--- product_id: 6536230 title: "Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N" brand: "alfa network" price: "£53.96" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 category: "Alfa Network" url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/6536230-alfa-long-range-dual-band-ac1200-wireless-usb-3-0 store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Dual-Band 2.4/5GHz USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Interface AC1200 Speeds up to 867Mbps Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N **Brand:** alfa network **Price:** £53.96 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ⚡ Unlock next-level Wi-Fi speed and range—because buffering is so last decade! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N by alfa network - **How much does it cost?** £53.96 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/6536230-alfa-long-range-dual-band-ac1200-wireless-usb-3-0) ## Best For - alfa network enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted alfa network brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Enterprise-Grade Security:** Stay safe with WPA2-PSK and legacy encryption standards for peace of mind. - • **Plug & Play USB 3.0 Power:** Supercharge your connection with USB 3.0’s 5Gbps throughput—no lag, no limits. - • **Turbocharged AC1200 Speeds:** Experience lightning-fast wireless with up to 867Mbps on 5GHz and 300Mbps on 2.4GHz. - • **Blazing Dual-Band Connectivity:** Seamlessly switch between 2.4GHz and 5GHz for ultimate speed and range. - • **Customizable Antenna Flexibility:** Detachable 5dBi antennas let you upgrade and optimize your signal like a pro. ## Overview The Alfa AWUS036AC is a compact, high-performance dual-band AC1200 USB 3.0 Wi-Fi adapter featuring removable 5dBi antennas for enhanced range and flexibility. Supporting 802.11ac and legacy standards, it delivers up to 867Mbps on 5GHz and 300Mbps on 2.4GHz bands. Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, it offers enterprise-grade wireless security and a plug-and-play USB 3.0 interface for ultra-fast, reliable connectivity on desktops and laptops. ## Description Incredible Performance from 2 Dual-Band Antennas Alfa's AWUS036AC is designed for those with a serious need for wireless Internet speed. Its 2x dual-band antenna (2.4GHz / 5GHz) setup lets you connect to AC networks at a tire-burning 867Mbps and to N networks up to a whopping 300Mbps. As the new wireless draft 802.11ac technology was developed to optimize the handling of heavy data transfer demands like video streaming and large files syncing, the AWUS036AC is the ultimate tool for taking advantage of the next wave in wireless connectivity. Yet, despite all its power and speed, this little Alfa comes in a really small form factor akin to a USB thumb drive. Removable Rubber Duck Antennas for Powerful Flexibility The AWUS036AC ships with 2 detachable 5dBi dual-band dipole antennas. While these are powerful in their own right, the RP-SMA female antenna port can accept antenna upgrades to boost your wireless range and signal even more. Once your antenna of choice is connected, this turns into a standalone Wi-Fi receiver that puts the connected world at your fingertips. Alfa is also seriously invested in your privacy, it includes support for enterprise class wireless security WEP 64-Bit, WEP 128-Bit, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK. No Introductions Are Needed Whether you're using a desktop, laptop or a netbook, the Alfa AWUS036AC requires no more than a USB port. Slide it in, install the Utility, and Connect to your network. The USB 3.0 interface keeps the connection to your computer strong and snappy at super transfer speeds of 5Gbps. Best of all, the Alfa measures just 85mm x 26mm x 12mm and weighs in at a super-light 25 grams so that it goes anywhere you do and brings wireless wonder along. It also by far outperforms the wireless cards that are built into newer laptops, and enhances both the range and signal quality at longer distances. Review: Great WiFi reception and performance; not so good base and install CD - I'm running Windows 10. I received this product, unboxed it, assembled the antennae, and plugged it into the back of my computer. Like most folks, there's a ton of stuff plugged into my computer, but this product had no problem sliding in. Windows 10 found the driver, and I immediately had a list of wifi networks available. Impressive! In fact, my network was noticeably faster than the WD Powerline kit (200 Mbps) than I had been using. I wanted to measure how much faster, so I went to the website to download the utility. First problem: The utility isn't available as a download from the support page on their website; only the driver. I didn't need the driver, because it was working fine. So, pop the included DVD into the optical drive, and start the install. The installer walks me through a bunch of options, but the one option I'm looking for (choose to install the utility only) isn't there; I have to install the driver from the DVD to get