RokBlog

RokBlog is moving

2011-07-02T19:28:00.001-04:00

Thanks to the great people at Blogspot/Blogger/Google for hosting RokBlog, the company blog of Rokland LLC, for so many years. We are moving RokBlog “in-house” if you will, which means our blog will now be hosted directly on our Rokland.com web site.

We will not be integrating our current posts, so this particular site will remain online for sometime, as will all comments. Going forward, all of our new posts will be at the new location of our blog.

The new Rokland.com site is here, save 15% through July 5th with this coupon code

2011-07-02T19:25:00.001-04:00

We are excited to announce that our new web site has launched at http://store.rokland.com

Now through Tuesday you can save 15% on any order (and get FREE SHIPPING too) with the coupon code “HAPPY4TH”. Save on long range Wi-Fi adapters like Alfa AWUS036H, AWUS036H, and AWUS051NH. Even save on cables and yagi antennas!

Just enter the coupon code on the payment page of checkout.

We hope you enjoy our new site and our new wider selection of Wi-Fi products and accessories! Don’t forget, every item now comes with free shipping!

Come visit us on Facebook!

2011-07-02T19:21:00.001-04:00

Timed with the launch of our new web site, we have also jumped onto Facebook.

Don't worry, you won't have to endure constant status updates regarding what our staff members ate for lunch or where they are happen to be at any given moment.

Instead you can view our Facebook page to read about new product announcements, see Rokland videos, join a discussion board on a Wi-Fi related topic, or compare product experiences with other people. Studies show more than 1/8 of the time the average web user spends online is at Facebook. Ideally you'd have our blog open in one browser tab and our Facebook page open in another, but we'd settle for either one!

The new Rokland.com launches 7/2; get a coupon via Twitter, but quid pro quo Clarice

2011-06-27T13:40:00.001-04:00

We are launching a completely redesigned Rokland.com on Saturday, July 2, 2011. In addition to an expanded selection of products, FREE SHIPPING on ALL items, and lower prices, we will also have a new coupon code system (meaning more discounts for you).

Right now you can get a coupon to use this Saturday and Sunday on our new site simply by following us on Twitter. What’s the worse that could happen? We tweet more discount codes to you in the future?? Maybe you can’t get something for nothing these days, but at least you can get something simply by following us on Twitter…note that we will be sending out coupon codes to all of our followers on Saturday, so you will not get one right away after following us. This is to avoid confusion with people attempting to use the coupon codes on our existing site right now.

Alfa AWUS036H 1-Watt (1000mW) USB Wi-Fi Adapter is compatible with SUSE Linux release 11.4 (Google Chrome OS)

2011-06-19T17:35:00.005-04:00

Update: AWUS036H does not work on Chromebooks, only SUSE 11.4 (Celadon) running Kernel 2.6.37.6-0.5-default, aka the Google Chrome OS. Chromebooks run a browser-only version which does not have any drivers built-in, and at this time driver installation by users is not possible.

If you need a long range Wi-Fi solution for Chrome OS, checkout the AWUS036H from Alfa Network. This has long been a popular long range wireless networking choice for Windows and Backtrack users, and now we have confirmed it is compatible with SUSE 11.4 (Celadon) running Kernel 2.6.37.6-0.5-default. Here is a list of all of the steps we had to go through to get it working:

1. Connect Alfa adapter to computer

A short list, eh? That’s right, it was plug and play on our test machine, with no driver installation needed. We ran the latest live CD available here (download completed Friday June 17th, 2011). It appeared to operate at or near full power, detecting a number of Wi-Fi networks and we were able to connect to our signal and go online. Here are some screenshots- we apologize for the poor quality, Chrome has no screenshot program so we took actual pictures using the dated camera on an iPhone 3GS.

Does this mean it will work on Google’s new Chromebooks? We don’t know, but it is doubtful because early reports are that Chromebooks are shipping with virtually no drivers preinstalled, and the live CD version of Chrome OS obviously has the driver for this product built-in. We may look into that further, but for now, those of you running SUSE Linux release 11.4 (Chrome OS) from a live CD should be able to use the Alfa AWUS036H for Wi-Fi connectivity. Our test machine was a Toshiba Satellite A-105. Please feel free to post your experiences with Chrome OS and Chromebooks here in our comments section to help other users searching for a solution.

Realtek RTL8187L reaches end-of-life (EOL)

2011-05-30T16:08:00.001-04:00

This past week Realtek announced driver support for the Realtek RTL8187L chipset has been discontinued, meaning that devices which are based on this chipset may no longer be compatible with future Windows or Mac operating system releases or updates. It also means that there will be no further bug fixes released.

This affects the Alfa AWUS036H, Alfa UBDo-gt8, RokAir, and any other Wi-Fi adapter that uses this chipset. Windows users most likely won’t be affected until the next major release of Windows. Mac users running 10.6 may be affected now. Earlier this month we posted about Mac OS compatibility of this chipset, explaining it worked with Snow Leopard 10.6 Macs booting a 32-bit kernel but not those booting a 64-bit kernel. It appears because of this EOL announcement that Realtek RTL8187L-based devices will not be supported on 64-bit kernel Macs going forward unless a 3rd-party workaround is developed (the latter is not unheard of, but it can take some time).

Snow Leopard users booting a 64-bit kernel should consider the Alfa AWUS036NH or the Rokland n3. Note that currently the AWUS036NH model is not compatible with 64-bit kernel Macs out of the box and drivers will need to be downloaded. The Rokland n3 is compatible with 64-bit kernel Macs right out of the box.

Rokland is proud to take part in the UPS Carbon Neutral program

2011-05-25T14:52:00.001-04:00

Last week we highlighted some changes the US Postal Service (our primary shipping carrier) has made to reduce their environmental impact. We also offer UPS shipping options, including UPS Ground, UPS 3 Day Select, UPS 2 Day Air, and UPS Next Day Air.

This year UPS launched their Carbon Neutral program, designed to help balance emissions produced by the transportation of UPS shipments. This is an opt-in program that UPS shippers can join, where we pay a per-package fee to UPS, which they use to invest in emission-offsetting projects that include “reforestation, landfill gas destruction, wastewater treatment, and methane destruction.”

Our involvement comes at no cost to our customers- we have not increased our UPS shipping fees or product prices in any way to cover the cost of our involvement in this program, and we will not be doing so in the future. Instead, our participation comes as a direct investment we are making in the future of our planet. To see other environmental initiatives by Rokland, please continue to read our blog.

Father’s Day gift idea- a long range Alfa AWUS036H Wi-Fi adapter with free clip and cup mount

2011-05-20T12:55:00.001-04:00

Neckties, golf balls, a mediocre steak-dinner at a packed restaurant? If these are the images that come to mind when you try and think of what to get Dad this Father’s Day, consider a long range Wi-Fi adapter from Alfa Networks instead.

Whether your Dad is tech-savvy or afraid to touch any button on the keyboard other than actual letters, a long range Wi-Fi adapter could be the best product out there he does not even know he needs.

If your Dad is an RV’er or a boater, Alfa’s AWUS036H 1000mW long range USB adapter could be the difference between him getting Internet access or seeing no Wi-Fi signals at all.

If he prefers to use computers only at the home, having a product like the Alfa will likely mean he is no longer calling you to complain about how slow and spotty the Internet is.

We are now offering Alfa’s AWUS036H 1000mW long range USB adapter with a free mount set which includes holster, clip, and suction cup. This allows the Alfa to be clipped to the back of a laptop LCD, or fastened to a window for optimal range.

Rokland’s environmental initiatives post #2

2011-05-19T15:02:00.001-04:00

Last year we wrote about some changes we made here at Rokland to help reduce our impact on the environment. From time to time we like to talk about this- not as an advertorial, but instead in hopes of influencing other retailers, or having other retailers publish what they do so we can learn from them.

Today we are highlighting some green initiatives taken by the US Postal Service, our main shipping carrier. We offer US Postal options across the board because they are generally the cheapest and most reliable for light-weight packages.

The US Postal Service recently published steps they have taken to go green. We do not wish to take credit for things they have done, but as they are our primary shipping carrier, we do want to take a moment to share this information with our readers. This information comes from US Postal Service pamphlet GG11-CCZ-TO-405. This data is the copyright of the US Postal Service, but has been shortened for this post.

Eco-friendly packaging: The US Postal Service is the first carrier to receive “Cradle to Cradle” certification for their packaging containers. This certification looks at “ingredient safety” and “reutilization potential” among other things.

Climate change: The US Postal Service is “the first federal agency to publicly report greenhouse gas emissions and get third-party verification.”

Reducing carbon footprint: “The US Postal Service has reduced its facility energy intensity by more than 28% since 2003.”

Visit http://www.usps.com/green/ for more information and some tips about what you can do to reduce your impact on the environment.

Alfa AWUS036H 1W USB Adapter and Apple Mac OS Snow Leopard 10.6 64-bit kernel

2011-05-05T13:48:00.003-04:00

Editor's update 5/30/2011: Realtek has announced the end-of-life for the Realtek RTL8187L chipset, meaning no further driver development for this chipset will take place. The Alfa AWUS036H contains this chipset, so it will not be compatible with Mac OS 10.6 64-bit kernel boot, it will only work with the 32-bit kernel boot.

The Alfa AWUS036H long range 1000mW wireless USB adapter is compatible with Mac OS Snow Leopard 10.6. However it does not work with Macs running Snow Leopard that boot a 64-bit kernel.

The good news is almost all Mac models sold prior to February 2011 that run Snow Leopard boot a 32-bit kernel and all Macs (that we are aware of) sold after February 2011 can be set to boot to a 32-bit kernel.

We have created this support PDF file that details how to find out what kernel your Mac boots, how to set your Mac to boot a 32-bit kernel if it is currently booting a 64-bit kernel, and exactly what this means and how it does/does not affect your Mac’s performance.

Finding drivers/software for your Rokland.com products

2011-02-27T17:18:00.001-05:00

We have updated the driver section of our web site to help buyers easily locate the necessary installation software for their product when they need it. You can access our driver download page by going to http://www.rokland.com and clicking on the “Drivers” link on the left, or simply by clicking here.

Most all of our products already ship with the needed drivers and installation software, but the page above contains the latest drivers for many of the products we sell (including Alfa Networks products), and may come in handy if you are attempting to install a past purchase on another computer and you no longer have the original CD, or if you want to make sure you have the most updated driver files available.

Alfa AHPE303 200mbps powerline Ethernet bridge- the best deal you can find!

2011-01-29T17:31:00.001-05:00

If you are in the market for a 200mbps powerline Ethernet bridge, you may be scouring the net for the best deal on Netgear XAV101. Or perhaps you are trying to find a bargain on TRENDnet TPL-304E.

We’ve got some good news for you. You can now get 200mbps powerline Ethernet bridges made by Alfa Networks- a trusted name in networking technology. Just as fast as their Netgear and TRENDnet counterparts (and backed by a 1 year warranty), Alfa’s AHPE303 powerline Ethernet bridges come in at a lower price than the competition.

This is especially great news for those of you looking for multiple bridges so you can connect several devices. Click to check our prices for 1-pack and 2-pack AHPE303. Also, see this related post about how one of our employees solved their DVR connection problems using 200mbps powerline bridges.

Important notice about genuine Alfa AWUS036H casing

2011-01-29T17:17:00.001-05:00

At the request of Alfa Networks, we are posting an important message about the casing of genuine Alfa products. Recently Alfa Networks became aware of a counterfeit version of their product that looks like this, with a “10G” logo on it. This is not a genuine Alfa product.

Genuine Alfa products have a different shape casing, and also have a “1” logo on the top. But even the original Alfa cases can be counterfeited, so here are some other ways to ensure you are getting a genuine Alfa Networks product:

1. Look for the anti-counterfeit hologram detailed in this video here:

2. Purchase your Alfa Networks products from an authorized Alfa Networks retailer such as Rokland.com. Our authorized reseller status can be confirmed by contacting Alfa Networks directly. You can also contact Alfa Networks directly to confirm the authenticity of any other vendor.

How I solved my TiVo Series 3 HD Wi-Fi problems using 200 mbps Alfa Networks AHPE303 Powerline Ethernet bridges

2011-01-14T22:09:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard about a best-selling author who writes book after book on marriage advice, and then ends up getting a divorce? I have worked in wireless networking for the last decade, and I have to confess, my TiVo made me feel like that guy. How could I work with wireless products every day and yet sit there and watch my TiVo stream movies using a Netgear USB stick (one of few with which it was compatible) at a 22% signal? The speed was so slow, I probably could have driven across town and rented the movie before enough data downloaded for me to be able to watch without pauses.

Like many in my position though, I became complacent. The Netgear stick was 54 mbps, and at the time, TiVo had no compatible 802.11n products. There was no way for me to add any type of an external antenna to the Netgear stick. Sure, I could have bought a repeater, but that’s another box that would have had to sit somewhere in between, taking up space and appearing out of place- and I have also read about others in similar situations who had tried repeaters with out much signal boost. Finally one day I upgraded my TiVo, and upon finding out the Tivo Series 3 HD box I bought was not compatible with my Netgear stick, I was forced into action. Out of my comfort zone, I went to the store and bought a new-to-market TiVo Wireless-N adapter. Pricey at $89.99, but it was 802.11n, and promised faster connection speeds. It did improve my connection some, but because my living room was so far from where my wireless router was, and I have a lot of interference where I lived, my speeds were still slow. And like the Netgear stick, I could not attach an external antenna to the Tivo-N adapter.

