HiRO H50194 Wireless 802.11n USB WiFi WLAN Network Adapter High Gain 5dBi Omnidirectional External Antenna WPS Hotkey RoHS Windows 10 8.1 8 7 Vista XP 32-bit 64-bit

I purchased this antenna not to extend the wifi range but to be able to use my computer within my metal work shop next to my house. My wifi router is only about 40 feet from my work shop but I couldn't get a signal through the steel building. I drilled a small hole into the building to shove the antenna's cord through to the inside. The base of this antenna is magnetized so it just sticks to the building. I taped over the hole I drilled and taped around the antenna where it swivels to keep the rain and moisture out. I don't get wifi into my work shop but I can plug the antenna directly into the usb of the computer. I get a 98% signal strength level on my computer and it works fine. This product works and it works very well. P.S. for this antenna to work you'll need to open the wifi control on your computer and click onto the antenna signal and disconnect from the computers internal antenna or it won't connect. When the antenna is pulled out from the usb the signal automatically switches back. It's all very simple to do. All computers with wifi has a control center to open (Lower right corner of the screen on windows 7).

I had really hoped this would help me connect to a xfinity wifi hotspot that is broadcast through multiple thick walls on the same floor. Unfortunately, though it did SHOW four xfinity wifi hotspots, it would not connect at a strong enough quality. Essentially, all I could do was download email; pulling up webpages was like the old days of dial up. When I moved to having only one wall barrier it was fine, so the product does work, it just doesn't grab the signal well enough to improve over my built in laptop wifi card. Easy to return so it was worth the risk.

This adapter is used with a computer in my workshop about 100 feet from the router in the house. This computer has triple boot capabilities into Windows XP 32 bit , Windows 7 64 bit or Ubuntu 13.10. It installed easily in the Windows operating systems with the CD provided. You must use the menu to make your SSID the default for automatic connection each time you boot up. On Ubuntu, the program automatically used the correct driver. The driver for you Linux users (at least Ubuntu 13.10) is r8712u. With the other USB adapter about 3 to 4 neighborhood SSID's showed, on the HIRO 14 to 16 appeared. Using Ubuntu wavemon the other adapter quality is 45/70 and signal level -59 dBm. With the HIRO the signal quality is 99/100 and signal level 18 dBm. The antenna or other adapter were placed in the window of the workshop for a direct line of sight through the shop window and the dinette window (sometimes with blinds on the dinette window).

This device was easy to install on Windows 10 and does what it is supposed to do, which is to better receive wi-fi broadcasts than the puny antenna built into laptop computers. I replaced my Alfa unit because I could no longer get it to work with Windows 10.

My husband recently had to spend an extended time in a campground that had wifi quite a way from their campsites. Being in a rather desolate location, and alone, he was really hoping to be able to connect and watch movies. This seemed like the perfect solution, and someone else in the campground had something similar that attached to her laptop that worked well. This one, however, didn't improve the signal at all. When I tried it on my own laptop, trying to figure out why it wasn't working, I wasn't able to pick up any more signal WITH it than I was without it. Go figure. I was so looking forward to it working, but, it didn't. Maybe in a place where there are more networks available, you would get better signals? I don't know that, but it wasn't the solution for our problem. Just wish I had found the misplaced box in time to return it!

I ended up getting a 15 foot USB extension cable and fitting my USB wifi adapter to it. It gave me much better signal quality. FY: The antenna isn't detachable from base if you're thinking of installing larger antenna.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L137Y6/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_5

This tiny adapter works great, surprisingly. I have the antenna wired to the top of an RV I'm using for a few months and it's pulling a usable signal from everybody in the neighborhood where I live. This is in Florida mind you, where the sun and storms beat the antenna day in day out, without issue. The only thing I don't particularly understand is the wireless N specification but I can only connect to B/G with it when the signal is broadcast in B/G/N. May be an issue on my end but no big deal for me. I have used many adapters, from long range Alfa products to junky Netgear and this is one I can't say bad things about for the price. Might even be good to just keep one as a backup.Edit: I did my homework, this unit isn't 5ghz 802.11n compatible, I should have known that. It is 2.4ghz 802.11n compatible, however. Just making a distinction here so people are aware of the difference if they don't know. It will not connect to 5ghz routers at all.