the utility. Unfortunately, there's no mention of Windows 10 in the installer, only Windows 8. I cross my fingers and hope I don't screw up a working wifi adapter. Install and reboot. I have the utility, but the wifi is down. Great. Fortunately, I have some experience troubleshooting driver issues, so after 20 mins of fiddling with it, I am able to get back to Windows 10 driver I was using, and I still have the utility installed. I'm connecting to a dual band AC gigabit router. According to the utility, my signal strength is in the low 70%, but my link quality hovers in the 90%. That's great. My actual bandwidth is generally at 585 Mbps, with occasional fluctuations -- awesome. I've seen it drop to 325 Mbps, but that's rare. So, there's really just two issues with this adapter, neither of which are a show stopper. First is that you can't install the device utility alone, you have to install the driver, too. It's understandable that they wouldn't have a Windows 10 install yet, as Windows 10 is so new. The utility isn't needed for the adapter to work, but it's nice to see the performance. Second issue is that the base that comes with it is only USB 2, while the adapter is USB 3. Now, the max theoretical bandwidth of USB 2 is 480 Mbps. That's still pretty decent in 2015. But it would definitely be throttling down your wifi bandwidth, and I suspect that most people who buy this adapter are looking for performance. You will need to buy a third party male-to-female USB 3 cable, if you need to mount this wifi adapter somewhere other than the back of your computer. There you have it. If you can live without the base, and the CD install problems don't bother you, this is a really good wifi adapter. Review: Works with a Yagi-Uda Antenna - I've had a good experience with this device. First of all, I bought it because it has Wireless AC technology and removable antennas. I put a homemade 15 element Yagi-Uda antenna on this and I was able to get internet connections 2,000 feet across open water with great speeds (15 ms ping times and 35 MB/s downloads). I'm using it on a boat and it has been working even with some rain and heavy winds (I wrapped the device in duck tape so it wouldn't get wet). I also added a longer USB cord; a longer USB cord is better than a longer coaxial/antenna cable. It might be hard to believe, as it was for me, that 2.4GHz wifi can reach out across 2,000 feet. This little device with a Yagi is amazing. Before I tried the homemade Yagi, I tried some 10 dBi omnidirectional antennas. Those were pretty terrible as they picked up too many hotspots and a lot of noise along with it. All in all, I'm really satisfied with this device. The small size, good price, good power, remove-able antennas and the ability to do both 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz were all a big plus. Now for the only downside, which was the drivers. I tried to install the drivers on both Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11 and Ubuntu mate 16.04. I had to dig around the Alpha website for a while to find drivers. Installing the drivers on Ubuntu failed and I gave up. The Drivers for Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11 work, however, I wish they were a little better integrated with the operating system. For instance, the driver program runs as a menu bar item which has to be started with admin privileges. If your main account user doesn't have admin privileges you have to either start-up the computer to an admin account before using your non-admin account or do a little hacking with visudo. It would also be nice if the Mac OS X driver program showed better wifi signal strength information. ## Features - Amazing Data Transfer Speeds: N 300Mbps, AC 867Mbps - Supported Standard's: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11N, 802.11ac - Wide Range: Includes 2 Dual-Band (2.4GHz / 5GHz) Removable 5dBi Rubber Duck Antennas - Supports Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.1, Mac 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, 10.9, 10.10 & Linux - Wireless Security: WEP 64-Bit, WEP 128-Bit, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B00MX57AO4 | | Best Sellers Rank | #1,163 in USB Computer Network Adapters | | Brand | ALFA Network | | Color | black | | Compatible Devices | Desktop, Laptop | | Compatible Operating System Family | Linux, MacOS, Windows | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,848 Reviews | | Data Link Protocol | USB | | Data Transfer Rate | 300 Megabits Per Second | | Global Trade Identification Number | 00613635623584 | | Hardware Interface | USB | | Item Dimensions L x W x H | 3.35"L x 1.02"W x 0.47"H | | Item Weight | 25 Grams | | Manufacturer | Alfa Network | | Mfr Part Number | AWUS036AC | | Model Number | AWUS036AC | | Product Dimensions | 3.35"L x 1.02"W x 0.47"H | | UPC | 613635623584 989898877362 | ## Product Details - **Brand:** ALFA Network - **Color:** black - **Compatible Devices:** Desktop, Laptop - **Compatible Operating System Family:** Linux, MacOS, Windows - **Data Link Protocol:** USB - **Data Transfer Rate:** 300 Megabits Per Second - **Hardware Interface:** USB - **Item Weight:** 25 Grams - **Product Dimensions:** 3.35"L x 1.02"W x 0.47"H - **UPC:** 613635623584 989898877362 ## Images ![Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51A9ri7hfHL.jpg) ![Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61e3hAzh4zL.jpg) ![Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61cNFNlhMkL.jpg) ![Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cUz3PLdIL.jpg) ![Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Nzx1ZLgEL.jpg) ## Questions & Answers **Q: Would this card be good for professional/study pentest use? Good range, packet injection, Linux support out of the box on Kali/BT/Backbox?