Hawking HWU8DD Hi-Gain USB Wireless-G Dish Adapter
by Hawking Technology
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Our Price: $174.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $54.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Hawking HWU8DD Hi-Gain USB Wireless-G Dish Adapter
Customer Review: powerful reception and transmission - the best yet!
Summary: 5 Stars
One quick note before I share with you my real world before and after test results. If you are using Vista then you need to visit their web site to download the vista driver, but and here is the important point don't download the driver that says HWU8DD in the list. Despite the manual shipping with the product listing the product model as HWU8DD it is actually HWU8DD rev B. So be sure to download the second driver, HWU8DD rev B. or else Vista will report that it can't find the driver when you specify the exact folder.
Now on to my test results. Before I was running the Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter and it was frequently dropping connection throughout the day(others report same problem), this despite the excellent signal strenth and lack of interference. So I decided to switch to the Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless-G USB Dish Adapter and it provides much more stability and signal strength than the linksys adapter. My results of the test are below.
Real world signal strengths - 2 competing brands
5 - excellent strength; 1 - poor strength
*actual SSID network names have been anonymized
Linksys - Hawking - Network
------- ------- -------
5 - 5 - WAP1 (my network)
4 - 4 - WAP2
2 - 4 - WAP3
2 - 3 - WAP4
1 - 4 - WAP5
1 - 2 - WAP6
1 - 3 - WAP7
1 - 3 - WAP8
1 - 3 - WAP9
1 - 2 - WAP10
1 - 3 - WAP11
0 - 2 - WAP12
0 - 2 - WAP13
As you can see from the above table, the hawking adapter had double, triple, and even in some cases quadruple the signal strength than the competing linksys adapter. And to top it off it also was able to pull in 2 additional networks that linksys didn't even see due to poor signal strength.
I'm really happy with the performance on this product. I'll provide an updated review in a few weeks so that I get more time to test the hawking card.
*** UPDATE 10/24/2008 - Network drivers for this card for Vista results in frequent crashes (BSOD / Blue Screen of Death). The BSOD crash message varied but was frequently IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. All crash dumps refered to the atheros driver as culprit so it definetly not a RAM or other hardware issue. Used the driver Hawking had available on web site. Called tech support and they directed me to go into Device Manager and click the update driver button. Did that and had a dramatic reduction in number of crashes. Note: I am still getting the occassional crash even with the most recent driver update.
Customer Review: performs as advertised
Summary: 4 Stars
Length of ownership: 8 weeks
This puppy really reaches out. My laptop's internal intel/pro wireless sees about 6 networks but with the Hawking dish a typical haul is 20 networks. Thanks to some friendly neighbors I've said goodbye to my paid isp and now enjoy casual and free internet connections, and until metrofi completes its set up of free city-wide wifi I'll get by with that thanks to this neat Hawking device.
Unless I need the next and more expensive step up for such wifi booster devices I hope the Hawking dish proves durable..after all it's been just 2 months of ownership so far, albeit good ones.
Note: For me this device has not seemed very directional in that it will pick up off-beam signals fairly well. Also, placement by a window will help your reception.
Update Sept. 2009:
The little Hawking dish is still working well. I've noted that once every few days I need to unplug/replug the usb as it seems to stop working, but this is not a terrible distraction and others have noted the same symptom but more frequently. So far so good. Using wirelessmon I can see >40 Access points, with a half dozen or so unsecured, and a few of those quite usable. This modest device has permitted me 2-1/2 years of internet access without having to pay for service, a good thing, despite the utter failure of metrofi (see my earlier comments) to provide the city with free wi-fi service.
I would like a few more access points than I have now, and in general a faster connection more of the time, and this means reaching out even more--especially to some nearby hotspots that are beyond the capacity of the Hawking dish. The next step of a more powerful device that accepts a separate antenna is coming soon for me. On Amazon you can find the Alfa 500 mW usb wireless adaptor as well as a decent 15 dbi panel antenna with the right cables/connectors for the Alfa. Combined, you can easily reach out half a mile and likely more. With a length or two of 16 ft. active usb cable, you can situate it by a window that faces your AP of interest. You can also set up the antenna outside. The Alfa and panel antenna would be approximately $100. Sounds reasonable, no? I hope this shows a few more options for some people who need more oomph.
Customer Review: Awesome USB Wireless G Antenna!
