Alfa AWUS036NHV ?!

Yes, because it has MIMO, which on 2.4Ghz is generally "a good thing" to have.

 

Yes, well just when everyone is still busy playing with their new 036NHV (including me) I just found this :

http://www.alfanete.eu/en/alfa-awus036nhc-b-g-n-150mbps-wifi-usb-adapter-cd.html

AWUS036NHC. Anyone know anything about this model ?

Adapter with built-in signal amplifier. Sort of looks semi-official too being at the European Alfa Site.

There are other models too like AWUS036EAC (same as 036AC but without the removable antennas).

Here is the complete list of Wireless USB adapters there :

http://www.alfanete.eu/en/wireless-lan/wireless-usb-adapter/

So..... are these all upcoming models, or is this site just a scam ?

BTW. I posted drivers 1026.12 today from 30/06/14 in the 036AC/036NHV driver section for any one who wants to update. UI is 1.00.0244.

(They work well on my 036NHV and also my NHR v2's, they are currently the newest Realtek 11n drivers I could find ANYWHERE.)

1026.12 Changelog

Version:
1026.7.0108.2014

1. Fix BT halt process.
2. Improve 8821AU firmware download flow.
3. Enhance adaptivity mechanism.

Version:
1026.8.0211.2014

1. Fix FCS issues.
2. Fix SoftAP issues.
3. Add EFUSE cloud key.
4. Fix scan issues.

Version:
1026.9.0312.2014

1. Fix BSOD when plug two NICs.
2. Fix P2P issue when LPS.

Version:
1026.10.0403.2014

1. improve 8723BU throughput.
2. Fix BSOD when reset request.

Version:
1026.11.0513.2014

1. Fix connect failure via WPS.
1. Fix BSOD when switch wireless mode.

Version:
1026.12.0606.2014

1. Fix adaptivity issue.
2. Enable WPP trace.
3. [CU] Support 1T1R config.
4. Fix AP IOT for bi-direction throughput.
5. Add connected standby support for dedicated IC.
6. Revise Channel plan for EFUSE definition 57H.
7. [CU] Fix BSOD for dedicated customer's requirement.
8. Support coinstaller for AC mode selection.
9. Fix 0x133 bugcheck when restart

 

Yes, I noticed that too also on my NHV but forgot to mention it...

It's also a faster driver when used on the NHR v2 as well as things go.

So they're keepers for me, I'm actually using them myself. They are from late June so I would have expected at least some improvements since 1026.xx unification for Win 8.1.

They still don't work quite properly on WinXP though, when not using Windows Zero Config mode. But then nothing after xx.0240 Realtek GUI does. Standalone driver on XP, or using it by XP Windows config instead of realtek profiles is fine. Only issues are on XP. Alfa CD ones 1026.7 on XP will be broken with this XP issue as well, that's why they provided 1024.6 instead.

I couldn't find any newer driver than this 1026.12 one I linked anywhere else at present.

 

Another thing I learned today about the 036NHV is it doesn't like active USB extensions at all. It prefers stable clean power, and preferably a powered USB hub.

In fact in this configuration ran several feet across an Active USB extension it won't even power on, AT ALL.

All my other adapters on the .sig below will work with this Active USB extension cable I have, even the 036NHR v2, the only other adapter to give me trouble when ran like this over several feet is the creaking 036H v5, but even then, the adapter would appear, work for some time, then disappear forcing a re-plug.

The 036NHV won't even power up or work at all in this config ! Therefore since the 036NHR v2 works fine on an extension, as does the 036NHA, and the 036NH+051NH, I conclude the NHV is even somehow more greedy for power, or intolerant to voltage sag across an active USB extension unlike the others.

 

The NHR v2 doesn't actually need a Y cable, nor did the 036H, except for use on some old laptops from the 1990's that didn't provide enough rated power to their USB ports, and some of the NHR's will ship without it.

I know because I got 2 brand new ones, and one was sealed in a box with a single cable. My NHR's also work on a single cable across an active 20ft USB extension without issues.

Also considering the NHV has -7 to +13 for CCX TX power range as opposed to -7 to +7 on the NHR it's entirely plausible why the adapter is shutting down using an extension, but I can't prove it without some kind of power meter.

I'm just reporting the discovery that the NHV won't work at all on my active USB extension whereas all the other adapters do. This could either be increased power draw being unavailable due to the voltage sag (which affects all USB extensions anyway, the longer they are), or some kind of incompatibility with active USB extension cables.

I also need to add, that if you want the GUI installed in those 1026.12 drivers you need to edit IsConfig.ini and the section that reads :

[SupportOSUI] ;Supported platforms for RtWlan Utility
WinXP=0
Win2003=0
WinX64=0
VistaX86=0
VistaX64=0
Win7X86=0
Win7X64=0
Win8X86=0
Win8X64=0
Win81X86=0
Win81X64=0

Change all to =1, save and install.

