Archive for June, 2008
Alfa USB 802.11g 500mw (AWUS036H) Overview
The Alfa 500mw wireless USB adapter is known to many war drivers. At 500mw, the Alfa has 20 more Tx/Rx power than the Linksys WPC11 (25mw), 2.5 times more power than the Senao’s 200mw, and 1.67 times more power than the Zcomax 300mW and Ubiquiti 300mW. In addition to its high power, the Alfa contains the RTL8187L Realktek chipset, which is known to be great for capturing and injecting wireless packets via Aircrack.
Here’s a little test I did comparing a Zonet ZEW 2500p USB wireless adapter vs the Alfa 500mw USB wireless adapter. I couldn’t find the power rating on the Zonet, but I’m pretty sure its not more than 50mw. First, here’s a scan using airodump in channel hop mode.
The location was indoors on the first floor close to a backyard window. It didn’t surprise me that the Zonet ZEW2500p didn’t pick up much. Although it can capture and inject packets, this little wireless card just doesn’t have the range.
Up next is the Alfa AWUS036H 500mw USB wireless adapter results. This is with the included 2db antenna with the adapter sitting in the same spot as the Zonet.
Not bad, but not as good as expected. The strength to the unamed AP increased and one other AP was picked up. Let’s see what happens when we use a larger antenna. I had a Fontenna laying around, so I decided to try it out. The Fontenna is a 7db directional atenna made by Fon to pair with their La Fonera. However, the Fontenna uses an RP-SMA connector, so you can just about use the antenna with any other device that has the same connector. I then used double sided adhesive to attach it to the top of my window and connected it to the Alfa via RP-SMA connectors. Here are the results:
As you can see, I picked up a lot more APs than expected. I was even able to fake authenticate and associate with one of the APs that I couldn’t even see with the Zonet ZEW2500p. However, I recommend that you swap the stock 2db antenna with something a little stronger.
How To Get Hot Deals
If you have ever paid MSRP or full retail price on an expensive item at a local store, you know how much it can hurt your wallet. Unknown to the general population, there are many techniques that you can use to ensure that you won’t be ripped off again. Below are some tips that I personally use on a daily basis.
- Buy online! Retail stores often mark prices upwards of 50-100% higher than what you would find online. This is to make up for the costs associated with actually selling them item.
- Visit the Slickdeals.net homepage and Hot Deals forum. This is a very active site with new deals posted every minute.
- Visit the Fatwallet.com Hot Deals forum. This site is very similar to Slickdeals.net; just another place for more options and opinions.
- Use Craigslist.org. Craigslist is a classified ads site which includes all popular cities within the US and then some. These classified listings are posted by other individuals hoping to sell their goods. Usually, you can find good deals somewhat similar to eBay. The upside is, you don’t have to wait for shipping and you have the opportunity to check the item before you buy.
- Utilize eBay for hard to find goods. Say you are looking for a car part and the Autozone charges and arm and a leg. Short of going to the junk yard, try searching for the part on eBay. You may be able to find the part used in good condition, which will drive the price down even further.
- Use online, printable coupons. Many people do not know about online coupons. These coupons can be printed off from your personal printer and can then be used at your local store. Wow-Coupons is a great start and has many coupons for many popular stores. Also, Slickdeals and Fatwallet users often post when there are good coupons floating around on the internet. For example, it is not rare to find a $10 off $25 printable coupon for Office Depot or Staples. That’s just one example, but there are many more. Also, if you are looking for big coupons
- Excercise the use of competitor’s coupons. A $20 off $75 coupon for Staples can also be used at Office Depot and Office Max. This is because of their “competitor coupon” policy which states that they will recognize other big name store coupons. You can also do this at different stores not limited to the above. People have reported being able to use a 10% off Circuit City coupon at Best Buy and vice versa.
- Price Match! If you buy an LCD monitor for $200 from Best Buy and 2 weeks later, the price drops to $150, or a competitor (like Circuity City) has the same monitor on sale for $150. All you have to do is take your reciept to Best Buy and tell them that the price has dropped while presenting proof (like an advertisement). Best Buy will then refund 110% of the difference. The difference between the two prices ($200 - $150) is $50. 110% of $50 is $52.50, which is what you will be refunded. Most online and local retailers have a price match policy in place, but they differ from store to store so be sure to check.
Examples of deals I have recently found:
Circuit City (Jan 08) - 50″ Plasma - $700 out the door, no rebates needed (see my post here)
Foot Locker (May 08) - Puma Boston Kids Shoes - $7 a pair out the door, retails at $44.99
Target (June 08) - Target PAID me (that’s right, PAID ME) $8.30 to take away 10 Gillette Fusion Razors. (see thread on Slickdeals)
Reputable Online Retailers