I had read about powerline Ethernet bridges a few years back, so I picked up two Linksys models from eBay and gave them a spin. They worked, but the max transfer speed was 14 mbps, just a hair above the old 802.11b Wi-Fi standard. Back into complacency I fell. The Linksys bridges were better than the old Netgear stick which was not compatible with my new TiVo box anyway, and they had cost a lot less than the TiVo-N adapter. Youtube speeds were acceptable, I would just live with what I had.

Then Alfa Networks introduced AHPE303 powerline Ethernet bridges capable of 200 mbps max transfer speeds. I didn’t even know 200 mbps powerline bridges existed, so I looked up the prices online and found the big box brand names were very expensive, like always. I got my sample set of AHPE303 from Alfa, hooked them up in my home, and was finally able to do exactly what I wanted with my Tivo. I could download movies from Amazon, and download them fast. I could stream Youtube videos- one after the other- without buffering pauses and networks lags. It is times like these that make me glad I work for a company that is an authorized distributor for Alfa Networks. I also like the fact that these Alfa bridges cost less new than their competitor’s refurbished ones!

If you have Ethernet-enabled devices in your home like a TiVo, Blu-Ray player, or even an Ethernet-enabled TV, Alfa’s 200 mbps will most likely be the fastest and easiest way for you to get them hooked up to your home network. The devices are truly plug and play and will work with any device that has an Ethernet port- even gaming consoles!

The bridges work with more than just DVRs and game consoles though, they work with computers as well. And because you don’t have to worry about interference and obstacles like you do with Wi-Fi, you can get fast speeds on all of your Mac and PC computers with zero driver installation!

Alfa U-bag neoprene carry cases/holders now in stock

2011-01-08T18:20:00.001-05:00

New this January are red and blue neoprene carry cases from Alfa Networks. Measuring 6.5 inches by 4.5 inches, the case is just big enough to hold your Alfa AWUS036H, AWUS036NH, or AWUS051NH wireless long range USB adapter, a long with the factory 5 dBi antenna and USB cable those devices come with.

There is enough room to keep your mini-driver CD or other computing devices such as a USB flash drive or cell phone charger. The neoprene material is soft yet protective, and water resistant as well. It is the perfect size- big enough to hold what you need, while small enough to fit into your laptop carry case.

You can buy the red or blue case at our web site now, and very soon this will become part of our mega-kit over at eBay.

New from Alfa Networks- AWUS036EW 500mW long range Wi-Fi USB adapter

2011-01-07T21:33:00.001-05:00

The AWUS036EW is a new low-lost long range high-powered Wi-Fi USB adapter from Alfa. It features the same Realtek RTL8187L chipset as the popular AWUS036H 1000mW model.

AWUS036EW is a great option for those in need of a long range high-powered Wi-Fi adapter who are also on a budget. It is also a great option for travel, as it is a smaller form factor vs. the AWUS036H. Both models are great, so choose which one is best for you. AWUS036EW can work with any laptop or desktop that has an available USB port and Windows 2000 or later (it is Windows 7 compatible).

It includes a 5 dBi gain antenna and comes new in retail box. It has a one year factory warranty.

Merry Christmas from Rokland.com

2010-12-24T12:21:00.001-05:00

We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. Thank you all for making 2010 a wonderful and exciting year. We wish the best to all of you. For those that may have kids, or for those who don’t and just want to have some fun, be sure to keep track of Santa Claus this year with this official NORAD Santa tracker, powered by Google.

Rokland will be closed on Christmas Day for both phone and email support, so employees may enjoy the holiday with their families. Email support responses will resume Sunday, and our phone lines will be open again on Monday.

Rokland.com holiday shipping deadlines

2010-12-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

If you save your Christmas/holiday shopping to the last minute like some of us, then you’ll want to know about US Postal and UPS holiday shipping cut-off times. With many of our orders you will find the cheapest option is US Postal Priority mail. The following web site displays the last day a shipment can be mailed where it will be likely to arrive before Christmas. Please keep in mind that these are not guarantees- the Postal Service does not guarantee the arrival of Priority mail by a specific date. If you need it guaranteed, keep reading for UPS guaranteed shipment information.

http://www.usps.com/holiday/shippingcalendar.htm

Please also note that as we generally ship orders the next business day after they are placed, you should subtract one day from the cut-off date to ensure your shipment will be sent on or before the cut-off date.

For UPS shipments, Ground times will vary depending on your location. Check this map to get UPS Ground transit times (“transit days” for UPS are business days). You can click on the map to make it larger.

Here are the shipping cut-off dates for UPS guaranteed services:

Cutoff date for UPS Next Day Air December 23 (place order by 11:59 PM EST December 22nd)
Cutoff date for UPS 2 Day Air December 22 (place order by 11:59 PM EST December 21st)
Cutoff date for UPS 3 Day Select December 21 (place order by 11:59 PM EST December 20th)
Cutoff date for UPS Ground- look at zone map above and subtract one day

Just as with Postal Service shipments, because we generally ship the next day after orders are placed, please order the day before the posted cut-off time.

We wish everyone a fun and happy holiday season, and remember our support department is here to help you if you have any questions about what to buy, something you already bought, or what shipping option to choose to make sure your order arrives before Christmas.

Black Friday specials at Rokland.com- world’s smallest* 802.11n Wi-Fi USB adapter for $9.97 + get your FREE solar powered car!

2010-11-24T13:23:00.007-05:00

Okay, so it’s not a $400 46” flat screen TV or a $49 Blue-Ray player. But we can guarantee it is something you won’t find at most big box stores this weekend. With every purchase above $10.00 at Rokland.com on Black Friday you get one of these:

If you thought it was going to be a Prius, you must have mistaken us for Oprah. We don’t have the resources to give away full size cars, but these are pretty cool nonetheless. They run entirely on power from the sun and make a neat (but fun) learning toy for any children you may know. But you don’t have to be a child to find this interesting. It requires no winding and no batteries. Set it on the ground and off it goes. For details about this offer, click here.

We do have a limited supply, but not that limited. If for some reason we run out, we will state this at the top of our web site when it happens on Friday. Rain checks won’t be available.

So then if we’re not giving away a full-sized car, why have a Black Friday special on a full-sized Wi-Fi adapter? This Friday you can get the world’s smallest* 802.11n Wi-Fi USB adapter dongle for just $9.97. If you have a computer that is not yet wireless, this may be the best deal of the season, not to mention one of the coolest Wi-Fi products of the season! If it were any thinner, they couldn’t even fit an LED light on it.

*We cannot confirm to a legal certainty it is the world’s smallest WiFi adapter, but it’s pretty small!

World’s smallest 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless USB adapter for PCs?

2010-11-20T17:50:00.001-05:00

We can’t say to a legal certainty that this is the world’s smaller 802.11n Wi-Fi USB adapter, and the way technology moves within six months it may no longer be the case anyway. But have you ever seen a Wi-Fi receiver this small?

One thing is for sure- it will have no trouble fitting in a Christmas stocking. What’s really nice about this item is it contains a Realtek chipset and works very well despite its small size. Because the case is small, it contains a small antenna, and thus your reception is not going to compare with some other long range wireless-N products we sell, but in comparison testing we found it worked about the same as basic range standard-sized USB wireless-N adapters from big brands (the 802.11g reception was not quite as good as internal cards on our laptops).

Limited time Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW Wi-Fi kit w/ omni and directional antennas

2010-11-20T14:31:00.001-05:00

For a limited time this holiday season we’ve put together a special kit that has everything you need to extend your wireless range. If you are in the market for a long range Wi-Fi adapter and have checked out the AWUS036H 1 watt (1000mW) USB adapter from Alfa, you can now get this awesome adapter along with a 9 dBi omni directional antenna, a 7 dBi directional antenna, a magnetic docking base for the antenna with five-foot cable, as well as a U-mount holder with both clip and suction cup.

The best part is the price- this special bundle deal will save you over $25.00 off the cost of buying all of these items individually, and that does not even count combined shipping savings!

New Windows 7 driver/UI package for Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW Wireless USB Adapter

2010-10-19T11:16:00.001-04:00

A new driver package for AWUS036H (supports Windows 7) was released by Realtek (the chipset maker) in October of 2010. Please click here to download.

BearExtender n3 Wi-Fi USB adapter apparently PNP with Android tablet

2010-10-08T18:26:00.001-04:00

It would seem that BearExtender n3, a long range USB WiFi adapter designed specifically for Macs, is plug and play with Android. We say “it would seem” because we have access to only one Android tablet computer, and understand that cell phones with Android generally have modified and locked versions of the OS. So we can’t say for sure if it will work on all Android tablets (and it probably won’t work on Android phones because they don’t have the right type of connector), but take a look at what happened when we hooked a BearExtender n3 up to a brand new Android tablet right out of the box:

What’s in a number? Rampant inflation of output power numbers among Wi-Fi vendors…

2010-08-20T12:02:00.001-04:00

Many buyers come to us looking for the best available Wi-Fi adapter. One spec used to determine performance is RF output power, measured in both mW and dBm. Often potential customers believe the higher the output the better. This is not always the case, but output power is important. But how do you really know the true output power of the Wi-Fi product you are buying?

This month we completed a study of various high power Wi-Fi products being sold online at several market places and found there was rampant inflation of the output power declared for many items. For legal reasons we cannot name specific web sites or brand names at this time. What we can say is as follows:

1. Output power inflation was most common among generic Wi-Fi adapters. Because output power cannot be easily confirmed by the consumer, we found several online places that sold products advertised as 1000mW max output when in fact they were really 500mW or less.

2. If the product is advertised as having a brand name, it is a good idea to check with the manufacturer’s web site to confirm advertised specs. One brand name we can mention is Gsky- a maker of 500mW USB adapters. We obtained Gsky units from several vendors that advertised them as 1000mW when in fact they were really 500mW units. We also found that in many cases the specs of these products listed the dBm as 27 or 28 (which as any mW-to-dBm calculator confirms, is much less than 1000mW) even though other places in the descriptions referenced 1000mW.

3. Beware of those who advertise radiated output power. This is a trick whereby sellers can use a figure like 2000mW of 3000mW in the product title without actually claiming that it is the maximum RF output power of the product. This is done to confuse buyers and make a product appear more powerful than it is.

4. Beware of counterfeit products. When buying, if the product is brand name, check with the manufacturer to see if the seller is an authorized distributor of the brand. Just because they are not does not mean the product is counterfeit. We are not an authorized distributor of every brand we sell. But it does help narrow the chance. Some companies such as Alfa Networks sell only to authorized distributors. We are an authorized Alfa distributor and buying from an authorized Alfa distributor ensures you are getting a genuine product and also that your warranty is valid.

5. Always remember output power is only one specification. Other important areas to consider include the receive sensitivity of the chipset and the brand or seller of the product. A seller may advertise a product as coming with a 5 year warranty, but if the item is coming direct from China, are they really going to be there when the product breaks? Getting products such as Alfa Networks brand, which have been well reviewed online for several years, is a good way to ensure you are getting a quality product from a vendor with a good reputation.

A testament to the quality of Alfa Networks products

2010-08-20T10:13:00.001-04:00

The other day one of our people here (we won’t mention any names) mistakenly plugged a 19v power supply into a USB hub we have instead of the correct 5v power supply. As you can imagine, the results were not good. The error fried the major brand hub, as well as a major brand (expensive) keyboard connected to the hub.

Not affected at all was an Alfa AWUS051NH wireless USB adapter that was also connected to the hub. It continues to work great.

Alfa AWUS036H, AWUS036NH and Kaspersky Antivirus

2010-08-11T10:52:00.001-04:00

We have received a couple of reports from Kaspersky Antivirus users of difficulty installing their Alfa product. We have confirmed with Alfa that in rare cases, having Kaspersky installed on your system may prevent a successful driver installation for your Alfa product. The solution is usually to just disable your antivirus software before doing the installation of the Alfa software, and then enable it again when installation is complete (a process very commonly recommended by various hardware and software providers to avoid conflicts).

In the case of Windows Vista, you may need to take some different steps:

1. Plug AWUS036NH and install IS_AP_STA_RT2870_D-1.4.9.0_VA-2.3.9.0_W7-3.0.9.0_RU-3.1.4.0_.exe
2. Open properties of the newly installed wireless connection
3. Disable (uncheck) the Kaspersky Anti-Virus NDIS 6 Filter (see image below)
4. Reboot PC with plugged AWUS036NH
5. Open properties of the wireless connection (go to Control Panel > Network Connections and locate the adapter, right-click and select Properties) and enable the Kaspersky Anti-Virus NDIS 6 Filter
6. Open Ralink Connection Utility, problem solved

Rok500 wireless adapter discontinued, we recommend Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW

2010-08-06T13:35:00.001-04:00

Our Rok500 500mW USB Wi-Fi adapter has been discontinued. The product launched on March 27, 2009. As newer, better, and more powerful products are developed, it is necessary to discontinue older models. Any Wi-Fi product model you see on a store shelf will likely be discontinued by the manufacturer within 1-2 years of release date depending on what it is (accessories that can be used with various products have a longer shelf life). It does not mean there is anything wrong with the product, it is just time to make room for the next best thing.

We will continue to offer support for any owner of the Rok500 for one year from the original purchase date.

If you ended up here in search of a Rok500, we recommend getting the Alfa AWUS036H 1000mw USB Wi-Fi adapter. This is a well reviewed product that gets great range and strong signals.

2.4/5 GHz Wireless USB adapter for Apple Dual Band Time Capsules

2010-08-01T17:32:00.001-04:00

If you own a dual band Time Capsule from Apple, you may have noticed that you have the option to run your 802.11n signal over the 2.4 GHz band, or have it run over the 5 GHz band while having a separate 802.11g signal broadcast over the 2.4 GHz band.