 

I always found it better to have it enabled for connecting to distant AP's, at least on the NHR v2 and NHV+newer drivers.

If the AP is close with strong signals it shouldn't matter very much.

Older drivers such as 1012.1 for the NHR didn't have a setting for this at all, but mostly worked with the same behaviour of this feature being enabled by default. i.e there were no problems connecting to distant AP's.

Connecting to distant AP's will sometimes fail under the newer flavour of drivers for the NHR and NHV unless this feature is enabled.

I'm not even 100% sure what it does, whether it's power adaptivity, or link adaptivity, or whatever it is that it's "adapting" with it switched on.

Or whether it's instead this kind of adaptivity for ETSI domain use, the meat and potatoes of which are :

"A revised version of the ETSI standard EN 300 328 (v1.8.1) has been published and will come into force in Jan 1st 2015. (Effective 31 Mar 2013. Mandatory 31 Dec 2014).

"Version 1.8.1 has an effective date of December 31, 2014, so declarations of conformity with the Radio and Telecommunication Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive based on testing against EN 300 328, v1.7.1 would need to be re-evaluated before the end of 2014 for devices going into the EU market after this date. Devices already in the market will be grandfathered in."

"As mentioned before, adaptive and non-adaptive devices operating at more than 10dBm eirp, are now subject to new timing restrictions. In addition, adaptive equipment will need to be able detect noise and cease transmission."

"Devices that wish to operate with more than 10dBm eirp, and are not adaptive (able to adapt to its environment by identifying other transmissions present in the band) are subject to new timing requirements. Devices that are adaptive now must prove compliance using the procedures in v1.8.1."

"During the normal usage of 2.4 GHz products by normal user, it is very common nowadays that the product had been interfere by other 2.4GHz product. That is why in V.1.8.1 , it specially mentioned adaptive equipment and it also include testing specially for solving this issue. Adaptive mode is defined as below in V.1.8.1"

Adaptive mode is: Mechanism by which equipment can adapt to its environment by identifying other transmissions present in the band.

So you could say it's a feature that helps in noisy environments with high AP density. I just know that the modern Realtek drivers seem to have better connectivity with it switched on for distant AP's, so I tend to leave it that way.

 

No, I just have far too much time on my hands to figure this kind of stuff out. ;-)

Atm, I like the 036NHV very much, and it is a very solid, speedy and stable adapter with not really much if any driver issues, so much so, that if any of my other adapters died a premature death, I would definitely order again another NHV as a replacement without any procrastinating. It's measurably better of all ALFA's that came before it, for everyday usage rather than hacking anyway.

I have just done some speaker inductance tests using 1026.12 drivers, and the NHV is definitely up there with the NHR's power output level inducted into the speakers (which you can only get on 1014.x drivers and below for the NHR anyway).

I sincerely hope this adapter will last me some time, and not be dead in 2-3 months from constant usage because I paid a premium for it, since I didn't want to use the same supplier I had a bad experience with before.

It maintains it's speeds at distance through the late night-time hours with only it's 5dbi attached, when the other ALFA's with their 5dbi's will fade away progressively to nothing but a trickle of data at the same distances after the sun goes down. That's all the proof I needed about how much better it is than the mountain of other adapters I have.

I'm running it through a powered hub, so the motherboard ports won't risk being fried.

Right now the adapter is only a few days old, and I'm still testing it, but I hope it grows old gracefully, instead of going deaf in a few months.

ALFA have finally nailed it this time...you know you are in possession of something good, when you don't have anything bad, or any complaints to say about the item days after you purchased it. And I always usually look to find flaws in everything and end up being dissapointed.

We just need to wait for Linux drivers now...

 

Anything from 1019.xx onwards for 8188EU chips will work in general.

I just linked driver 1026.12 for all OS from June 2014 yesterday in the 036AC/036NHV driver thread, which are newer than what's on the ALFA CD (1024.6/1026.7). ALFA is always dragging their feet at updating to the latest drivers that works with their cards.

Infact I wouldn't recommend the 1024.6 if you are on Windows XP from the Driver CD as the 036NHV LED won't work and be frozen on or off all the time with no link flash activity, since 1024.6 has a bug for 8188EU LED.

They seem better performing drivers being the most recent ones. They work fast and good, and are actually signed unlike the originals on the disc shipped with the NHV. I think they should be fine for the 036AC as well. If you don't want to use these ones, you can download and use the 036AC drivers which are 1024.9 loaded on the 036NHV instead since both chipsets are catered for in that driver.

You just need to edit the IsConfig.ini after downloading 1026.12 to turn on the GUI as detailed in posts above or use 1024.9 for now.

 

You seem slightly confused...

That scenario may apply for using an 036NHA or the 036H.

It doesn't apply for the 036NHV, the drivers work soundly even up to for Win 8.1 use, so you need to install the Win7 x86 specific drivers
if you have indeed Win 7.

 

Put "AWUS036NHC" into google and press enter... ;-)