USB WIFI adapter

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CataclysmicGentlemanAlt

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I need a USB wifi adapter that works for LMDE 6, my desktop's built in wifi card died (as often they do in Dell Optiplex's) plug and play would be great as I dont currently have wifi connection. thanks.
 


Hmm... I have a spare already, but that tempts me into buying another one. For a cheap device, they do a great job.
 
CataclysmicGentlemanAlt said:
I need a USB wifi adapter that works for LMDE 6, my desktop's built in wifi card died (as often they do in Dell Optiplex's) plug and play would be great as I dont currently have wifi connection. thanks.
Click to expand...
One approach to finding a usb wifi adapter which will work "out of the box" is to have a look at what drivers your current kernel supports. They are typically in the directory:
/lib/modules/<linux_version>/kernel/drivers/net/wireless, which can be found with:
Code: 
cd /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net/wireless
Navigating beyond that directory into the various proprietary drivers which are named after their chipsets, if you select a driver, you can then check online to see which adapters include that driver/chipset in their usb. For example, for the kernel driver for rtl8192cu, searching online with that driver/chipset name will find an adapter that runs at 300Mbps, which is quite adequate for normal work.

When one is found, then the actual specifications of it need to be checked to see the chipset is in fact the correct one, or whether it has been changed despite no change to the model number.

Here a different approach is taken. The particular wireless adapter in use is a TL-WN821N, version 6.0. It's not in the kernel, but has a driver maintained at: https://github.com/clnhub/rtl8192eu-linux. It works here thus: the driver is downloaded (actually with: git clone), compiled on the computers that use it, and installed. It needs the building toolchain installled, gcc, make, kernel-headers etc (the build-essential package in debian) to make it. The driver needs to be built against the current kernel in use. The instructions are detailed on the github site. After the first manual setting up of the driver, it can be set up to be compiled automatically for each subsequent kernel upgrade, by a dkms script that is supplied on the github site. The reason for all this extra bother here is simply the reliability and robustness in the perfomance of the unit. Note that the version number is important because other versions of this adapter use other chipsets.

Note, that no recommendation is being made here, rather it's just an example or what has worked in this place. Configuring help for the wifi after making and loading the module is here: https://wiki.debian.org/WiFi/HowToUse
 
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I keep one similar to this in my travel kit

NEW 2020 Mini USB WiFi WLAN Wireless Network Adapter 802.11 Dongle RTL8188 lot​

 
Screenshot 2023-10-09 at 10.06.21 AM.png

bought this one
 
CataclysmicGentlemanAlt said:
bought this one
Click to expand...

I've had zero issues with mine. I own more than one. In fact, I have multiples and at least one spare tucked into my parts bin. None of them have failed and I have one for every device that needs one. The range is pretty good. I have a very large house and they work just fine.
 
I cannot seem to get it to work. the install.sh ends up with an error:1 (theres no logs or anything) theres no help in the readme on installing into debian or ect.

let me put this short: I was on IRC on Linux help and basically it seems I need to do something with this: https://github.com/lwfinger/rtl8192cu#compiling

I feel quite stupid to be honest, I have no clue or real desire to learn about compiling, and all the other things needed to make this work, but I wanna try to make it work anyways. they also said "Will need at least git and build-essential installed and probably kernel headers." ..." build-essential might pull them in." and "Using sudo apt-install linux-headers might be needed, but I do think either it is installed or pulled in bey build-essential."

I put the quotes here to save em. to use em even though I do not know what any of this means.

I tried sudo apt install firmware-realtek but it's already installed on my desktop it seems.

(for reference lsusb says: 0BDA:8178 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8192CU 802.11n WLAN Adapter)

PS: im running LMDE 6

ill see what I can do and keep y'all posted.

if ya have any life saving tips please let me know I barely have time to sleep let alone learn to compile a wifi adapter driver thingy from 2011.
 
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Normally in debian, and I expect in LMDE, when the driver is already in the kernel, and the firmware installed (as you've mentioned it is), once the usb dongle is plugged in, the kernel should see it, but if not, it should see it on a reboot.

The ip command would usually show it. After you've plugged it in on a new boot, what is the output from the following command?:
Code: 
ip a

The wifi interface name the kernel has given it normally shows up, and begins with a w.

The 8192cu driver is present in the 6.1.57, long-term kernel. You can check whether it's present on your system with:
Code: 
locate -i rtl8192cu.ko
or
Code: 
find /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi -name rtl8192cu.ko

If those things are in place, it's normally just a matter of the network software you are using to configure it ... programs like NetworkManager should see it and let you bring it up. For example, to configure NetworkManager, you can use the nm-connection-editor graphical user interface (GUI) tool. Usually, to open nm-connection-editor, you can click on the network icon in the system tray and select Edit Connections and fill in the details needed.

The install.sh script would only be needed if you are installing the driver from the source code from github.
 
osprey said:
Normally in debian, and I expect in LMDE, when the driver is already in the kernel, and the firmware installed (as you've mentioned it is), once the usb dongle is plugged in, the kernel should see it, but if not, it should see it on a reboot.

The ip command would usually show it. After you've plugged it in on a new boot, what is the output from the following command?:
Code: 
ip a

The wifi interface name the kernel has given it normally shows up, and begins with a w.

The 8192cu driver is present in the 6.1.57, long-term kernel. You can check whether it's present on your system with:
Code: 
locate -i rtl8192cu.ko
or
Code: 
find /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi -name rtl8192cu.ko

If those things are in place, it's normally just a matter of the network software you are using to configure it ... programs like NetworkManager should see it and let you bring it up. For example, to configure NetworkManager, you can use the nm-connection-editor graphical user interface (GUI) tool. Usually, to open nm-connection-editor, you can click on the network icon in the system tray and select Edit Connections and fill in the details needed.

The install.sh script would only be needed if you are installing the driver from the source code from github.
Click to expand...
i still cant get it to work also sorry i cant copy and paste but i dont have wifi on the desktop but heres a photo. also yes I already checked out nm-connection-editor and etc and its all set up with the right information as far as i can tell.
 

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and i double checked, as far as i can tell the drivers and such are all installed already from Synaptic manager:
 

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