not sure of the device name, in a terminal window type “iwconfig” without quotes and it will list it there. Commonly the device will be called wlan0, wlan1, or wlan2 depending on whether you have other wireless cards installed on the computer.
4. If you receive a makefile error about “no rule to make target modules”, you may need to prepare kernel headers. As root, at the command line run these commands (you will need to have Internet access on the computer already):

prepare-kernel-sources

cd /usr/src/linux

cp -rf include/generated/* include/linux/

5. Upon completion, repeat step number 2 above to complete driver installation. Then connect the adapter to the computer and proceed to step 3.

URTWN Driver:

There is a driver called urtwn which specifies compatibility with RTL8188RU chipset-based devices, and allows for them to be put into monitor mode. The documentation for the driver explains that 802.11n functionality is not supported, so RTL8188RU devices will only operate in B/G mode. Rokland has not yet tried to use this driver with AWUS036NHR and is not able to offer installation assistance or support. You can visit this site for download information and more details:

http://resin.csoft.net/cgi-bin/man.cgi?section=4&topic=urtwn


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July 31, 2011

The Rokland n3: now just $34.97 with free shipping!

Our popular n3 wireless USB adapter from Rokland is now just $34.97 with free shipping. The n3 offers 802.11n functionality and an external RP-SMA antenna port for use with both indoor and outdoor external antennas.

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