USB WiFi adapters that are supported out of the box

[KD5RKO]

Are there any USB WiFi adapters that are supported out of the box? Nothing fancy, just looking for a cheap readily available USB WiFi adapter that doesn't require finding kernel headers and downloading modules to compile that will then be wiped out by the next release.

I am currently using Armbian_23.02.0-trunk.0220_Orangepi5_jammy_legacy_5.10.110_xfce_desktop.img installed and booting from a 256GB NVME drive. Ethernet is an option but I'd like to make it more portable. What have you guys used and had success with? My network is WiFi 6+ but not having the best speed is just fine.

 

Thanks in advance.

[MarcAndro]

TP Link Archer T2U Revision 1 on Mediatek MT7610U works for me with build around Armbian 23.02.0-trunk.0212, Realtek RTL8811CU doesn't. I didn't checked last trunk 231 build yet, but that would be nice to have popular USB Realteks working out of the box, I spend a lot of time time trying to compile different drivers but that was nightmare without success.

[Igor]

We are trying to put together an automated test system for various (WiFi) USB devices. Hardware is in place, but software part is in early design phase:

 

Spoiler

usb-server:sbin:# ./usbip list -l
 - busid 1-1.1.1.1 (12d1:15c1)
   Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. : ME906s LTE M.2 Module (12d1:15c1)

 - busid 1-1.1.1.2 (148f:5572)
   Ralink Technology, Corp. : RT5572 Wireless Adapter (148f:5572)

 - busid 1-1.1.1.3 (148f:3070)
   Ralink Technology, Corp. : RT2870/RT3070 Wireless Adapter (148f:3070)

 - busid 1-1.1.2.2 (0572:6831)
   Conexant Systems (Rockwell), Inc. : DVBSky S960 DVB-S2 tuner (0572:6831)

 - busid 1-1.1.2.4 (0bda:8812)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : RTL8812AU 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2T2R DB WLAN Adapter (0bda:8812)

 - busid 1-1.1.3.1 (148f:5572)
   Ralink Technology, Corp. : RT5572 Wireless Adapter (148f:5572)

 - busid 1-1.1.3.2 (0bda:0811)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : Realtek 8812AU/8821AU 802.11ac WLAN Adapter [USB Wireless Dual-Band Adapter 2.4/5Ghz] (0bda:0811)

 - busid 1-1.1.3.3 (0bda:8156)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : unknown product (0bda:8156)

 - busid 1-1.1.3.4 (0bda:c811)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : unknown product (0bda:c811)

 - busid 1-1.1.4.1 (148f:7601)
   Ralink Technology, Corp. : MT7601U Wireless Adapter (148f:7601)

 - busid 1-1.1.4.2 (0bda:b720)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : RTL8723BU 802.11b/g/n WLAN Adapter (0bda:b720)

 - busid 1-1.1.4.3 (13d3:3327)
   IMC Networks : AW-NU137 802.11bgn Wireless Module [Atheros AR9271] (13d3:3327)

 - busid 1-1.2.1.1 (08bb:2704)
   Texas Instruments : PCM2704 16-bit stereo audio DAC (08bb:2704)

 - busid 1-1.2.1.2 (148f:3572)
   Ralink Technology, Corp. : RT3572 Wireless Adapter (148f:3572)

 - busid 1-1.2.1.4 (0bda:8179)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : RTL8188EUS 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter (0bda:8179)

 - busid 1-1.2.2.1 (148f:7601)
   Ralink Technology, Corp. : MT7601U Wireless Adapter (148f:7601)

 - busid 1-1.2.2.2 (0a12:0001)
   Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd : Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode) (0a12:0001)

 - busid 1-1.2.2.4 (1c04:0015)
   QNAP System Inc. : unknown product (1c04:0015)

 - busid 1-1.2.3.2 (148f:5370)
   Ralink Technology, Corp. : RT5370 Wireless Adapter (148f:5370)

 - busid 1-1.2.3.3 (0bda:8813)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : RTL8814AU 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wireless Adapter (0bda:8813)

 - busid 1-1.2.3.4 (0bda:b82c)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : unknown product (0bda:b82c)

 - busid 1-1.2.4.1 (0bda:c820)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : unknown product (0bda:c820)

 - busid 1-1.2.4.2 (0bda:8176)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapter (0bda:8176)

 - busid 1-1.2.4.3 (534d:2109)
   MacroSilicon : unknown product (534d:2109)

 - busid 1-1.2.4.4 (0bda:885c)
   Realtek Semiconductor Corp. : unknown product (0bda:885c)

 

 

[wizetek]

I'd take a look inside /usr/lib/modules/5.10.110-rockchip-rk3588/kernel/drivers/net/wireless and base my purchasing decision on that; something based on Atheros (old), Ralink (old), Zydas (old), Realtek, or MediaTek (my personal preference).