The latter option is the desired one, because 802.11g devices bring down the performance of an 802.11n network a little bit. So if your dual band Time Capsule is configured for both G and N to run on the 2.4 GHz band, while performance will be good for 802.11n devices, it will not be maximized. Therefore, when possible, if you have both 802.11n and 802.11g devices in your home, you want to have your dual band Time Capsule broadcast an 802.11g signal over 2.4 GHz, and an 802.11n signal over 5 GHz. This will allow your Macs with internal dual band Airport Extreme-N cards to utilize your optimized 5 GHz 802.11n network, while any 802.11g devices in your home can still connect to the time capsule over the 2.4 GHz band.

The problem many Time Capsule owners encounter is getting a dual band Mac compatible wireless device for Macs that don’t have an internal dual band Airport Extreme-N card.

The solution to this problem comes from Alfa Networks in the form of model AWUS051NH, a new dual band 802.11a/b/g/n long range wireless USB adapter. This Wi-Fi device is Windows compatible as well, but comes with Mac software (Mac users note that the CD in the retail box is a mini CD, so if you have a slot loading drive, you will need to contact us when purchasing to obtain a current driver link for the Mac software).

Once you install the device and set it up per the instructions, you can use the utility program that gets installed to scan for and detect wireless networks. You will need to take the one-time step of clicking on the Advanced tab in the utility program and change Wireless Mode from 2.4G to 2.4+5G so that the device will be able to detect and connect to 5 GHz 802.11n networks.

The best part about the AWUS051NH? It’s price. Click here to see our current price.

New Product: Alfa Networks UBDo-gt 1000mW OUTDOOR Wi-Fi USB adapter

2010-07-25T16:34:00.001-04:00

If you have been in the market for an outdoor weather resistant Wi-Fi client, the new UBDo-gt from Alfa Networks is an excellent choice. It features a 1000mW wireless receiver built into an outdoor weather resistant casing. It contains two mast-o ring mounting rings and a 5 meter (~16 feet) USB cable with a special dual-Y USB connection end that goes into your computer (features both a power/data connector and a secondary power-only connector so that you can use 2 USB ports on your computer to provide full power to the device without needing an external power source for it).

The Realtek RTL8187L chipset inside this device is the same chipset that is in the popular AWUS036H long range 1000mW USB adapter. In many ways, this is exactly like getting the Alfa AWUS036H adapter inside an expensive outdoor weather resistant casing. The primary difference though is that this device does not have an external antenna connector. Instead it comes with an integrated 12 dBi gain directional panel antenna. Personally I find an integrated antenna the best option for basic travel needs, so you do not have to lug around a heavy external antenna and worry about assembling/disassembling it when you are ready to hit the road. Because this is 12 dBi gain, you will get better performance compared to an 8.5 or 10.5 dBi outdoor external antenna anyhow.

Rokland will no longer accept American Express payments beginning in October 2010

2010-07-21T11:13:00.001-04:00

We received notice from our merchant processor that American Express plans to increase processing charges for merchants by more than 50% on October 13, 2010. This is the transactional cost that is taken out of each charge that retailers like Rokland process.

While transactional fees are only a few percentage points of the total order charged, it is important to remember that profit margins for retailers are much smaller than the actual amount charged (in other words, when you charge $50.00 to your credit card with a retailer, their profit on the items sold may only be $3 or $4 after various fees and costs are deducted). Therefore a massive rate hike like this from American Express really cuts into the margins of retailers.

Accepting such a rate hike would mean we have to pass on the cost to all of our customers, whether they use American Express or not. This is because American Express terms prohibit us from charging a small fee to buyers who use American Express.

In these economic times we feel it would be irresponsible to increase prices to all of our customers due to the actions of one credit card company. We have been given two options by American Express- accept the rate hike, or don’t accept American Express. We have selected the second option.

In the event the proposed rate hike does not take place, this may change. We wanted to give advance notice now, and will make necessary changes on October 13, 2010 on our web site so that you will know when making a purchase what credit cards are accepted.

New Product: Alfa 7 dBi directional panel antenna with RP-SMA connector

2010-07-05T19:12:00.001-04:00

When it comes to wireless networking products, Alfa Networks is a name synonymous with quality. Their AWUS036H 1000mw USB adapter is the most sought after wireless receiver for computer users with long range needs.

This month we are excited to announce Alfa has introduced a new Wi-Fi antenna to their line of quality products. The Alfa 7 dBi directional panel antenna has an RP-SMA connector and will work with the AWUS036H as well as all other Wi-Fi adapters made by Alfa that have an RP-SMA antenna connector.

Unlike an omni-directional antenna, directional antennas concentrate gain in a particular direction, giving you better range and signal to a particular network, and allowing for better penetration of obstacles. Depending on your needs, you may be better off with one or the other. The product page for this antenna has more details on which type may be best for you. We also encourage you to contact us directly for individually-tuned recommendations.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T21:55:00.001-04:00

All of us here at Rokland want to wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day. We also want to remind people that both the US Postal Service and UPS will be closed tomorrow, July 5th, in observance of the holiday. Any purchases made this past Friday, Saturday, today, or tomorrow will ship Tuesday, July 6th.

Rokland’s environmental initiatives

2010-07-01T11:34:00.001-04:00

Apologies for the boring title, but the phrase “going green” has been beaten to death.

Over the next several weeks we want to profile steps we are taking to become more environmentally friendly. Not because we expect people to just start buying from us due to these things, but because we believe businesses have a responsibility to be transparent about what they are doing (or not doing) to make environmental concerns a higher priority in their organizations.

In June we began replacing all standard bubble wrap in our shipping facility with a new bubble wrap that is fully recyclable and will also biodegrade in under 3 years in the event it ends up in a landfill. We do encourage customers to reuse bubble wrap whenever possible. Save it in the attic and use it in packages to send to friends and relatives at Christmas time. When it is no longer usable, be sure to recycle it instead of just throwing it away.

This is just one step of many we have taken, stay tuned for more…

The importance of risk-taking

2010-06-04T12:18:00.001-04:00

We all hear about the dangers of taking risks all the time. Any time you put a lot on the table, you risk losing it all. There are countless stories of people who have. Rarely do you hear stories about what can happen when you play it safe. If you are familiar with Apple co-founder Ron Wayne’s story, then you already know. But if you are not, it is definitely worth a read.

Celebrating 10 years…

2010-06-03T12:20:00.003-04:00

On June 19th we will be celebrating out 10th birthday. Wikipedia attributes the dot-com bust as originating on March 19, 2000, just several months before we bravely (or insanely) decided to go into business.

We weren’t known as Rokland back then, and in the last ten years, more than just our name has changed. It has been an amazing experience, and we have seen a lot along the way. We still remember touting the benefits of early 802.11 wireless networking over infrared networking. And who could forget how nice x-jack modems were, being able to use any standard phone cord with your laptop for dial-up Internet.

The technology business is all about predicting things, and attempting to develop and sell what people want. Sometimes it is about making them want something they don’t even know they need. We lived without smartphones and Facebook for thousands of years and now many of us consider these necessities of life. In the last ten years we have made a number of correct predictions and we have had our share of incorrect ones. We won't get into the details of those here, but fortunately the hits have been higher in number than the misses, and we are working hard to keep that going for the next ten years and beyond.

We want to thank everyone we have come in contact with this past decade- the many of you who are repeat buyers, and also those that had some complaints. Those complaints helped us improve our processes and become better as a business. Thanks to our suppliers, and our employees present and past.

It is hard to imagine what the business and technology landscape will look like ten years from now. We look forward to going along for the ride though and hopefully to making some more splashes of our own!

Simple PDF editing using Microsoft OneNote

2010-05-26T11:46:00.001-04:00

If you are looking for a way to make simple edits to a PDF document, such as adding a signature or some additional text/terms to an agreement or contact, Microsoft OneNote is a good option.

It is part of Microsoft Office Home and Student edition, as well as the Ultimate edition. It can also be purchased individually. If you don’t already have Microsoft Office, there are cheaper alternatives out there. But if you do, to edit a PDF all you need to do is open your PDF document and then select Print, and Print it to a OneNote file. The new document will automatically load on your computer, where you can then proceed to make changes and save the document as a new PDF file. This is just one of many ways to edit a PDF document, but a very simple one if you already have OneNote installed.

New Alfa AWUS036H retail boxes coming soon

2010-05-25T10:43:00.001-04:00

The retail box for the AWUS036H wireless USB adapter from Alfa Networks will soon be getting a makeover. Other models such as the AWUS036NH and AWUS036NEH will also be getting new boxes.

The new box is white in color and has a plastic window on the front and back that allows you to see the actual product. The USB adapter has the anti-counterfeit sticker on the back side but the retail box no longer does. This is because you can see the sticker on the back of the Alfa unit thanks to the plastic window on the back side of the retail box. We do not have a precise date on when the new box units will ship- it depends on when our current stock is sold- but we estimate early June 2010.

Would a new ebook reader be DOA?

2010-05-10T10:18:00.001-04:00

You may have heard of Acer, but you may not have known the company is the #2 maker of laptops and netbooks. Acer bought Gateway and eMachines several years ago, and they have also carved out a nice share of the netbook market.

They have announced plans for a new eBook reader to launch sometime this fall. They are entering a field dominated by Amazon’s Kindle, Sony’s Reader, and Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Oh yeah, and then there’s the iPad.

Acer’s goal is to become the number one maker of “tweener” devices, which are devices in between smartphones and netbooks. But is there much of a point in introducing a new e-reader, or would that be similar to a company launching a new word processor for Windows?

Alfa AWUS036H, AWUS036NH, and AWUS036NEH anti-counterfeit hologram stickers

2010-04-06T22:32:00.001-04:00

Effective immediately all Alfa model AWUS036H, AWUS036NH, and AWUS036NEH model wireless USB adapters have a new anti-counterfeit hologram sticker on them from factory. See this video for more details.

If you have purchased a unit after this date from any retailer and it does not have this hologram, be sure to contact Alfa (www.alfa.com.tw) with your serial number and MAC address to confirm that it is genuine. Some retailers may still be clearing out non-hologram stock in early April, but most retailers, including Rokland, will be shipping only the hologram stickered units.

Rokland.com now offers US Postal Priority Mail shipping

2010-03-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

We know in these tough economic times everyone is looking for ways to save money. While our web site has always offered actual UPS Ground rates with no markup, we were aware that especially in rural regions, standard shipping charges for a small order could exceed $10.00.

We heard your suggestions, and integrated US Postal Priority Mail shipping into our web site. For many single item purchases shipping will be just $5.00 for this service, which (according to the US Postal Service) averages 2-3 mailing days.

We did not make any changes to our UPS offerings, so you can still select UPS Ground, which may be more cost effective on larger orders. UPS 3 Day, 2 Day, and Next Day Air options are also still available.

You can choose any of these shipping options during the checkout process. To get a shipping quote for your order, unlike many web sites you do not first have to create an account or login. All you need to do is add the items you want to the cart, click the Checkout button, and then select your state and zip code from the drop down menu to see what the shipping charges will be if you opt to proceed with the checkout process.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about US Postal Priority Mail shipping:

Priority Mail will only be available for US purchases.
Priority Mail averages 2-3 mailing days to many locations in the US, but this is not a guaranteed time frame, it can take longer than this.
Priority Mail tracking service gets one scan at the time of shipment, and a second at the time of delivery. Sometimes it may get scans in between, but usually not. UPS tracking is point-to-point which means it will generally get multiple scans during transit and also provides you with an estimated delivery date the same day the package is shipped, whereas Priority Mail does not.

How to install your 2Wire wireless USB adapter in Windows 7 (legacy and current)

2010-02-26T12:21:00.001-05:00

If you have a 2Wire 802.11g USB adapter, legacy or current, you can use it on Windows 7.

First you need to identify whether you have a legacy or current adapter, and then you need to find out if you have Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit. The great people at 2Wire have put together a support page that not only shows you how to do both of these things, but also provides you with screen shots showing you how to complete driver installation on your Windows 7 system.

A haiku about the importance of buying your Alfa products from an authorized Alfa reseller

2010-02-25T21:40:00.001-05:00

If your Alfa breaks,
Alfa Networks will honor
the year warranty.

Adverse weather condition notice

2010-02-11T12:03:00.001-05:00

We have been getting calls and emails from buyers this week who have had packages delayed due to adverse weather conditions. In some cases, these buyers are located in places that have not experienced bad weather.

Weather problems such as severe snow storms may cause delays in transit even to parts of the country and world that are not being directly impacted by bad weather. There may be a snow storm occurring at some point in between your location and ours. If the package was shipped outside of the USA, especially to our friends in Canada, weather conditions can cause backlogs at Customs clearance centers, adding additional time to the transit period.

We do encourage anyone with questions about their shipment to contact us via our support page at Rokland.com. But please remember that unfortunately we have no control over delays caused by weather conditions and we do appreciate your patience in allowing extra time for packages to arrive.

Adjust output power settings for the Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW wireless USB adapter

2010-02-09T21:15:00.002-05:00

Editor's note on March 31, 2010: Alfa has pulled the power control driver's from their web site and the explanation is the drivers had some issues the regular drivers did not have. The recommendation is to switch over to the regular drivers available at their web site, Alfa.com.tw.

If you own the 1 watt version of the Alfa AWUS036H wireless USB adapter (came on the market in November 2009), you can now manually adjust the output power in Windows thanks to a new power control utility released by Alfa Networks.

Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to download the power control software utility program for your version of Windows. Then use this chart to determine how to set the power.

According to Alfa, the default setting is 100% power. You can opt to set it to a lower power if you are within close range of the access point and do not need the device operating at full output power.