Summary: 5 Stars
I desperately needed a good reliable antenna because 2 years ago I was not able to afford a DSL line. Several hundred feet away we have an auto repair shop that had an unsecured signal on 24/7. My laptop would pick up the signal intermittently but it was kind of frustrating losing the signal when I was chatting with my wife-to-be from overseas.
I experimented a little by building the "Pringles" $8 can antenna. It worked so-so.
I finally purchased this Hawking USB and what a blessing! It has worked flawlessly now for over 2 years.
We often use it at my parents cabin where the nearest signal is hundreds of feet away with trees blocking the line of sight. Yet it works so well.
In a nutshell, here is what I like most about it:
Portable-not like other antennas that are so cumbersome and awkward to use.
Simple and totally easy to set up.
USB connection-you need not mess with all those difficult connectors that other antennas require.
Awesome software: the dual meters help you gauge not only the signal strength, but also the speed of the signal....WOW!
The meters also help you pinpoint the signal and adjust the direction of your antenna.
The ONLY drawback/con that I have experienced:
I used it one night by placing it on top of my van and driving around looking for a signal in a low income area. Once I found a strong signal I went online but did not look outside my windows for some time.
When I finally did look outside, there was a large crowd of people gathered...they thought I was either the police, FBI, or CIA and they were really angry.
I learned that if I want to use this antenna in my van, keep it inside where people cannot see it.
Hawking Technology Rocks!
Have a good one everyone!
It's me,
Not-So-Fast-Freddy
Customer Review: It works...but
Summary: 4 Stars
A much better buy is the Hawking WIRELESS G USB NETWORK ADAPTER w. Hi Gain 6db Antenna( HWU54D ) which is listed on Amazon, but no longer available. If you can find it, buy it. I have both the 54D and this device. The 54D has 6db of gain and does fold for transport. This one is cheaply made and would appear to break if stressed too much. The 54D is much more sturdy. I've owned it a couple of years and it's perking along in the living room right now doing duty on my son-in-laws desktop. I've had the 54D on the roof of my Airstream, on the roof thru a ceiling vent, inside a ziploc bag nearly 600' from the WAP and it worked well. I would be afraid to take this one on the road. The units only put out 300 mw which is less than the old walkie-talkies we played with as kids. Those put out 500 mw. The antennae are faily directional but I would have to question the gain advertised. Is this received or transmitted gain. The gain is a relative measurement anyway and can just about mean anything you want it to when referring to an antenna. We are not talking about a 60 foot satellite dish. Any true gain is going to be next to nothing because of the size of the little dish itself.
I only played with the software once. If you are running Win2k or XP you don't need the software. The OS will detect it and there is an integrated program in windows that works just fine. The Hawking software is clumsy and there are no instructions on how to use it. Amazon says the 54D is not available, but a search of the web shows plenty still out there. If you plan on transport the 54D is the one to buy. If you are not traveling the U8DD will work fine.
Customer Review: Windows 7 32/64 Bit Drivers for Hawking HWU8DD Hi-Gain Dish
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using 2 of these devices since early in 2006 with no problems whatsoever. In fact the biggest issue I've faced was finding drivers for Windows 7 x64. These can be gotten from this site: [...] simply unpack and then use "Browse my computer for drivers" from the Device Manager's properties.
The drivers are located in the subsection labeled as follows:
Atheros AR5005xx/AR5007xx USB 2.0 Wireless Network Adapter Serie (Drivers)
Windows Seven 32/64bits
Version 2.2.0.27 ( at date of publishing this review )
I have found that the signal strength of the Rev B unit, especially when properly aimed, is better than any of the wireless devices I have including several other USB units.
As for the tilt and swivel mechanism on the dish, one of my devices is crammed into my laptop bag, stuffed under airplane seats, balanced on rental car dashboards - from which it falls regularly, and wedged into luggage among my shirts and socks and I've never had a problem with it coming apart yet. Although, I wish that the dish were removable to reduce the space requirements when dragging it along everywhere I go.
This adapter has gotten me connected to the 'net in places where other people I've been with couldn't even see an access point, and with respectable speed, too.
In short, even though it isn't MilSpec, it does its job quite well and seems durable enough for the needs of a traveling road warrior although, based upon some of the other reviews I've read here, perhaps it can't stand up to the abuse of 4 and 5 year-olds.