 

To name a few available modules:

ath10k (Atheros)

ath11k

mt7601u (MediaTek)

mt76x0u (x=0,1,2...)

mt76x2u

mt7663u

rt2500 (Ralink)

rt2800

rt2x00

rt73

rtl8187 (Realtek)

rtl8192cu

rtl8xxxu

zd1201 (Zydas)

 

Useful link: https://teamgloomy.github.io/armbian_wifi.html

Edited February 3, 2023 by wizetek

[KD5RKO]

Found one that works with the latest release Armbian 23.02.0-trunk.0236 with no issues it is an ezcast 5200 or 5210 - not sure which as they both look exactly the same ezcast 5200

 

Chipset is a Realtek 8821cu and they can be had on ebay for about $10 - mine came with a dell mini that did not have a built in wifi card. Bluetooth works as well.

With my eero network here it gets 215 down and 236 up. Perfectly acceptable for me. It would be nice to find a wifi 6 adapter that is supported. But I'm just glad I found one that works.

[Owl Creek Technologies]

Big thanks to posting this @KD5RKOI have purchased two claimed to be RTL8821cu on Amazon, and both show up as RTL8188GUs, which isn't recognized and identified as 802.11n ONLY.

[Vidor]

This week I bought a TP-Link TL-WN725N but it has not yet come home, when I arrive and try it, I will be valid or not.

[guidol]

@Vidor this may depend on the hardware-revision do you get

at this time the are 3 versions

 

V1 has the Realtek RTL8188CUS as chipset

http://en.techinfodepot.shoutwiki.com/wiki/TP-LINK_TL-WN725N_v1

 

and the V2 and V3 seems to have the  Realtek RTL8188EUS as chipset

http://en.techinfodepot.shoutwiki.com/wiki/TP-LINK_TL-WN725N_v2

[Vidor]

Thanks guidol

 

[guidol]

@Vidor armbian may see/use the RTL8188CUS as RTL8192CUS like on my Logilink WL0084A (which should have a RTL8188CUS):

 

TP-LINK TL-WN725N Rev V1 - RTL8188EU

[247548.026879] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 3 using ehci-platform
[247548.186436] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=8179, bcdDevice= 0.00
[247548.187113] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[247548.187144] usb 1-1: Product: 802.11n NIC
[247548.187170] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: Realtek
[247548.388942] r8188eu: module is from the staging directory, the quality is unknown, you have been warned.
[247548.498252] usbcore: registered new interface driver r8188eu
[247549.167691] r8188eu 1-1:1.0: Firmware Version 11, SubVersion 1, Signature 0x88e1



Logilink WL0084A - RTL8188CUS - like TP-LINK TL-WN725N Rev V2/V3

[247297.741636] usb 1-1: Product: 802.11n WLAN Adapter
[247297.741675] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: 802.11n WLAN Adapter
[247298.168480] rtl8192cu: Chip version 0x10
[247298.465056] rtl8192cu: Board Type 0
[247298.466340] rtl_usb: rx_max_size 15360, rx_urb_num 8, in_ep 1
[247298.467873] rtl8192cu: Loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8192cufw_TMSC.bin
[247298.470442] ieee80211 phy1: Selected rate control algorithm 'rtl_rc'
[247298.479578] usbcore: registered new interface driver rtl8192cu

 

So there are good chances that you adapter will work

[Vidor]

I hope so, I have no program of programming and buy the Pi 5 for Octoprint, I hope to have the least possible problems ... In these days It should get home and we will try it.

[Vidor]

I have a TL-WN722Nbut not work

[Tony3]

I extracted a wifi module from an old skybox that I found in the street on the pavement, compiled the ath6 driver, and it works great!

(ok not really out of the box......only out of a sky box!)

[Efe Çetin]

I have RTL8822BU and it works out-of-the-box.

[mitu]

I have a RTL8812AU 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2T2R DB WLAN Adapter that worked out-of-the-box with the 88XXau driver.