Alfa AWUS036NH and AWUS036NEH long range 802.11n wireless USB adapters now in stock

2010-01-15T22:19:00.001-05:00

New this month are two long range 802.11n wireless networking products from Alfa Networks, a name many know because of their popular AWUS036H model high powered 802.11g wireless product.

With the AWUS036NH, Alfa brings high output power and great receive sensitivity to wireless-N network.

The AWUS036NH comes in a palm style form factor just like the AWUS036H wireless-G model. It features a Ralink chipset. It is a single band 150 mbps 802.11n product.

For those on a budget, Alfa brings us the AWUS036NEH which also has high output power, though not as high as the AWUS036NH. It comes in a smaller form factor and connects directly to the USB port on your computer.

For those planning to upgrade their networks to 802.11n standard this year, give the Alfa models a serious look. You won't be disappointed. Please see the item description of each product on our web page for more details and specifications.

Beware of fake/phony Alfa products

2010-01-12T23:12:00.001-05:00

In the past month we have confirmed with Alfa the removal of five online marketplace listings that were for fake Alfa AWUS036H wireless USB adapters. Some of those had in excess of fifty sales. A phony Alfa adapter is not like a pirated song or movie. A fake Alfa product only looks very similar on the outside. On the inside the hardware is inferior, the performance is sub-par, and there is no warranty from Alfa. Here are some tips to help ensure you are buying a genuine Alfa product, and to help keep the market clear of pirated products.

1. Always be sure to purchase from an authorized reseller of Alfa products. Authorized resellers have passed a multi-faceted test with Alfa to ensure they give the best customer service and support, and it also confirms they buy the products directly from Alfa to ensure they are 100% genuine. Alfa will be launching a reseller verification page very soon, but in the meantime you can confirm if a seller is authorized by contacting Alfa directly via their web site (http://www.alfa.com.tw).

2. Be cautious of killer deals. If it is too good to be true, it probably is. All of the removed listings mentioned in paragraph one were selling well below the regular market price. Sellers of pirated items can sell them very cheap because they are not quality items and cost very little to make.

3. If you are buying for resale, check to make sure the distributor you are buying from is an authorized reseller, or obtained them from an authorized reseller. A proportion of pirated sales comes from reputable and honest online shops who did not investigate their purchasing source.

4. When in doubt, contact Alfa directly with a link to the advertisement or web page of the seller. If you have already received a product and want to make sure it is genuine, email Alfa with the name of the place where you purchased the item, the date of the sale, the serial number, and MAC address of the item you received.

When fake items are sold, we all pay the penalty. Reputable businesses lose sales, Alfa loses sales (which means less money to invest in developing more great products), and perhaps most importantly, the people who unknowingly buy the fake units get an item of inferior quality and performance.

How to manually install your Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW or 500mW USB adapter on Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

2009-12-23T00:29:00.001-05:00

If you have or plan to get an Alfa AWUS036H wireless USB adapter, which uses the Realtek RTL8187 chipset, the adapter is compatible with Windows 7. We have purchased a number of Windows 7 systems for our technicians and found in most cases the device was actually auto-installed by Windows 7 when we had the driver CD in the computer. However with some systems this did not happen, and we were able to successfully get the item working on Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit editions by manually installing the Windows Vista drivers from the Alfa installation CD.

We created this PDF guide that provides a step by step walk-through to do a manual install. If you have any questions, please remember that blog comments are not regularly monitored by Rokland staff, so please contact us through our web site Rokland.com.

Christmas week shipping schedule

2009-12-17T11:52:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas and happy Festivus to all!

We will be operating on a short week beginning Monday, December 21st, and will be closed Thursday December 24th, and Friday December 25th, so that our employees may enjoy the holiday with their families.

We generally ship orders the next business day after they are placed/paid. All eBay orders paid for by Wednesday night (12/23) at 11:59 PM EST will be shipped out on Thursday morning, even though the rest of our offices will be closed. Purchases made through eBay on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or Saturday and Sunday (12/26 and 12/27) will be shipped on Monday December 28th.

A special note for our web site customers, UPS will not be picking up packages on Christmas Eve. Therefore orders placed on or after Wednesday 12/23 will not be shipped until Monday 12/28. This means if you place an order on 12/23 with Next Day Air shipping, it will ship on 12/28 and arrive on 12/29.

If you are a web customer, please note at this time our web site only supports UPS shipping options. If you would like to make a purchase and select a US Postal option, you can do so by calling us (click on Contact Us link on the right hand side of our web site for our sales and support phone number). Thank you for making this a great year at Rokland, and we wish you the best this holiday season and a happy new year as well!

BearExtender.com: the ultimate Wi-Fi experience for Macs

2009-12-02T13:41:00.001-05:00

Readers may be familiar with our efforts to develop long range (and affordable) Wi-Fi solutions for Apple Macintosh users. We have had some great successes with the RokAir and RokN wireless USB adapters. We were also the first to launch a Snow Leopard compatible wireless USB adapter for Macs. Today we are excited to announce the launch of BearExtender.com, a project that has been in the works for a long time.

BearExtender.com is the only place you can purchase our newest product, BearExtender n3. BearExtender n3 is the result of a joint venture between our product development team and Roland Saekow, a product design major and graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. Together we built off of our well-reviewed n3 wireless USB adapter for Macs to put together a kit that is geared toward mobile Mac users and college students.

BearExtender n3 features a 700mW 802.11n USB wireless adapter that is compatible with Mac OS 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, and even 10.6 Snow Leopard (32-bit only). Instead of including drivers on a CD-ROM that will end up in a landfill, BearExtender n3 comes with software on a reusable flash drive. Once you are done installing the device, you can drag and drop the contents of the drive to some place on your Mac (for future use if needed) and then use the flash drive for other purposes.

BearExtender n3 also comes with a special metal flex cable allowing the unit to stand freely in the air, with no need for a surface on which to set it down (great for use in coffee shops or crowded desks where surface space is at a premium). The unit also has a clip on the back for easy attachment to the back of your laptop.

BearExtender n3 is the ultimate portable Wi-Fi device for Mac users, and it is also 802.11n compatible. Check out the press release here, and be the first to get one at the low introductory price here.

Our holiday promises to you...

2009-11-27T13:31:00.001-05:00

1. We promise to get your order shipped out on time and as advertised.

2. We promise excellent customer service before and after the sale.

3. We promise not to make any video advertisements set to the tune of well known Christmas songs. That may have been neat the first time it happened, but who gets a laugh these days when
"Deck the Halls..." and "Jingle Bells" are rewritten about everything from hardware to kitchen appliances?

Black Friday Deal: 802.11n Wireless USB adapter only $9.00 with free shipping...

2009-11-26T01:17:00.001-05:00

To celebrate 9 years in business, this Friday and Saturday only (November 27th and 28th) we will have a "Black Friday" deal of our own at Rokland.com:

A wireless 802.11n mini USB adapter with 300 mbps max speed for just $9 including shipping (limit 4 per customer- the deal price will not appear on the web site until Friday November 27th).

You won't find a better Black Friday deal unless it involves one of those "wait 10 weeks for a rebate" programs.

This Friday or Saturday, just add the item to the cart, checkout, and your card is charged $9 and the item is mailed to you. Best. Deal. Ever?

Well, okay, Wal-Mart and Best Buy have a $197 laptop and that is a pretty sweet deal, but it is limited to something like 5 per store, and you have to get there at 3AM. You can buy your $9 wireless 802.11n adapter from Rokland.com any time Friday or Saturday at this link (the $9.00 sale price will not be shown on the site until Friday November 27th).

We are not going to advertise this deal anywhere but here on our blog, and via a Twitter post. We want to see just how effective Twitter searches and tweets will be in getting the word out about this deal. So please help us by tweeting about this deal, or retweeting our tweet. We are @rokland

We hope you enjoy the deal, and happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thanksgiving week shipping schedule

2009-11-23T10:14:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! This week we are on a short week, and will be closed Thursday November 26th for Thanksgiving Day, with limited hours on Friday November 27th so that our employees may enjoy the holiday with their families.

We generally ship orders the next business day after they are placed/paid. All orders paid for by Tuesday night at 11:59 PM EST will be shipped on Wednesday November 25th. Purchases made through eBay on Wednesday and Thursday of this week with a US Postal shipping method such as First Class or Priority Mail will be shipped Friday November 27th.

A special note for our web site customers, and eBay or phone customers who select UPS shipping. UPS will not be in operation from Thursday until Monday of next week. Therefore any UPS shipment paid for after 11:59 EST on Tuesday November 24th will not be shipped out until Monday November 30th. Please keep this in mind especially if purchasing an expedited UPS shipping method such as Next Day Air. Next Day Air orders paid for on Wednesday will not ship until next Monday and thus will be delivered Tuesday.

Using your Alfa AWUS036H or Rok500 wireless USB adapter with Windows 7

2009-11-18T23:30:00.001-05:00

(Note: this article applies to the AWUS036H 500mW and 1000mW wireless USB adapters from Alfa, the Rok500 500mW USB adapter from Rokland, and other devices that have a Realtek RTL8187L chipset.)

If you have an Alfa AWUS036H or are considering buying one and want to know if it will work with Windows 7, the technical answer is yes. If you are not that familiar with computers though, please note the installation process may be a bit more involved than a normal WiFi adapter installation.

We have found in some cases you can just put the Alfa drivers CD in the CD drive and connect the adapter to the computer, and then Windows will automatically set it up for you. In many cases though (primarily with Windows 7 64-bit), nothing will happen when you connect the device, or Windows will report that it was not able to find a driver.

The Alfa AWUS036H works great in Windows 7 using the Vista driver. If your computer does not install the driver for you, at the time this article was published you cannot use the Setup program on the CD, as a message will come up saying it is not compatible with Windows 7 (the setup program is only for use with Windows Vista or earlier). What you have to do is manually install the Vista X86 (for 32-bit) or X64 (for 64-bit) driver from the Alfa CD by going to the Device Manager, right clicking on the device, and selecting Update Driver (or Properties > Update Driver). Then proceed through the wizard, browsing to the driver location on the Alfa CD.

If you have not done a manual driver installation in Windows XP or Vista before, or get lost in the process, we will have some video and picture guides available to assist you within the next week.

Happy Halloween from Rokland

2009-10-31T01:46:00.002-04:00

RokIt wireless USB adapter not Snow Leopard compatible

2009-10-08T11:42:00.001-04:00

Our RokIt wireless USB adapter for Macs is not currently compatible with Mac Snow Leopard (OS 10.6). It currently works with 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5 Leopard.

For our other Mac compatible devices that have a Realtek chip, such as the RokAir, those devices can be used on Snow Leopard 32-bit by installing the 10.5 Leopard drives. But do not attempt this sae procedure with the RokIt, the 10.5 driver package for the RokIt not only does not work with 10.6, but may interfere with other wireless adapters installed on your system.

Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW (1w) USB adapters are here, but are they really 1000mW max output?

2009-10-07T22:16:00.001-04:00

If you have used the Alfa AWUS036H 500mW max output wireless USB adapter before, you know it is an awesome WiFi adapter. The range is amazing, and it really does a lot better job than most all other products on the market.

Alfa is a great brand, and they have recently announced that the new AWUS036H models are now 1000mW max output. We received the first shipment of these 1000mW max units from Alfa today, and can confirm the retail box is different. But there are no markings on the box to indicated it is now 1000mW (30 dBm), and the adapter is physically identical to the older version in all aspects. The CD inside the box has a manual which still refers to 27 dBm max output, apparently they forgot to change the manual. They have changed their official web page for this model though.

We asked Alfa, and they have confirmed the units are 1000mW. Alfa is a great company that has long made excellent networking items and we have no doubt that these units are in fact now capable of 1000mW. But Alfa does not have a US-based operation and may not understand that US buyers are constantly faced with ads and products that have inaccurate specs. We have encouraged Alfa to fix their manuals to properly show the new version as 1000mW, and to also add the output specs to the retail box itself. Until they do, we will continue to advertise the model AWUS036H as 500mW max. Note that other retailers have chosen to advertise the same units as 1000mW, but if you buy from Rokland you will be getting the same item.

Some more photos of the Skytone Alpha 680 Android netbook

2009-09-14T12:07:00.001-04:00

In our previous post we reviewed the world's first Android netbook, the Alpha 680 from Skytone. The unit we received was yellow, and the manufacturer has sent us some these images showing it in black. As in the previous post, you can click on the images for an enlarged view.

Alpha 680 Android Netbook Review

2009-09-11T14:02:00.016-04:00

(Update 9/14: We have photos of the unit in black here)

We are taking a look at the Alpha 680 netbook from Skytone (no relation to Alfa Network Inc., makers wireless products). The Alpha 680 is the world's first Android netbook, giving users all the features of Google's mobile phone operating system right on a netbook. The unit is not yet available in the US, but we got our hands on one because we wanted to test some of our WiFi products with Android, and also had considered becoming a distributor. Because the device was so different from any other netbook we have used, we decided to do a full blown public review. Here is the video, then further down we have more to say about the item and some pictures as well.

We will start our review by giving you the bottom line: the Alpha 680 is a fun toy for geeks who want to work with Android on a netbook, and it gives a great glimpse at what netbooks may become, but it has some rough edges that need to be smoothed before it can be considered a mainstream product.

Before getting into the meat and potatoes of the 680, here is some quick background information. Word of the device first came back in April of this year, when sites such as Gizmodo and Engadget described the Alpha 680 as it appeared in a spring trade show. The device is set to be priced at $250.00 and it is ready for market and should be available in the US sometime this month or next.