** A: I had no issues getting it to run with Ubuntu (14 and 16 XFCE). No driver install needed. Range is fantastic, but I haven't done any custom drivers for packet sniffing/injection. My guess is it'd be just as good as any other adapter. **Q: Does it support windows 10?** A: I have updated windows 8.1 to windows 10 and yes it does support windows 10! **Q: Will this item strengthen my wireless connection-- as my computer is very long distance from landlord's router? It's clear across the 1/4 acre land.** A: Yes it will, I use it all the time around my land 1/4 acre land=105ft. If you are not at the same level of your neighbor it can affect the signal as well as the wall of both house and also the type of accessories use in both house like microwave oven other type of phone etc. If you are sharing internet ask you neighbor to place the router beside a window in line with yours. I also did a test with one bigger antenna that I had on my router and place it on this antenna and it was even better but I have only one so I had to tape the base. **Q: Is there a driver available for Mac OS 10.10? or will there be one available? As I will keep upgrading my mac, I need to be sure this will still work!** A: Email support requesting the drivers. They probably have them, but are too lazy to publish them publicly. I emailed Alfa Network and they gave me a SourceForge page they maintain for all their latest drivers and software. If you request it they will put it on SourceForge or alfa.com.twBe an empowered consumer please. I emailed them already, you NEED to do the same.USE LINK >>> http://www.alfa.com.tw/contact.phpChoose >>> support@afla.com.twChoose >>> Indoor WirelessRequest >>> Mac OSX 10.10 Yosemite driversFor All Other Drivers for Alfa Network products or other OS's:http://sourceforge.net/projects/alfanetwork/files/Driver ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great WiFi reception and performance; not so good base and install CD *by R***A on August 23, 2015* I'm running Windows 10. I received this product, unboxed it, assembled the antennae, and plugged it into the back of my computer. Like most folks, there's a ton of stuff plugged into my computer, but this product had no problem sliding in. Windows 10 found the driver, and I immediately had a list of wifi networks available. Impressive! In fact, my network was noticeably faster than the WD Powerline kit (200 Mbps) than I had been using. I wanted to measure how much faster, so I went to the website to download the utility. First problem: The utility isn't available as a download from the support page on their website; only the driver. I didn't need the driver, because it was working fine. So, pop the included DVD into the optical drive, and start the install. The installer walks me through a bunch of options, but the one option I'm looking for (choose to install the utility only) isn't there; I have to install the driver from the DVD to get the utility. Unfortunately, there's no mention of Windows 10 in the installer, only Windows 8. I cross my fingers and hope I don't screw up a working wifi adapter. Install and reboot. I have the utility, but the wifi is down. Great. Fortunately, I have some experience troubleshooting driver issues, so after 20 mins of fiddling with it, I am able to get back to Windows 10 driver I was using, and I still have the utility installed. I'm connecting to a dual band AC gigabit router. According to the utility, my signal strength is in the low 70%, but my link quality hovers in the 90%. That's great. My actual bandwidth is generally at 585 Mbps, with occasional fluctuations -- awesome. I've seen it drop to 325 Mbps, but that's rare. So, there's really just two issues with this adapter, neither of which are a show stopper. First is that you can't install the device utility alone, you have to install the driver, too. It's understandable that they wouldn't have a Windows 10 install yet, as Windows 10 is so new. The utility isn't needed for the adapter to work, but it's nice to see the performance. Second issue is that the base that comes with it is only USB 2, while the adapter is USB 3. Now, the max theoretical bandwidth of USB 2 is 480 Mbps. That's still pretty decent in 2015. But it would definitely be throttling down your wifi bandwidth, and I suspect that most people who buy this adapter are looking for performance. You will need to buy a third party male-to-female USB 3 cable, if you need to mount this wifi adapter somewhere other than the back of your computer. There you have it. If you can live without the base, and the CD install problems don't bother you, this is a really good wifi adapter. