ALFA AWUS036ACHM is a long-range dual-band USB WiFi adapter, compatible with Windows and Linux.
It has an RP-SMA antenna port and a dual-band 5 dBi antenna. The antenna is detachable and can be changed to another one. It also has a power amplifier that increases the reception range compared to ALFA 802.11n products with one antenna.
The device is able to receive and transmit both in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. With 802.11ac routers, the AWUS036ACHM can achieve throughput up to 433Mbps. The adapter is backward compatible with 802.11n WiFi, but will be speed limited for these networks. An 802.11ac router is required for maximum throughput.
It supports monitor mode on Linux and does not require additional drivers (tested on Kali Linux).
Specification:
chipset
MT7610U
Standard
Wireless IEEE 802.11ac/a/b/g/n
Frequency
2.4GHz / 5GHz
RF connector
RP-SMA female
Antenna
2.4GHz + 5GHz Dual-Band 5dBi dipole antenna
Wireless Speed
802.11a : 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54Mbps 802.11b : 1, 2, 5.5, 11Mbps 802.11g : 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54Mbps 802.11n : up to 150Mbps 802.11ac: up to 433Mbps
Wireless Security
WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA Mixed, WPS
interface
mini USB
OS Supported
Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1 and 10 Linux
Package Contents
1x AWUS036ACHM 1x detachable High Gain 5dBi antenna 1x 1M USB cable 1x Quick Setup Guide 1x Screen clip set
Does Alfa AWUS036ACHM support monitor mode and packet injection?
Yes. The card uses the MT7610U (MediaTek) chipset, which has native monitor mode and packet injection support in the mainline Linux kernel (`mt76` module) since version 5.x. It works out-of-the-box with Aircrack-ng, Kismet, and Wireshark. You don't need to compile drivers manually on current versions of Kali Linux, Parrot OS, and Ubuntu (24.04+).
Does it work with Kali Linux without driver installation?
On Kali Linux 2026 (kernel 6.6+) the card is recognized automatically upon connection. The command `airmon-ng start wlan0` enables monitor mode. On older distros (kernel <5.0) you may need to update the `linux-firmware` package with MediaTek firmware or upgrade to a newer kernel.
How does AWUS036ACHM differ from AWUS036ACS and AWUS036AXM?
ACHM uses the MT7610U chipset (MediaTek, WiFi 5 / 802.11ac, up to 433 Mbps). ACS uses the Realtek RTL8811AU chipset - different driver, different compatibility characteristics. AXM and AXML are newer generation WiFi 6/6E with MT7921AU chipset — faster, but the driver is younger. For classic WiFi 2.4/5 GHz pentesting, ACHM = the safest choice.
What range does it have and can the antenna be replaced?
A dual-band 5 dBi antenna (detachable, RP-SMA port) + built-in power amplifier provide a range of 50–100 m in open terrain, significantly more than standard internal laptop cards. For greater range you can connect a directional panel or yagi antenna (available in the Antennas category).
Does it work with Aircrack-ng, Wireshark, and other pentesting tools?
Yes. AWUS036ACHM is on the recommended card list for Aircrack-ng, Kismet, Wireshark, Hashcat (WPA/WPA2 handshake cracking), and Bettercap. It supports typical attacks: deauth, handshake capture, WPS pixie dust, karma attacks in AP mode. For continuous network monitoring, we recommend a dedicated device — Pwnagotchi.
Does the card work with Windows and macOS?
Windows 10/11 — yes, Alfa provides drivers. macOS up to 10.15 (Catalina) — with Alfa driver. Newer macOS (Big Sur+) — limited support. Note: monitor mode and packet injection work ONLY on Linux. On Windows/Mac the card works as a regular WiFi adapter without pentesting features.