In addition to running Android, the Alpha 680 is also one of the first netbooks to sport a touchscreen, as well as a rotating LCD that turns the unit into a tablet.

Quick pros: obviously the touchscreen and tablet capabilities of the machine were nice, but beyond that there was not a whole lot to rave about.

Quick cons: the netbook has a cheap feel to it, and from a design standpoint is quite lacking. Ultimately the Alpha 680 gives us a glimpse of what can be done with touchscreens on netbooks, but we need a company like Apple or Google to come along and perfect this.

When we took the unit out of the box, the first thing that we noticed was the item had the look and feel of a toy. In fact, it would probably do well if marketed toward children, but the Android interface as it comes installed on the 680 is too complex for computer newcomers. To be fair, a black or gray unit, which will be the most common colors available, will look more professional. But the issue is not so much the color as the general look of it. It is not something you'd want to break out at a business meeting or on the subway when a couple of pretty girls (or handsome guys) are heading your way. It does not have the aesthetics we are used to seeing from Apple and HP no matter what color you get. Unlike the EEE PC from Asus, one of the first netbooks, the plastic is not a smooth laptop-case style plastic, it is a much cheaper “pencil box” type of plastic. The buttons and arrow pad on the LCD sometimes had to be pushed more than once, and did not feel like they will last a long time. Okay, it's only $250, but considering HP series netbooks can be found refurbished for the same price, if you are looking for something fashionable then the Alpha 680 won't be in your top ten.

We already knew the item was coming with a 7 inch LCD just like the original Asus EEE PC. Before receiving it we felt it should have at least an 8.9 inch screen, but in a surprise note, the way Android displays on the screen the device was not hard to use with the 7 inch LCD. While bigger would be better, the 7 inch LCD was not a disappointment.

It took us a few minutes to figure out how to connect to a WiFi signal, and that may be due to the fact this is the first time we have used WiFi in Android. Once we established a connection, we were able to visit web sites easily. The device also displayed options to connect via 3G and GPRS but we are not sure if that is something the device will be able to do, or if that is just an option in the Android software (which was primarily designed to operate on cell phones).

The unit features two regular sized USB ports, a 100 mbps ethernet port, an SD card slot, a TV output jack, and of course a headphone and microphone jack. It also has a stylus that slides out.

Having used an iPhone before, we found the touchscreen capabilities of the Alpha 680 to be a bit lacking, though you can use your finger to slide up and down web pages. One bug that was annoying was that when you moved the device to tablet mode and then rotated it back to be able to use the keyboard again, the mouse would stop working.

A closer look at Android on the Alpha 680

Okay, we've established that the Alpha 680 itself is not going to win any design awards. But the primary reason this device may be of interest to US buyers is because it is the first netbook to run Android. Why would you want a netbook with Android vs. Windows XP, Vista, or another version of Linux?

Android simplifies the user interface to the point where it is easy to do many things on a smartphone- that is what is was designed to do. The primary complaint from netbook users is that netbooks try to do too much- they try to be full blown PCs, and using them can be difficult. The touchpad navigation as well as the typing can take a lot longer compared to a traditional laptop or desktop computer. Where netbooks were designed to come in between cell phones and laptops, the Alpha 680 with Android was designed to come in between cell phones and netbooks- a morphing of the two into one ultimate portable device. Think of an iPhone, but with a bigger screen...we're not saying “mission accomplished”, but that is definitely the track Skytone was taking here.

Conclusion

The Alpha 680 shows us that possibilities in the future of netbook and tablet computing are endless, and it also shows us that there is a lot of room for improvement. If this market-ready unit had been put forth at a company like Lenovo as a prototype, no doubt it would have been sent back to the drawing board for some more work. Any company that is serious about distributing Android on a netbook to the mainstream US population will need to refine/customize the installation and make some tweaks. Is the device worth $250? That's hard to say. It can do a lot of things that regular netbooks cannot and will be a fun toy for geeks who want to work with Android on a netbook, but most of those geeks would probably prefer to try installing Android themselves on a netbook they already have. Interacting with the unit is not always easy, and if Steve Jobs has taught us anything it is that design matters. The Alpha 680 did not follow this philosophy, at least not with the US market in mind. It may just be that the Alpha 680 was designed for another market- for Chinese or European youth that follow different fashions and are scooping up low cost technology products in their home market. Skytone is one of the first players to create a tablet netbook, and while the unit will probably do okay once it launches, soon after we will see other manufacturers learn from Skytone's Alpha 680 and launch some really cool new devices.

The Rokland n3 is compatible with Snow Leopard

2009-09-01T23:20:00.007-04:00

(Updated 9/28/09: The Rokland n3 works with 10.5 Leopard drivers in 10.6 Snow Leopard 32-bit, but is not recognized in 64-bit mode)

Need WiFi for Snow Leopard?

The n3 802.11n wireless long range USB WiFi adapter from Rokland works great on Apple Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard).

We installed Snow Leopard onto multiple Macs to conduct our test (one system was an Intel iMac Core Duo and the other was a Macbook Pro). We used the existing 10.5 drivers that come on the CD in the n3 retail box. The installation was a breeze, and after activating the device in System Preferences > Network, we were online in moments. We were a bit nervous because we have read some rumors that some other brand 10.4/10.5 compatible WiFi equipment did not work in 10.6.

A couple of things to note- on the two machines we used, neither had the n3 installed previously. We have not yet upgraded a 10.4 or 10.5 system that already had the n3 installed to see if the device would work uninterrupted. If you already have the n3 and plan to upgrade to 10.6, just remember if the device does not work right off the bat you should be able to just run the installation software from the n3 disc again.

We want to make a special effort to mention to potential buyers that if you buy this for 10.6, for the time being you will want to run the install package for 10.5. Right now the CDs will not have any reference to 10.6 on them nor will the instructions that are on the CD. The reason is because we were not expecting Snow Leopard to be released until the end of September, which was the initial launch date. Thus we have a large inventory of units with CDs and feel it would be environmentally unfriendly to dispose them all and make new ones. So in the meantime you can safely buy the device for use with Snow Leopard, just remember to install the software for 10.5 Leopard, and also to follow the instructions for 10.5.

We will have more compatibility information regarding Snow Leopard and other WiFi devices we sell on our blog in the coming weeks.

An 802.11n workaround for TiVo Series 2 boxes

2009-08-27T12:38:00.002-04:00

A not-so-well-known fact about the 802.11n wireless standard is that if you want to maximize the range and speed of your 802.11n router, the router needs to be set internally to only accept wireless connections from 802.11n wireless adapters (this is usually a setting in the router called N-only mode). If the router is set to allow 802.11g adapters to connect (usually called Mixed N/G/B modes) the performance of the whole network drops. By factory default, most 802.11n routers are going to be set to mixed mode.

With the price of 802.11n equipment dropping, it is not expensive to get 802.11n adapters for all computers in your home. But what happens if you have a device such as the TiVo Series 2 DVR, for which there are no compatible 802.11n USB adapters (at the time of this writing)? Sure you can hardwire the TiVo directly to your router, but if your TiVo is on the other side of the house, that is not a good option.

There are two workarounds you can deploy so that your TiVo can continue to get wireless connectivity without bringing down the performance of your 802.11n network.

Option 1: Use your old G router (or buy a new one) as an access point connected to your N router. You will likely need to search Google or another search engine for your router model number to figure out how to change the router to AP mode (most routers have an AP mode, but some do not). You can then connect the Internet port on your G router to an ethernet port on your N router using a standard ethernet cable, and then broadcast a wireless signal from the G router. This signal is completely separate from your 802.11n signal and will have its own SSID (signal name). You can use this signal to connect your G devices, such as the TiVo, to the Internet. And your 802.11n router can be set to only accept connections from 802.11n devices.

Option 2: The other workaround is to buy a wireless adapter that has an AP mode function, such as the RokAir which is compatible with Macs and Windows, and install it to a computer that will be hardwired to your 802.11n router. Using the AP mode feature of the RokAir, you can share your wired Internet connection wirelessly with other devices. Doing so will create a new wireless signal that is separate from your 802.11n signal, and then you can connect to this new signal with your G devices, like the TiVo. Meanwhile, just as with option 1, your 802.11n router can be set to only accept connections from 802.11n devices. The main difference between this option and option 1 is that you will have to leave the computer that has the AP mode device powered on when you want the TiVo to be able to connect to the Internet. If you turn that computer off, the TiVo will not be able to connect.

You could also wait to see if TiVo introduces an 802.11n wireless device (which would be awesome), but it appears a lot of the new software based features they are adding only work with Series 3/TiVo HD boxes. So there is some speculation that a new 802.11n adapter for TiVos may not be supported on Series 2 boxes.

The Rokland n3 is plug and play with Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty

2009-08-22T21:03:00.006-04:00

We have confirmed the Rokland n3 wireless USB adapter is plug and play with Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition (Jaunty Jackalope). We have run tests on multiple computers to be sure. On one system we ran the Live CD version of Jaunty, and on another we installed it to the hard drive. On both systems the adapter did not require driver installation and was immediately able to connect to access points using the wireless connection utility located on the top menu bar of the desktop. The process was very simple- just boot up the system, connect the n3 to the USB port, click on the wireless connection utility and select your network.

If you are not able to get your Rokland n3 working on Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty, open a terminal window and run iwconfig to see if the device is listed there. If it is not, confirm that your USB ports are recognized by Jaunty. If no other USB device (such as a mouse or keyboard) works with your computer, that means the problem is your USB bus is not working right in Ubuntu. If your USB ports work fine, please report the issue to our support department.

How to disable/enable your internal WiFi card in Windows Vista

2009-08-22T16:50:00.001-04:00

If you want to use a long range WiFi USB adapter such as the Alfa AWUS036H or the Rokland n3 with your laptop, and you have a WiFi card built in, you will need to disable that card in order to use the USB adapter for Internet access. Likewise, when you want to go back to using your internal card, you need to enable it.

Doing this is a simple process in Windows Vista. If your laptop has an external on/off switch for the internal WiFi card, it is pretty self explanatory. But if not, what you want to do is click on Start and go to Control Panel. Change to icon view and double click the Network and Sharing Center icon. On the window that comes up, click on Manage Network Connections. There you should see your internal ethernet adapter displayed in icon format as Local Area Connection. Then you should see your internal WiFi adapter as Wireless Network Connection. Your external USB WiFi adapter should appear as Wireless Network Connection 2. To be sure which icon corresponds to which device, just mouse over the respective icon and a little box will appear telling you to what hardware device the Wireless Network Connection icon corresponds.

Once you have located the icon that corresponds to your internal WiFi card, right click on it and select Disable. To re-enable the card, repeat the same steps and select Enable. You can also mouse over the Wireless Network Connection icon that corresponds to your external USB WiFi adapter and select the Connect/Disconnect option to connect to available access points.

The Alfa AWUS050NH version 2 is here...

2009-08-13T22:05:00.001-04:00

The Alfa AWUS050NH version 2 is here...and it works better than the version 1, but in terms of 802.11g performance it is still not as good as the AWUS036H 802.11g 500mW adapter from Alfa.

We did multiple tests in Windows and Linux with multiple units to be sure. We will have a video test up on our blog shortly which compares the AWUS050NH to both the AWUS036H and the n3 USB adapter.

The AWUS050NH picked up a similar number of APs vs. the AWUS036H, but the signal strengths were quite a bit weaker. In Windows they had fewer bars, whereas in Linux the percentage numbers were lower.

The bottom line is while the AWUS050NH version 2 seems to work a little better than the version 1, if you are primarily trying to pick up and connect to 802.11g standard wireless networks, the AWUS036H from Alfa and the n3 both did a better job.

We are going to carry the Alfa AWUS050NH due to high demand and relatively good reviews from places like Lifehacker. It works fine and when used with an 802.11n router, you will get good range and speed. But for those of you hoping the AWUS050NH version 2 was going to work as good as the AWUS036H but with added N capabilities, at least where we are located that does not seem to be the case.

The n3 from Rokland and Windows 7

2009-08-07T15:17:00.001-04:00

A quick post to say the n3 works great in Windows 7 release candidate.

Windows 7 drivers are now available for the n3 from Rokland http://bit.ly/A8t82

The RAID WiFi adapter and BackTrack 4

2009-08-04T00:59:00.002-04:00

We've got a brand new product called the RAID, which stands for Rokland Auditing/Injecting Device.

The RAID is designed for use in BackTrack 3 and BackTrack 4 Linux and takes its shape and chipset from the popular (but discontinued) Alfa AWUS036S wireless USB adapter. The AWUS036S was highly recommended for use in BackTrack 3 Linux, primarily because it was a low-cost, good-range adapter with an RP-SMA port, and was compatible with programs like Aircrack. The AWUS036S is no longer being made, but the RAID was designed with the same chipset in order to offer the same functionality.

We have done some testing of Rokland RAID in the Backtrack 4 pre-release final edition. Here are some notes:

1. BT4 has been designed so that by default the networking services do not load at startup. If you have BT4 installed to a disk drive, you can make some changes to that they will load at startup. If you are using a bootable CD version of BT4 and running the OS entirely from CD, you will need to set aside some disk space on your hard drive so that any settings changes you make will be saved. Otherwise remember that any settings changes or package installs you do will be gone the next time you boot. This blog post is not a tutorial on how to do this, but you can find this info easily by searching the remote-exploit.org forums.

2. If you are planning to use BackTrack 4 for injection/cracking, you probably do not need to enable networking services. For the most part you will only need to enable networking services when you want to connect to an AP.

3. The RAID will automatically be recognized in BackTrack 4 pre-release final, but because the networking services are not loaded, the adapter is not plug and play in the sense that you will not be able to open a web browser right away and go online.

