Hawking HWL2 Hi-Gain WiFi Locator with USB Network Adapter and Hi Gain 6db Antenna

Average customer rating: 2.0

It works but it's fragile
Too many disappointments
One Massive Time Sink
Wonderful little gadget --
Unusable

Hawking HWL2 Hi-Gain WiFi Locator with USB Network Adapter and Hi Gain 6db Antenna

Manufacturer: Hawking Technology
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B0009WE9G0

Related Categories:

Wireless

Wireless

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Antennas

Product Description

The Hawking HWL2 is an advanced version of the HWL1 and improves on many functions of the previous model. The most obvious is the addition of a Hi-Speed Wireless-G USB 2.0 Network Adapter as well as the ability to differentiate wireless networks with security enabled. The addition of a WiFi Adapter allows the user to detect an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless signal and effortlessly connect to that signal by attaching their laptop or desktop directly to the HWL2 via USB 2.0. The hassle of powering up your laptop and connecting to wireless "Hot-Spots" is now significantly simplified by the HWL2. Simply push the "Locate" button on the HWL2, detect and connect. No more guessing and configuring each specific wireless "hot-spot." The HWL2 is equipped with a new, re-designed, flip up directional antenna. When detecting wireless networks, the Hi-Gain Directional Antenna helps the user determine exactly where the source of the wireless network is coming from by showing stronger signals at different angles. Also, when connecting to a wireless network, the Hi-Gain Directional Antenna guarantees the strongest link possible and provides greater distance than current wireless network adapters on the market due to its advanced 5dBi Antenna. The HWL2 also automatically recharges its batteries when connected to a laptop so you never have to worry about replacing the batteries.

Customer Reviews:

It works but it's fragile.......2007-06-01

Strengths: You will be able to pick up stronger signals or maybe one or two extra signals. However, don't expect to connect to your mom's wireless network if she's more than one block away. It is a lightweight device with cool packaging.

Weaknesses: Unfortunately, it is very fragile you have to be very careful not to break it. There is no way to fix it, so it keeps moving whenever I move my laptop. I think it should be cheaper (got mine for 70$)

Too many disappointments.......2006-10-01

Over the past few months I have had an opportunity to work with several products from Hawking. My initial impression of the company was that it made products a cut above the "department store" brands. At the end of the day though, I find Hawking to be little different from the rest of the pack; i.e. mediocre products with sub-par support.

This cute little HWL2 Wifi locator is a case in point. The CONCEPT of the product is very, very cool. It's a USB based wireless adapter. Great! That means I can position the antenna away from the computer to pick up the best signal. Better yet, disconnect the unit from the mini-USB cable and you have yourself a portable Wifi locator. Two products in one. WOW!

The unit is indeed cute . . . and little. Even cooler, when the antenna is flipped up, it looks like an old fashion StarTrek communicator. Too bad it doesn't work very well! To begin with, the WiFi locator does not work as one would expect. You must point the device in the direction where you think a signal may be, press a button, wait for a couple of seconds while the signal strength lights flash, then you get a reading. Then the reading goes away! Then you have to reposition the device, press the button again, and again wait a second or two for a reading. If you expect, as I did, to be able to simply wave the instrument around until it shows a signal, you will be disappointed.

If you forgive that flaw, and you don't mind the cheap plastic look and feel of the unit, there's more. The sensitivity of the WiFi locator is very poor. Given that it comes equipped with a high-gain, directional antenna, I would have expected to be able to pick up weak signals. In turns out the unit has FAR less sensitivity than the antenna built into my HP DV4000 notebook. In walk-around testing I found repeatedly that my laptop would pick up a useable signal, while the Hawking detector showed NO SIGNAL. For me, that is a showstopper. Why have a WiFi locator if it doesn't locate? That is my question.

Parenthetically, I had to just had to send in a relatively new Hawking external antenna for exchange. This provided an opportunity to see how tech support works. The antenna came with some loose parts rolling around inside the sealed unit. I called support and was told they could not help me over the phone, but that I had to go to their website and fill out an RMA form. OK. Upon reading the instructions on their site, I learned that they want you to fax in the form with an original sales receipt. There is a notation that if you want, you can email the form with an electronic version of the receipt attached. That was easier for me, so I followed the latter procedure. They emailed me back telling me that I had to go back to their RMA form site and follow the instructions to snail-mail or fax in the receipt. This was maddening since I had followed the instructions to the letter.

I emailed them back and told them to read the instructions themselves, then to get off their [...] and process the RMA. No reply for a day. I then re-sent the email with a single additional sentence asking for the name and phone number of the manager of tech support. In short order I was sent the RMA number (never got the # for the support manager though).

I am done with Hawking. For those who are looking to step up past the pedestrian offerings from the handful of well known wireless equipment vendors, I would recommend a site I found a few months ago that has worked out quite well; [...] They not only have the everyday wireless stuff, like workstation adapters, they have a great line of HIGH POWERED access points and adapters for scenarios requiring pushing that WiFi signal a bit further. And if you have a problem, you reach the same person every time you call for support. Now whose ever heard of that?

One Massive Time Sink.......2006-08-26

This device looked like the ticket for someone in constant search of hotspots! I opened its attractive packaging, and charged it on my computer by simply plugging in the USB port.
I pressed the Power button, and was entertained by almost UFO-ish, colored lights -- but then the fun ended....

I spent hours trying to get this to work, but to no avail. Using my USB 1.1 port, I was able to get Windows XP to recognize it was there (but not link to internet through a strong wireless source), but with USB 2.0 port, it never was recognized. I returned the unit and Hawking sent me a new one that produced similar (lack of) results.
Technical support consisted of removing and replacing the software in exactly the way I had already done, and asking me to request different software drivers from another branch of Hawking. This software did not work either. Technical support was not able to help me troubleshoot why Windows would not recognize the device-- this is the type of help I expect from Technical Support, not a regurgitation of the software installation instructions.

What a product and service disappointment!!!

Wonderful little gadget --.......2006-06-14

I was almost discourged from buying this device by the other reviews posted, but I'm glad I wasn't. Few things have performed as advertised as well as this one. I've had it two months, traveled with it, and it has done all I asked.
It is quite as sturdy as I would expect. I had no difficulty at all in installing it. For me, it is well worth the price.

Unusable.......2006-05-30

I tried three different copies of this thing at my local computer store. All had parts fall out when I attempted to install the battery. No one at the support desk could get it to work.

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