[Vidor]

TP-Link TL-WN725N It's Plug & Play, you just have to activate the wifi from Armbian-Config and put the password 😁

[Hugh Barnard]

Bus 002 Device 002: ID 148f:7601 Ralink Technology, Corp. MT7601U Wireless Adapter works out of box. I'm new to Pi5 so I didn't know about armbian-config, assumed  wrongly it was raspi-config!

[JimboSeagle]

Anyone know if the Realtek RTL8811AU chipset is supported?   It comes in the TP-LINK Archer T2U Nano 2 in 1 dongle.  Wiki for the device shows "Probable linux driver..."

[Igor]

7 hours ago, JimboSeagle said:

Anyone know if the Realtek RTL8811AU chipset is supported?

Yes.
https://github.com/armbian/build/blob/main/lib/functions/compilation/patch/drivers_network.sh#L162-L198

[JimboSeagle]

Good deal! Got it ordered through Amazon, thanks @Igor

 

Edit: both Wifi and Bluetooth worked right out of the box (after enabling them first)

Edited May 25, 2023 by JimboSeagle
Update status

[JerryS]

Just bought a Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0b05:1a62 ASUSTek Computer, Inc. 802.11ax WLAN Adapter on Amazon.  This is what shows up when I lsusb.  Says it's Linux compatible.  But all I get is the ethernet adapter on my Ubuntu 22.04.2 Orange Pi 5.  Any advise?

 

[Werner]

You may need to install drivers for it by yourself. Try https://github.com/lwfinger/rtl8852au

[Peter Gamma 02]

I did some research about which Bluetooth & Wifi modules work for the Orange Pi 5 Plus:

 

1. The first one is this from Aliexpress:

 

In the description it says it is for the Orange Pi 5 Plus:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005717695083.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2deu

 

- There is a comment about this module from a users on Aliexpress:

 

«This opinion is only valid for orange pi 5 plus usage with that module.This wifi module works 100% under linux it means that BT and wifi works. But it does not fully work under android os or orange pi os»

 

2. A second module was reviewed by biblioman09 on his YouTube channel. He bought the module on Aliexpress:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005867630310.html?aff_fcid=831d1b3c922646fc8369371b66514f12-1694274924231-01206-_Dkoc32n&tt=CPS_NORMAL&aff_fsk=_Dkoc32n&aff_platform=shareComponent-detail&sk=_Dkoc32n&aff_trace_key=831d1b3c922646fc8369371b66514f12-1694274924231-01206-_Dkoc32n&terminal_id=64a25cf22e7b461cae1b2cde5b5e78c5&afSmartRedirect=y

 

biblioman09 sais that Bluetooth and Wifi works under Ubuntu. On Aliexpress it says nothing that it is for the the Orange Pi 5. biblioman09 writes in the comments of his YouTube video that Bluetooth keyboard and mouse probably won’t work with this module.

 

3. Orange PI 5 Bluetooth & Wifi usb dongle who does not need a driver sold on Aliexpress:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005134380381.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.3cbc1802LHMh32&aff_fcid=8f02f6a4bc864e7b96cc0e8cc347ecb1-1694470606790-07449-_DnCmnzL&tt=CPS_NORMAL&aff_fsk=_DnCmnzL&aff_platform=portals-tool&sk=_DnCmnzL&aff_trace_key=8f02f6a4bc864e7b96cc0e8cc347ecb1-1694470606790-07449-_DnCmnzL&terminal_id=64a25cf22e7b461cae1b2cde5b5e78c5&afSmartRedirect=y&gatewayAdapt=glo2deu#nav-review

 

It was tested by Ace1000ks1975 on his YouTube channel. There as comments from people who bought the dongle on Aliexpress that this Wi-Fi + Bluetooth module works right out of the box without the need of drivers on the Orange Pi 5. One tested Batocera OS which is based on Arch Linux. Another person tested it and it worked both on the network and a with wireless BT controller.

 

One comment says it worked flawlessly on both armbian, and Ubuntu for his my Orange Pi5.

 

One user wrote that the wifi speed is disappointing because download speed is below 1Mbps with his Orange Pi 5 (Armbian latest version installed) whereas it is around 100Mbps when it’s plugged with ethernet cable.

 

Ace1000ks1975 writes in the comments of his YouTube review that he used only his Wifi Bluetooth USB dongle to connect to the internet, and he does not use a USB keyboard and mouse, so he don’t know if a bluetooth keyboard or mouse works with this thing.”