Alfa AWUS036NHR vs. AWUS036NH range/signal comparison test

Here we pit Alfa Network's new AWUS036NHR long range 802.11n wireless USB adapter vs. its predecessor- model AWUS036NH- in a head-to-head comparison range/signal test. We actually did quite a few tests and found this one to be most representative of the average result for each adapter. The range testing was performed indoors, on the same computer, using the same USB port, USB cable, and 5 dBi antenna to limit variables. All other Wi-Fi equipment was turned off in the building to minimize the impact of any frequency interference. The program used for testing was inSSIDer, running on a Windows 7 64-bit platform. The signal strength is shown in dBm. As dBm is measured in -format, it is important to note as an example that -67 is a stronger signal than -87. Oh yeah, both models can be purchased at http://store.rokland.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• awus036nhr
• awus036nh
• 802.11n
• wi-fi
• long range
• range testing
• wireless networking
• alfa

[Me102288]

coparing apples and orange's... of course the 802.11 N card is going to see more access points, simply because the 802.11 G 036H wont find the N access points.

And the other fact is the 036H is 1watt output and the 036NH is 2watts, bifg dif is Range.

[roklandtv]

@Me102288 this video compares two 802.11n models, the AWUS036NHR and the AWUS036NH

[MarkJansen01]

Guys, can you please compare the AWUS036NHR and AWUS036H?

I'd love to see how they both perform in the same scenario.

Thanks!

[roklandtv]

@MarkJansen01 we are planning to do a review of these two. I do not have an ETA. Feedback and internal use shows the 36H model picks up G signals a little better while the 36NHR is much better at picking up G signals than the 36NH. For best overall range we recommend the 36H right now, and the best 802.11n Alfa adapter is the NHR.

[SaganAppreciationSoc]

@roklandtv

Do you find that most N routers are typically password protected as compared to G or B routers?

[roklandtv]

@SaganAppreciationSoc Newer routers (which are all N standard) make more of a point to get users to password protect their networks during setup than older B and G ones. We don't have scientific data, but that fact- coupled with a greater effort by broadband services to get customers to password protect their networks- likely means more N networks will be password protected vs. B/G.

[juan8luna]

@roklandtv yeah i know i'm just asking if it is better than the awuso36h cause we all know that the awuso36nh is not better than the 36H when it comes to G networks. But on this test we saw that NHR picks up more G networks and have higher gain than the NH so maybe you can compare NHR and 36H on G networks.

[shafishaheer212]

awus036nhr can support grid antenna with pigtail cable?

[roklandtv]

@SaganAppreciationSoc the first part of the video demonstrates the range and signal of the Alfa AWUS036NH, while the second part shows the new model AWUS036NHR from the same location with same antenna. It allows viewers to see that the AWUS036NHR pulls in more signals with better signal strength at the test location. If you are unable to see the results of the tests on your screen because the numbers appear too small, you may need to increase the quality of the video to 720p+

[SaganAppreciationSoc]

Well that was a useless and pointless video. Nothing learned.

[roklandtv]

@juan8luna The 36H seems to pick up G signals a little better, but the NHR is better with N signals, and as the video demonstrates, it picks up both standards a lot better than Alfa's other 802.11n model, the AWUS036NH. We do suggest trying the newest driver from Alfa.com.tw for the NHR though as it offers improved reception to both G and N.