The Mobile Researcher #3: Using Windows 7 Virtual Wifi with AWUS036H (Realtek 8187)

I have previously featured AWUS036H long range Wifi extender on my previous post. If you are using Windows 7 (like me), you will notice that Windows actually has built-in capability to create a virtual wifi which you can use to tether your laptop with another wireless device. The virtual wifi tricks Win 7 so that it thinks it has two wireless card, one used a station, and the other can be used as a ‘soft’ access point. 

The AWUS036H is using Realtek chipset and driver for Windows 7 (download here) and has that Soft AP capability accessible through its user interface. I have been using that for one day but last night it suddenly stopped working, after working for a few seconds each time it is enabled.

This morning I figured out why. And that was because I haven’t manually enable the Wifi. Here’s how (Via Novelust):

Type C:\Windows\system32>netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=MYLAPTOPSWIFI key=mypassword

You should see output similar to
The hosted network mode has been set to allow.
The SSID of the hosted network has been successfully changed.
The user key passphrase of the hosted network has been successfully changed.
Type C:\Windows\system32>netsh wlan start hostednetwork

You should see output similar to
The hosted network started.

Now share your active internet connection to this Virtual WIFI and connect from another device to MYLAPTOPSWIFI

So this how it works from my Command Prompt:

Of course, you can use the above built in virtual wifi without AWUS 063H. But in case you are, you need to enable it in your ALFA user interface. There, you can also reset the password and determine the encryption by clicking the ‘config’ button (see below).

As you can see my blackberry is constantly connected without experiencing any glitch:

And the wireless wifi extender working at the same time it is acting as an Access Point:

 

Related:

1. The Mobile Researcher #2: Long Range Wireless Antenna
2. The Mobile Researcher #1: Converters

The Mobile Researcher #2: Long Range Wireless Antenna

I am working from café to café in Phnom Penh and although wifi connection is abundant, access could be a problem sometimes. 

You also work from cafes? From your hotel room? Your café or hotel’s wireless connection is very weak? Or, you don’t have a wireless connection at your café or in your hotel room?

What you need is a long range wireless Antenna. This one from Alfa (AWUS036H, cost +/- USD 32) works up to hundreds of meters (some say it works up to 460 meters). So you can buy a cup of coffee at a café and go to another place within the wifi range and you can still enjoy the free wireless connection (if they haven’t change the password of course).

As you can see below, I can detect wireless signals from stations a few hundred meters away:

 

The good thing with this product is that it can work both as a wifi enhancer and an access point (AP). An AP mode means that you could stream your hotel or office LAN as a wifi signal, for your blackberrys, iphone and Kindle

Here’s a tip: McDonalds usually provide free open wifi. So if you stay in a room or is working in a café without any wifi connection, have a look for McDonalds in your neighborhood.

 

 

Ps: The antenna could also be used for packet injection, that is to say, to hack a wireless router. But, unless it is your own wifi router you are hacking, it is illegal to do so. Hence, I shall not discuss it here.