4. To use the device to scan for networks, you will need to start networking services.

/etc/init.d/networking start
/etc/init.d/networkmanager start

On our version run from CD, we did not have networkmanager, the client utility was called Wicd Network Manager, however the program (located in the Internet folder) did not load when selected. The fix is to run this command:

/usr/bin/start-network

Then you can go to Internet and select Wicd Network Manager and the GUI will load.

With Wicd Network Manager running, you will see available networks. Connecting is straightforward, but if you attempt to connect to an encrypted network, you may get an error that "this network requires encryption to be enabled". To enabled encryption, follow these instructions:

click on the name of the network to which you want to connect. Then click the Advanced Settings button that appears. Make sure the 'use encryption' box is checked, then enter in the network key. Now you can go back and connect to that network.

Note that the steps above are not specific to the RAID, they are just helpful hints when using any compatible wireless adapter with BackTrack 4.

We connected to some APs and went online just to ensure the driver was working properly, then rebooted and ran some tests in Aircrack. We created several test networks for injection purposes. The tests were designed to show the vulnerabilities of WEP encryption. Each AP set up for this purpose was encrypted with WEP encryption. One model had 64-bit and the other model 128-bit. On one computer we used BackTrack3 and SPoonWep (a program that comes with BT3) and were able to recover the 64-bit and 128-bit keys relatively quickly using the RAID. On another computer we loaded BT4 pre-release final edition and hooked up the RAID. SPoonWep does not come with BT4 pre-release final edition, and as far as we could find out, will not work on BT4 if you try to install it manually. This may change on future versions of BT4 or SPoonWep, but for now if you want to do injection with BT4 you can use a program like Aircrack. We used Aircrack on BT4 with the RAID and successfully recovered the WEP keys from both test APs.

n3, RokN, and BT4 pre-release final

2009-08-02T16:29:00.001-04:00

A quick note to let you know that we have completed more testing in the BackTrack 4 pre-release final edition and are not going to advertise the n3 and RokN as BT4 compatible at this time. The devices are recognized on BT4 pre-release final, and can even detect networks in Wicd Network Manager, but cannot connect to them. We did no further testing on any of the apps, because we figured even if they worked with programs like Aircrack, we could not really say they work in BT4 if you can't use them for basic Internet access. However for people that just want to use the n3 for Aircrack or other apps, we may do some more testing in the coming weeks. Both adapters use a pretty highly recommended chip for Linux from Ralink, so we hope that these issues which appear to be driver related might be cleared up in the final release of BT4. For now, as 802.11n devices from other Linux-friendly chipset makers like Realtek are just coming to market in early August, we would say that using 802.11n in BT4 pre-release final might be a bit of a chore.

If you are looking for a device that will work great in BT4 pre-release final, we are launching later today in fact a new 802.11g adapter with RP-SMA connector called the RAID (stands for Rokland Auditing/Injection Device) that is very similar to the Alfa AWUS036S model. We will of course have a post on it when it is online and ready for purchase.

The n3 from Rokland: "most powerful wifi adapter I've ever seen"

2009-07-31T02:32:00.003-04:00

That's what one of our customers had to say about the n3, our 802.11n wireless USB adapter for Macs, PCs, and Netbooks.

The reason we mention this is because several people have asked us where they can find independent reviews of the n3. While you may find some forum reviews by doing an Internet search, as the product was just released in July, they might still be few and far between. We did put the product up on eBay when it launched for maximum exposure, and have had many positive comments come in.

Below we have listed some of these comments. Please note that we have removed the user ID of each commenter, however you can verify the comments are genuine by viewing our eBay feedback profile at eBay.com (our user ID is rokland). If you go to the time and date of each comment shown, you will be able to verify it is genuine.

most powerful wifi adapter I've ever seen! a+++customer service. thanks so much!
Jul-14-09 05:29
Amazing! All my friends want one!
Jul-13-09 09:15
works well, connects to networks I couldn't get before
Jul-11-09 16:48
fantastic product, thanks! A+++!!!
Jul-12-09 20:33
WORKS GREAT !!!! GOT IT FAST !!!! A # 1 DEAL !!!! :) THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jul-30-09 17:18
Great increase in range. Item as described and arrived as indicated. Top seller.
Jul-26-09 02:59
Great product and great seller!! Thanks!
Jul-25-09 12:32
shipped quickly, no hassles, item as described, what more do you want. A+
Jul-22-09 07:33
Super Fast Shipping & Great Product! A+++
Jul-16-09 22:04

These are just a few of many, and we are excited that they have found the item to be just as great as we did in our testing. If you have any questions about the n3, please contact us.

Alfa AWUS050NH version 2 delayed...

2009-07-23T11:32:00.001-04:00

In this June blog post we discussed the forthcoming Alfa AWUS050NH version 2 500mW 802.11n adapter that was supposed to be available in July. Alfa had discontinued manufacturing version 1 in order to make a version 2 which was to have improved range and sensitivity for 802.11g connections.

We just found out from Alfa directly that version 2, which was to ship out on July 22nd, has been delayed. There is no new ETA, however we would speculate early August availability.

A prototype of version 2 we recently received had some issues, and we are glad Alfa is taking the time to make sure the final shelf version will be an excellent product.

We will have the new version 2 model as soon as it is available. In the meantime customers have asked us if we know of any other place they can get the version 2. There is no other place, because Alfa does not have the version ready yet, and as an authorized Alfa reseller and distributor we will be the first to have it when it is ready. Some other retailers have the AWUS050NH model in stock, but those are version 1 units. Those retailers may not be aware a new improved version is coming, or they may be selling off the remainder of their version 1 stock.

If you are in the market for an 802.11n adapter with good range and need to get something right now, take a look at this and this.

Price cuts: Rok500 now $29.97, Rok500 now $31.97

2009-07-13T11:12:00.001-04:00

We've been able to negotiate new lower prices from our manufacturers, and also reduce their global freight costs, for both the popular Rok500 500mW wireless USB adapter, and the RokN 802.11n wireless USB adapter for Macs and PCs. The Rok500 is now just $29.97 and the Rok500 is just $31.97.

Rokland talks about Twitter...

2009-07-08T15:21:00.001-04:00

We've been using Twitter (@Rokland) for a while now, and find it a great way to keep customers and potential customers posted about new product releases, product updates, sales, etc. It is also a great way for people to send us quick feedback and responses.

The other day I was listening to a radio talk show, and a caller discussed Twitter, his voice dripping with contempt. "Twitter," he said, "is very fitting of it's name, it's filled with people who have nothing better to do than twitter away their time by finding out that their friend just made a sandwich, or their other friend just got home from the gym." Now that quote is not exact since it comes from memory, but it is pretty close.

This sentiment is one I hear often from people who really have not used the service that much (or at all). While some do use the service similar to a status update on Facebook, Twitter allows you to communicate with a broad range of people easier and faster than any other medium. To those that dismiss it in the manner the fellow on the radio, it is akin to dismissing the importance of email by saying "email is just for people who want to read jokes forwarded by their grandmother."

The netbook is dead, long live laptops?

2009-07-07T11:22:00.003-04:00

If you haven't heard of netbooks, the latest craze in portable computing, head to your local Best Buy or other electronics retailer and you'll notice that the laptop selection has been reduced in favor of shelf space for much smaller laptop-like computers. These devices, the largest of them with a 10.1 inch screen, are cheaper, smaller, and lighter than laptops. They can be a bit tougher to use of course, with common complaints being the smaller keyboards and eyestrain from focusing on the little screens. But sales have ballooned over the past year, and now with service providers like Sprint and Verizon offering even lower-cost netbooks with a 2-year data contract, retail analysts expect sales to continue to grow for years to come.

But Joe Wilcox of eWeek says the netbook will soon be a thing of the past. You can read his list of reasons here. What do you think?

A) Netbooks are awesome, I already have one
B) I plan to get one soon because they are so cheap
C) They look cool, but I probably won't ever buy one
D) Joe Wilcox is right, the netbook won't be around for long

The n3 is here!

2009-07-01T01:59:00.001-04:00

The n3 802.11n wireless USB adapter from Rokland just launched about 1AM EST, today, July 1st, 2009. We promised a July 1st launch date, and we made sure to deliver. A lot of people have been inquiring about the n3 based on our YouTube previews of the product, so we thought it was appropriate to begin the launch with a 45 second video spot which shows some great images of the item.

The n3 is an 802.11n standard long range WiFi adapter for use with Macs (running OS 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5), as well as PCs with Windows 2000 and later. It features an RP-SMA external antenna port, and it can clip on easily to the back of your laptop LCD. The best thing about this adapter aside from its appearance (it has a nice shiny reflective surface that matches many of today's netbooks and laptops) is the range it gets. We've got some videos on our blog from this past week showing off just what the n3 can do, so be sure to check them out!

I hope you guys have as much fun using the n3 as we did putting it together and getting it launched. We will have some more details regarding use in Linux in the coming weeks, right now for support purposes we are gearing this adapter toward Mac and PC users. While we have launched a number of Rokland branded products in the past, such as the RokAir, the RokN, and most recently the Rok500, this was by far the biggest launch we have done, and we feel this is the best product we have ever offered, both in terms of design and functionality. Please be sure to let us know what you think when you receive your item if you order one, and, if you like it, be sure to let everyone know via sites like Twitter, Digg, Facebook, and StumbleUpon. Thanks!

Alfa AWUS036H 500mw USB vs. Rokland N3 (Alfa killer?) PART II

2009-06-29T14:55:00.005-04:00

We have conducted another head to head test of our N3 Wireless 802.11n USB adapter (street date July 1st) and the Alfa AWUS036H 500mW USB adapter.

The video shows the N3 picks up a few more signals than the AWUS036H. This was done on a different computer than the computer used in the previous test. Toward the end of the video is a back-to-back comparison from the screencast. While the N3 is a product made by Rokland, we are providing these tests to demonstrate how well it performs. When we launched the Rok500 500mW USB adapter earlier this year, while it got great range and is a great value, we were up front that it did not beat the Alfa 500mW USB adapter in head to head testing.

A look at the N3 802.11n Wireless USB adapter from Rokland (street date 7/1)

2009-06-28T23:21:00.006-04:00

The N3 is set to launch July 1st. In this video you can get a look at the item next to the MSI Wind netbook. The surface of the N3 is polished and reflective, very similar to the Wind. It makes for a great looking accessory, but the N3 also packs a punch in the range department. Have a look at this video, and check back within a day for another range comparison test video between the N3 and the Alfa AWUS036H 500mW WiFi USB adapter.

Microsoft seems to take note of Apple's Snow Leopard upgrade offer

2009-06-26T10:43:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month Apple announced that the new version of its Mac OS, called Snow Leopard, would be available as an upgrade for just $30. Microsoft is also launching a new operating system this fall- Windows 7. Previous Windows upgrades have been priced around $90-$100. This time Microsoft is offering an upgrade deal at a much lower price.

Over at the Microsoft online store (and a number of retailers according to Microsoft), you can upgrade to Windows 7 for as little as $50 if you pre-order it now. Microsoft says the promotion will run until a preset number of licenses have been sold. No word on what the official number is, but some analysts have predicted the upgrade offer should be available until sometime in July.

One nice thing about the offer is that Microsoft won't actually charge your credit card until the product ships in October, so you don't have to spend the $50 right now. No word on what their cancellation policy is in the event you change your mind about the pre-order come October.

What happened to the Alfa AWUS050NH 802.11n high powered wireless USB adapter?

2009-06-26T01:39:00.001-04:00

As you may know, Alfa Networks manufactures the most popular and longest range WiFi product on the market- the AWUS036H 500mW 802.11g wireless USB adapter. Back in March they launched the 802.11n version, the AWUS050NH, to very good reviews. There was some discussion thereafter that while the AWUS050NH worked extremely well with 802.11n routers, the performance with 802.11g routers could be a little better. In June, Alfa discontinued the model in favor of a version 2 of the same model number, to be shipped to distributors instead. The new version has hit some setbacks and is not set to be ready for release until sometime in July.

If you are in the market for this model adapter, it is our understanding direct from Alfa that no retailers have the version 2 unit for sale right now. Alfa did ship a handful of test units to retailers (we did get some and all are gone). Some retailers still have a stock of the version 1 available. The version 1 works very well and is worth buying, but Alfa is touting improved 802.11g functionality on the version 2 model. We received about ten units of the version 2 (they worked great), and know they will be a hit with buyers when they are available in July.

As an authorized Alfa reseller, you can count on us to have the version 2 in stock and ready to ship as soon as Alfa launches them.

500mW amplifier pen boosters for 2.4 GHz wireless are here!

2009-06-25T22:49:00.002-04:00

We now have in stock and ready to ship 500mW pen booster amplifiers for 802.11g wireless equipment. Our boosters have both an RP-SMA male and RP-SMA female connector, so you can immediately install them in between your existing WiFi adapter and antenna (use requires a WiFi adapter that has an RP-SMA external antenna connector).

The kit also includes a converter to RP-TNC if you want to use the device with your wireless router instead. These pen boosters are compatible with all types of USB and PCI WiFi adapters, including the very popular Alfa AWUS036H 500mW USB adapter. When using with the Alfa adapter, you can boost your total max output power up to 1000mW, that's one full watt!

Check out the item description we have for this product, we have a nice comparison graphic showing WiFi range with the AWUS036H adapter and a 2 dBi gain antenna compared to the same setup using this 500mW booster. It gave quite a range boost.