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Works with a Yagi-Uda Antenna *by J***N on January 24, 2017* I've had a good experience with this device. First of all, I bought it because it has Wireless AC technology and removable antennas. I put a homemade 15 element Yagi-Uda antenna on this and I was able to get internet connections 2,000 feet across open water with great speeds (15 ms ping times and 35 MB/s downloads). I'm using it on a boat and it has been working even with some rain and heavy winds (I wrapped the device in duck tape so it wouldn't get wet). I also added a longer USB cord; a longer USB cord is better than a longer coaxial/antenna cable. It might be hard to believe, as it was for me, that 2.4GHz wifi can reach out across 2,000 feet. This little device with a Yagi is amazing. Before I tried the homemade Yagi, I tried some 10 dBi omnidirectional antennas. Those were pretty terrible as they picked up too many hotspots and a lot of noise along with it. All in all, I'm really satisfied with this device. The small size, good price, good power, remove-able antennas and the ability to do both 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz were all a big plus. Now for the only downside, which was the drivers. I tried to install the drivers on both Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11 and Ubuntu mate 16.04. I had to dig around the Alpha website for a while to find drivers. Installing the drivers on Ubuntu failed and I gave up. The Drivers for Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11 work, however, I wish they were a little better integrated with the operating system. For instance, the driver program runs as a menu bar item which has to be started with admin privileges. If your main account user doesn't have admin privileges you have to either start-up the computer to an admin account before using your non-admin account or do a little hacking with visudo. It would also be nice if the Mac OS X driver program showed better wifi signal strength information. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great USB adapter - fast, reliable *by C***. on April 14, 2017* I am unfortunately in a situation where I am not able to use a proper wired network at the moment. I had used several USB adapters, but ultimately decided on a wireless bridge (D-Link DAP1650) to keep as many machines wired together as possible. Inexplicably, bandwidth dropped so badly while using the bridge that I needed to find a replacement. I have been using ALFA wireless adapters for a long time for security research, and I liked the idea of a USB 3.0 AC-wireless adapter with large antennae that would get me the best possible bandwidth. I have deducted one star for a simple reason - the extension cable and desktop mount is not USB 3.0. This seems like a crazy oversight, but it does make a substantial difference. I purchased a separate 4-port USB 3.0 hub and double-stick taped it to the base of one of my monitors. Works like a charm, and I also have a convenient place to attach external HDDs, USB sticks, etc. As far as performance goes, I am very happy. I consistently get 180-200Mbps downstream and 18-25Mbps upstream via Ookla speed test, and my internet tier is 200/20. Speed test are hardly an indicator of real performance, however, so I am happy to report that I am consistently getting 25MB/s (200Mbps) when downloading large games like GTA V, The Division, etc. on Steam. So I'm very pleased with the WAN performance via this adapter. On LAN I am getting very acceptable speeds as well. I have no issues streaming 4K video from my NAS, file copies are sufficiently fast to/from the NAS, and I am not getting dropped connections at all. I'm not sure what issues some other people are having with dropped connections, but it's never happened to me without some other source being the issue (e.g. my router rebooting itself after I made a settings change). Very very happy. Could easily be 5-star item but just make the extension cable USB 3.0! ## Frequently Bought Together - Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N - ALFA Network AWUS036ACS Wide-Coverage Dual-Band AC600 USB Wireless Wi-Fi Adapter w/High-Sensitivity External Antenna - Windows, MacOS & Kali Linux Supported - ALFA Network AWUS036ACM Long-Range Wide-Coverage Dual-Band AC1200 USB Wireless Wi-Fi Adapter w/High-Sensitivity External Antenna - Windows, MacOS & Kali Linux Supported --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/6536230-alfa-long-range-dual-band-ac1200-wireless-usb-3-0](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/6536230-alfa-long-range-dual-band-ac1200-wireless-usb-3-0) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-06*