Video of Alfa AWUS036H 500mW USB vs. the N3 from Rokland

2009-06-24T14:34:00.003-04:00

Per my blog post last night, yesterday I tested the forthcoming N3 adapter from Rokland for the first time against the Alfa AWUS036H 500mW adapter, and was surprised at the results. I threw together a quick video today to show the difference. I apologize for the quality of the video, we will have some better quality footage of the N3 and the comparison as the launch date nears (July 1st is the projected launch date of the N3). But about 1:03 into the video up until about 1:08 you can see the additional signals appear after the N3 is hooked up to the computer.

Is the N3 an Alfa 500mW killer?

2009-06-23T23:19:00.003-04:00

The Alfa AWUS36H 500mW adapter is the king of WiFi adapters, ask anyone who owns one. When you need long range wireless capabilities, you get the Alfa, end of discussion.

We have been developing a high powered 802.11n standard WiFi adapter called the N3, and physically it is beautiful. The adapter is being designed as a "functionality meets form" type of product that will bring long range wireless to Macs (it also works with Windows and Linux though) and do it in style. I got my hands on one today for the first time and was stunned, completely stunned by the results. At best I expected the adapter to work as good as our Rok500 wireless adapter, which gets great range but not quite as great as the Alfa AWUS036H. I was completely stunned when I hooked up the adapter and picked up several access points I had never seen before. I quickly verified the results using Wireless Monitor, and then hooked up an Alfa AWUS036H to compare. The N3 picked up 13 networks to 10 for the Alfa. I redid the tests and saved the results as images. The N3 also had better signal strength to access points in the same and next room, although the adapters seemed to receive about equally on APs further away. The N3 was not a great deal better than the Alfa, but it was still better, and that says a lot (these tests were done using the factory 2 dBi antennas in each box, as the Alfa 500mw has a higher max output power I am guessing with much higher gain antennas the Alfa would do better, but I will confirm that in later testing). Here are the images. In the next few days I will work to get a video test up here. Click on the image to see it in full size.

When you're feeling down, when you're feeling blue...

2009-06-17T23:27:00.001-04:00

Confirmed: Snow Leopard to require Intel Mac

2009-06-10T00:21:00.001-04:00

We have confirmed from multiple sources that the new Mac operating system version 10.6, dubbed Snow Leopard, will require a Mac with an Intel processor. This had been rumored for some time, but is now (barring any changes at Apple) a reality.

Snow Leopard launches on September 19th and will be available as an upgrade for just $29.95. For consumers who buy a new Mac between now and then, the upgrade will cost just $9.95.

If you have one of our Mac compatible wireless USB adapters installed on a Mac with an Intel processor, please keep in mind that 10.6 drivers may not be available for your product on the Snow Leopard launch date. Apple does not distribute release candidates of its software to the general public like Microsoft does, and only works with select hardware developers before the official launch date. Therefore most manufacturers must wait until the official launch date of a new Mac OS version before they can begin to develop compatible drivers and work out bugs.

When 10.5 (Leopard) came out in 2007, drivers for most 10.4 compatible WiFi USB adapters were not available for approximately four months. Hopefully the turnaround will be quicker this time, but if you have one of our Mac compatible adapters installed on your 10.5 system and plan on upgrading to Snow Leopard in September or shortly thereafter, your adapter may stop working until 10.6 drivers are available.

It is remotely possible the 10.5 drivers available now may work in 10.6, but we will not know for sure until after the launch date when we have gotten our hands on a Snow Leopard system and get the opportunity to run some tests. As always, any information we have or find will be available here as soon as we get it.

Alfa AWUS036H 500mW Wireless USB adapter is Windows 7 RC compatible

2009-06-08T00:34:00.001-04:00

Today we are beginning our Windows 7 Release Candidate testing project. In the coming weeks we plan to test many of our products on Windows 7 Release Candidate. It is important to note that because Microsoft may make changes to the final release of Windows 7, compatibility claims in this post are only for Windows 7 Release Candidate. While unlikely, it is possible a product will work in the release candidate, but not in the final version. We don't really anticipate that though given that Microsoft has said that for the most part any hardware that works with Vista will work with Windows 7.

For the first of our tests we hooked up an Alfa AWUS036H 500mW adapter. A popup window appeared on the screen saying Windows could not install the product because there was no driver. The only option given was to find out more information. We clicked on that option and it told us we could try installing software from the maker of the device, which we had planned to do anyhow.

We then ran the Setup.exe program for Windows Vista which is found on the Alfa factory CD inside the Vista folder. The program opened fine, and along the way Windows offered another popup explaining that Windows could not verify the maker of the driver package, and asked if we wanted to continue installing the driver or stop. We continued, of course, and the program completed. At one point it looked like it might have been in a loop, because we did get the same popup from Windows a second time saying the maker of the driver could not be verified. However we continued through the process, and the installation completed. We were then able to go online with the device.

Note: while this likely means that other adapters we have which use the same chipset and driver as the Alfa AWUS036H (such as the AWUS036E and AWUS036EH models from Alfa, and the RokOn, RokAir, and Rok500 adapters from Rokland) should be compatible with Windows 7 RC, due to possible differences in firmware we will test each model and let you know the results here on our blog.

What to do if a driver link is outdated

2009-05-28T12:34:00.001-04:00

From time to time we get emails regarding a driver download link from an old blog post or old email that may now be outdated. If you are attempting to locate a driver for a product purchased from Rokland, and the link you have does not work, please check our driver page. If the link on our driver page is outdated, or the product is not listed there, please contact our support department and we will respond with an updated driver link, and also fix the link on our driver page.

Apple Snow Leopard and Windows 7 WiFi Compatibility Information

2009-05-26T10:53:00.001-04:00

Will your Apple Macintosh compatible wireless adapter work with the upcoming Snow Leopard release from Apple? Will your Windows compatible adapter work with Windows 7?

As with any new operating system, we can't say for sure until it has been released and we have had a chance to test it. While products can be tested on betas or release candidates, that is not a good indicator of whether they will be compatible with the final version. In most cases, adapters will not be compatible until the chipset maker of the particular wireless adapter releases a new driver package.

Snow Leopard is set for a mid-June launch, and Windows 7 is supposed to be out in time for the holidays this year. Shortly after each one is released, we will get our hands on the new versions and do some testing. The results will of course be posted here on our blog.

We can say from past experience that chipset makers usually focus on making new Windows drivers first before updating their Macintosh drivers. So I guess it is a good thing the two are not launching at the same time. As a guidepost, Leopard 10.5 was released to the public on October 26th, 2007, and 10.5 drivers did not start to become available until late February of 2008. We will be working with the chipset makers to hopefully cut this time frame down a bit, but at the earliest (unless they are really on the ball), we would not expect Snow Leopard drivers to be available before August.

For Windows the turnaround time from the chipset makers is usually faster.

WolframAlpha vs. Google: a fair comparison?

2009-05-22T01:01:00.007-04:00

There's been a lot of buzz about a new search engine called WolframAlpha. BusinessWeek wrote about it, Justin.tv covered the launch preparation, and it was even linked to at the top of the Drudge Report, a high-traffic political and news web site.

So we thought we'd check it out.

Just for some background, WolframAlpha is the brain child of British physicist and mathematician Stephen Wolfram, founder of Wolfram Research. Advocates of the site are quick to point out it is not a search engine in the traditional sense. It does not crawl a database of web sites and try to display ones that probably have the information for which you are searching. Instead, it attempts to answer specific fact-based questions primarily with numeric data and information. Some articles have asked if WolframAlpha is a Google killer, but a quick comparison between the two shows that both sites serve a very different purpose.

We did these same four searches at each web site:

distance to moon
mountain view gainesville
realtek
mw dbm

Here is what we found:

distance to moon

WolframAlpha: when we searched for the phrase distance to moon at WolframAlpha, the site displayed the extact distance from Earth to the moon in miles, kilometers, and also listed some other numerical information.

Google: When we searched for distance to moon at Google, a web site called UniverseToday was the first result. It contained information similar to the data displayed on the WolframAlpha site, but it was not as direct or straigtforward.

mountain view gainesville

WolframAlpha: In case we ever want to visit Google headquarters, we figured we'd better find out how far away it was (we are located in Gainesville, FL). We purposely omitted extra keywords such as distance or time just to see how WolframAlpha interpreted our search. We were pleasantly surprised that WolframAlpha displayed the populations of Mountain View, CA and Gainesville, FL, as well as the distance between them. There were also options to select different Mountain View towns, such as Mountain View, NC, and different Gainesvilles as well, such as Gainesville, GA. It had some other data too, including the local time and elevations.

Google: When we put in the same terms at Google, the first result was a web page for Mountain View Home Builders of Gainesville, GA, the second was for MountainView racing. It took a little while looking through Google results to find the information we were seeking. Of course, on the flip side, someone living in Gainesville, GA could conceivably have entered in this same query looking for the contact information of Mountain View homebuilders, and would have immediately found what they were looking for on Google. There would be no point for that person to do the same search on WolframAlpha since it is not an index of web sites.

realtek

WolframAlpha: Realtek is a company that makes chipsets found in some of the WiFi products we sell. A search for Realtek on WolframAlpha came back with "Wolfram|Alpha isn't sure what to do with your input."

Google: The first result was Realtek's official web site.

mw dbm

WolframAlpha: If you've ever wanted to convert dBm to mW or mW to dBm, you may have gone to a search engine and entered the above terms in order to find a conversion program/calculator. Knowing that WolframAlpha is centered around numeric data and calculations, we thought this would make for a good search. But we got the same result we did for Realtek, which was "Wolfram|Alpha isn't sure what to do with your input".

Google: At Google, the first result was a mW to dBm calculator.

Conclusion: The question has been asked is WolframAlpha really a search engine, and the answer is yes. So is Google, of course. But our comparison today reminds us that the word "search" covers a lot of ground, and that one cannot take a single approach to such a complex area. For a long time the idea of a search engine has been taken to mean a way to find web sites that have the information we need. WolframAlpha is not about taking you to web sites. Instead it attempts to answer questions of fact, questions that can be answered mostly by numbers. You would not use WolframAlpha for all of your searches. It won't be helpful in finding the hours of your local pizzeria or the career rushing yards of Barry Sanders. But it can be useful for other types of queries, much more useful than a traditional search engine like Google.

The biggest question for us is will we remember to use it? Using Google, Yahoo, and other search engines has become so engrained in our minds, that when faced with the need to find an answer about something, we have to wonder if we will stop and say "hey, we are more likely to find the answer we need faster at WolframAlpha than Google". My guess is probably not. And because of that, I doubt that WolframAlpha will ever become a large household search product like Google. But it does have a good chance to become a common name in academics and research, and a useful one at that. It is a step forward, and that is the definition of a technological advancement in its most simplest form.

A picture...

2009-05-13T00:44:00.001-04:00

New products coming soon...follow us on Twitter for launch information

2009-05-04T14:14:00.001-04:00

We have some exciting things happening in May and June. We have some brand new products hitting the market and an open beta release of a new web site project currently in development. Here is what's upcoming:

-A "RokMan 2" (final name undetermined) which is a version of our popular original RokMan adapter for Linux with the added feature of an SMA antenna port.

-A low-cost 802.11n wireless USB adapter with SMA antenna port.

-Am 802.11n USB adapter for Macs that is so small, it is even smaller than the actual USB connector- you'll hardly be able to tell you've got a USB adapter connected to the computer.

You can get up to the minute information on all of our product and service launches by following us on Twitter.

A special note about Alfa AWUS036H 500mW antennas

2009-05-01T01:56:00.001-04:00

We've been getting a few emails from potential customers asking how the Alfa 500mw adapter would work with 9 and 12 dBi gain antennas being advertised on some web sites, primarily eBay, for about $5.00 shipped direct from China.

We sell on our web site, and on eBay, an 8 dBi antenna manufactured by Alfa. Alfa does not make a 9 dBi model. The 8 dbi antenna from Alfa has performed very well and received great reviews from customers.

A while back we picked up a few of each type of the aftermarket antennas from various sellers, to take a look at how they compared to the Alfa 8 dBi antenna that we sell. All of the 12 dBi units we purchased were the same size and looked the same as the 9 dBi units we purchased. Additionally, while some of them performed okay, some performed worse than the factory 2 dBi antenna. Similar reports have appeared on some product review web sites. All in all, the 8 dBi antenna made by Alfa performed the best. If you have $5 to spend you can always buy an aftermarket unit from China yourself to do a comparison test, but we did read in some review forums that some customers who had purchased from other places with an aftermarket antenna did not seem to get any better range vs. their internal wifi adapter. They suggested despite other positive reviews of the Alfa adapter that maybe the Alfa adapter was not all it was cracked up to be. More than likely it is the antenna that is the problem.

If you're curious to find out, go ahead and buy an 8 dbi antenna from us that comes from Alfa and give it a whirl. If you do not find it boosts the performance compared to your aftermarket antenna, you can return it to us and we'll mail you a free Alfa carrying case for your trouble (limit 1 case per customer, offer expires 5/31/2009).

Madison Avenue: Enough already!

2009-04-27T15:35:00.002-04:00

Real people are facing real problems in this economic climate. Your "funny bailout" ad ideas of 99 cent cheeseburgers, $5.00 pizzas, and "low financing on gas guzzling pickups" aren't helping anyone, and they aren't clever or funny.

That is all.

Thanks for the articles!

2009-04-24T01:31:00.004-04:00

This week we officially launched our RokN generation2 802.11n wireless adapter for Macs. We would like to take a moment to thank the following publications for writing articles about our product to let Mac users everywhere know that low-cost 802.11n functionality for Macs is real and is at Rokland.com!

ubergizmo.com
electronista.com
macnn.com

Thanks for helping us spread the word!

Rokland to use TinyURL.com for some links

2009-04-22T14:09:00.001-04:00

If you have not heard of TinyURL.com before, it is a pretty cool service. This is from their web site:

Are you sick of posting URLs in emails only to have it break when sent causing the recipient to have to cut and paste it back together? Then you've come to the right place. By entering in a URL in the text field below, we will create a tiny URL that will not break in email postings and never expires.

One issue our customer service department faces is when providing driver download or spec sheet links to customers, those links are often very long and become broken into many lines in the emails the customers receive, causing them to be unclickable. It can be quite annoying to try and copy and paste a four-line URL into your web browser bar.

TinyURL provides an easy way around this by creating a short redirect link to whatever page we input at TinyURL.com. It is completely safe, but if you have never heard of TinyURL.com before you might wonder why such a link might appear in an email from us.

Of course while it is a wonderful service, no doubt some unkind folks out there will attempt to use TinyURL links to redirect unsuspecting people to spoof web sites. Therefore we are only going to use this redirect service when needed, and only within the following guidelines:

1) We will only use redirect links in replies to emails from you, we will never send you a direct email with a TinyURL.com redirect link. We will only include such links in responses to emails you may send us, such as a request for a driver download link.

2) We will never use a redirect link to take you to any page where you are asked to log in or input any personal information.

If you ever receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from us that asks you to follow a TinyURL link to log in to a web page or provide any personal information, please do not follow the link, and please report the email to us.

Also remember to always use safe web browsing practices online. As more and more businesses begin to use services like TinyURL.com, remember whenever you click a link in an email (or anywhere for that matter), always check the URL in your browser bar to make sure it is a legitimate web page where you intended to go.

Somewhere Steve Jobs and Linus Torvalds are smiling...

2009-04-17T11:33:00.001-04:00

Just when it looked like Microsoft might be strongly combating the Apple and Linux onslaught, they go and do something like this, as described in BusinessWeek magazine:

Because of the smaller size of Windows 7, three versions of the program will come loaded even on lower-end machines. If a consumer on a cheaper PC running the "Standard" version tries to use a high-definition monitor or run more than three software programs at once, he'll discover that neither is possible. Then he'll be prompted to upgrade to the pricier "Home Premium" or "Ultimate" version.

Um, did we not learn anything from the "trialware" experiments?

One reason why Microsoft's competitors have been gaining market share is because Microsoft seems to think they can do anything since customers have no other options and will just have to accept it. That's not the case anymore. I am not a Microsoft-basher and agree they have accomplished amazing things in history. But over time with practices like this, they are going to relegate themselves to history.

RokMan, Rok500, & Alfa AWUS036H 500mW all plug and play in BackTrack 4 (BT4) Linux

2009-04-10T11:35:00.001-04:00

We have several wireless adapters available that are all plug and play in BackTrack 3 Linux from remote-exploit.org. The most popular are the RokMan, the Rok500, the RokN generation2, and the Alfa AWUS036H 500mW USB adapter.

Now that Backtrack 4 is in beta, we thought we'd try out these adapters on a machine running BT4, to see how they worked. Here are the results:

RokMan

-Plug and play in BT4
-We put the device into monitor mode using airmon-ng start wlan0
-Found the device to work in Kismet

Alfa AWUS036H Adapter

-Plug and play in BT4
-We put the device into monitor mode using airmon-ng start wlan0
-Found the device to work in Kismet

Rok500

-Plug and play in BT4
-We put the device into monitor mode using airmon-ng start wlan0
-Found the device to work in Kismet

RokN generation2

-NOT plug and play in BT4 (is plug and play in BT3 though)
-we did not attempt to build drivers in order to do any additional functionality testing, but the device should work fine with the Linux drivers that ship with this unit on CD. Hopefully the next release of BT4 will support this adapter natively.

*A quick note for those who ran BT3 from a CD and are now running BT4 Beta from a CD- in BT3 WirelessAssistant loaded at startup and came up automatically. In BT4, you must launch KNetworkManager and also open a command and type service NetworkManager start. Note that's NetworkManager with no K in front, and the N & M must be capital. This will allow you to use the RokMan, Alfa, or Rok500 as a wireless adapter for Internet use on BT4.

What Billy Bob's interview teaches us about marketing

2009-04-10T00:51:00.001-04:00

If you have not seen this interview with Billy Bob Thornton yet, take a look below (this is the full interview and some of the better stuff does not occur until several minutes in):

I have read a bunch of comments at various blog and news sites either slamming Thornton or the guy interviewing him. Thorton is very unprofessional in the interview, but in Hollywood you can get away with that.

What I took from watching it was twofold. One, I had no idea Billy Bob Thornton was in a band, and now I do. Two, had Thornton behaved normally in the interview there would have been no buzz about it, no YouTube links everywhere, and I still would have no idea Thornton was in a band and getting ready to release a new album. Take it for what it's worth.

Is Microsoft finally striking the right chord?

2009-03-31T21:22:00.003-04:00

We've all seen the "I'm a Mac" ads starring Justin Long and John Hodgman. The Mac is young and cool, while the PC is older, boring, and well, uncool. The series has been very effective for Apple, helping increase their market share of both desktops and laptops.

Microsoft's first response was a weird ad featuring Jerry Seinfeld that did not make a lot of sense, and was quickly taken off the air. Then they launched their "I'm a PC" campaign, featuring a diverse group of people announcing that they are "PCs." Better, but not exactly a home run.

Now take a look at this new spot put together by Crispin Porter + Bogusky:

In an economy where almost everyone is tightening the purse strings, do you think Windows has finally countered the great "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads, or are Macs just too cool to have to worry about suffering any marketing hits from Bill Gates and company? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below...

Follow Rokland on Twitter

2009-03-27T01:40:00.001-04:00

Email mailing lists are a thing of the past. We know it, you know it. As a online shopper myself I know I rarely (if ever) sign up for any company's email newsletter because even if I trust them enough not to give my email address to third parties, I don't really want to be bombarded with daily "sale" emails. Even for companies I love, I also know most of those newsletters get tossed by my junk mail filter before I even see them.

And yet I know I am probably missing out- on great deals and cool new products. For a long time I have wished there was a better way companies I like can keep me informed of what they have going on. Then I figured our own customers at Rokland probably think the same thing. So we are working on doing a couple of things, but the first is Twitter. Twitter allows us to create short and quick posts with links whenever we feel like we have something important to say. A hot product is going on sale for one day only? We've got the latest new 802.11n product from Alfa? Whatever it is, we can say it quickly and provide a link to more information. If you have a Twitter account, you can "follow" us, which means that what we post becomes a part of your master feed at Twitter and you'll be the first to find out about great deals and new items from us. For those who already "tweet", you know how the process works. For those new to the whole concept, be sure to go over to their web site, sign up and "follow" us. If it isn't for you you can always delete your account- the service is free too.

Don't have or don't want a Twitter account? You can still follow all of our "tweets" by going to this web page. Don't forget to bookmark it!

The Rok500 is upon us...aka "We win the clone wars!"

2009-03-27T01:26:00.001-04:00

For all those who have been asking for a cheap (but good) alternative to the very popular Alfa AWUS036H 500mW wireless USB adapter, we present to you the Rok500, the newest addition to our product line.

We've been working on this for a while as some of you may know. There were a number of things we wanted to make sure went into this adapter, primarily the right chipset. The first prototype came to us in November of last year and we have been retooling it to get what we want, and we've finally got it! The Rok500 is a high powered 500mW USB adapter that has a similar palm-style form factor to the Alfa 500mw adapter, and unlike most all Alfa "clones" on the market, the Rok500 has the coveted Realtek RT-8187L chipset, not the weaker 8187B version found in a number of other 500mW adapters such as the Gsky (there are also other palm-style adapters out there on the market with a nearly identical black casing to this one that also have the 8187B chip, so always check the specs before your buy).

We won't mince words though- if you are looking for the longest range and cost is not an issue, buy the Alfa 500mw adapter. The Rok500 works better than those 8187B-chip look-alikes out there, but it is not better than the Alfa 500mw. We'll have some comparison tests forthcoming. It is however a great low cost alternative for those who need a good long range solution but are on a budget. Because it has the 8187L chipset, like the Alfa 500mW adapter it is plug and play in Backtrack 3 Linux and also works with Kismac (for Kismac you cannot install the Apple device drivers for this to use it as a regular Internet adapter on your Mac- if you do it will no longer work with Kismac- this is a limitation to USB support from Kismac, not a limitation of this adapter).

It's also got a cool carrying case that can hold the adapter, the antenna, and the USB cable, and easily slips into your laptop carrying case. All this for the same price as those clones- well, I think I can say we win the clone wars for now, but it's back to work for us as we work on the newest and next big thing!

It's here: Alfa 500mW 802.11n Wireless USB Adapter, model AWUS050NH

2009-03-18T23:02:00.002-04:00

It's finally here- the much anticipated 802.11n wireless USB adapter from Alfa with 500mW of output power! The model number is AWUS050NH.

For the last two years, whenever someone has asked what is the best wireless adapter available for long range use, we have always said without hesitation the 802.11g 500mw adapter from Alfa- model AWUS036H. Of course now that the latest wireless standard 802.11n is available, we have heard many people say "wow, I sure wish Alfa would develop an 802.11n-compatible high powered adapter!"

They have, and they have done one heckuva job too. With the new Wireless-N AWUS050NH model, you sacrifice no power- you get the same stunning 500mW that came with the 802.11g model, but you get a built-in print antenna which altogether allows the device dual-band functionality (also works with the 802.11a standard), MIMO capabilities, and 802.11n compatibility. 802.11n offers speeds up to 300 mbps and ranges up to 6X greater than standard 802.11g devices (faster speeds and longer ranges require use with an 802.11n standard router or access point- this is backward compatible with 802.11g but will perform like the AWUS036H model when used with an 802.11g standard router).

Alfa also demonstrated why they are the #1 manufacturer of long range wireless networking technology- they have added a bonus mounting holder that you can use to easily mount the device on any window and even the back of most laptops. A simple suction cup on the back means easy transfer of the mounting holder from one place to another, no messy residues from adhesives, and no tricky screw or bracket devices that require installation.

The AWUS050NH 500mW 802.11n long range WiFi adapter from Alfa is simply the "everything" adapter. It works with virtually all modern operating systems, any computer (laptop or desktop) with a USB port, and ALL FOUR major wireless standards- 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. It is portable yet powerful, 500mW of max output power means you can actually take advantage of high gain outdoor antennas.

And best of all, we've got the adapter at a low introductory price, so grab one now, these will no doubt be sold out and on backorder soon due to extremely high demand.

Price cut alert: 802.11n for less than $20

2009-03-11T13:22:00.001-04:00

Get a brand new 802.11n wireless USB adapter for your laptop or desktop computer for just $19.97. Click here.

Use your Alfa 500mW AWUS036H and RokAir USB adapters with Kismac

2009-03-02T14:49:00.001-05:00

Back in October we posted about using your RokAir wireless USB adapter with Kismac. We want to provide some more details on how to do that. Because the RokAir uses the same chipset as the Alfa 500mW AWUS036H adapter, the process is the same for both adapters.

If you just want to use one of these adapters with Kismac, and not as a wireless adapter for Internet access, the process is extremely easy. Simply download Kismac trunk R319, connect the adapter to a USB port, then launch Kismac. When Kismac opens, click on the KisMAC menu in the top left and select Preferences. On the screen that appears, if you see any devices already listed under Capture Devices, you can leave them or remove them. But you do need to add your USB device. To do so, click on the drop down menu next to the Remove button and select USB RTL8187 device. Then click the Add button to the right of the drop down menu. You can click the box next to "use as primary device" under the injection heading if you have more than one Kismac compatible device and want this to be the primary. Otherwise leave the box unchecked. Now you should see USB RTL8187 device in the Capture Devices list. Close this window so that you are back in Kismac. Now click where it says Start Scan in the bottom right.

It is noted in the Kismac support documentation that the software will not work with USB devices if you have the device drivers for the device installed on your Mac, and this is correct. If you want to also use your RokAir or Alfa USB WiFi adapter for Internet access, one you have installed the drivers for them, you will have to uninstall them in order to use the device in Kismac, and then reinstall them when you want to use the device for Internet access again. Inconvenient? Indeed. But those are the limitations of the the compatibility between Kismac and all Kismac-compatible WiFi USB adapters out there at present. If you have already installed the driver software for your adapter and need to uninstall it, locate the Mac software CD that came with your device or that you downloaded. If you cannot locate it, download the latest version here for 10.3 and here for 10.4 or 10.5 Leopard. Run the installer program and open the folder for your operating system. Then run the file called realtek USB WLAN Uninstall.command. This will open a terminal window and prompt you for your system password. Enter it and then the terminal will uninstall the device from the computer. Once that is done, reboot the computer without the device connected. When it reloads you can connect the adapter and you should be able to use Kismac. Before scanning be sure to add the device as your scanning device in Kismac (see paragraph two above). Based on our own use we found sometimes it was necessary to run the uninstall command a second time before the device would work in Kismac. If there is a problem, what will happen is that Kismac will hang for more than 20 seconds when you click on the Start Scan button. Then you know something is wrong and will need to force quit Kismac and proceed to troubleshoot.

More convenient is to buy a separate USB WiFi device that is not Kismac compatible and use that for Internet access. This eliminates the need for having to uninstall and reinstall drivers when you want to use Kismac. This would be ideal if your primary purpose of wanting to use your Alfa 500mw or RokAir adapter is for use in Kismac. We recommend getting the RokIt Wireless USB adapter for Internet use as this device is not Kismac compatible.