TP Link AC600 Drivers [Solved]

[peter_62au]

I've just upgraded my computer and after some teething problems got it up and running only to find my old network card was kaput. I foolishly bought a new card without checking compatibility and now have a TP Link AC600 PCI Express Adapter with no Linux drivers. I have found some instructions on how to install drivers but they all involve having a USB wifi dongle. Is there anyway to download the drivers on my laptop and install on my desktop via usb?

[sleeper12]

Let's see what this shows:

Code: Select all

 inxi -Fxxxrz && rfkill list && mokutil --sb-state 

[majpooper]

Try this:
cut and paste this into the terminal

Code: Select all

https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/r/rtl8812au/rtl8812au-dkms_4.3.8.12175.20140902+dfsg-0ubuntu12_all.deb

This will download the the driver for the chip set the AC 600 uses - I know this to be a fact because Pjotr helped with this exact issue the other day - i.e. installing the driver for an AC 600 dongle.

You can then copy the the .deb package onto a USB
You probable know this but the easy way to install .deb packages is with gdebi
Of course you have to have gdebi installed first.

Code: Select all

sudo apt install -y gdebi

Then all you need to do is click on the .deb package to install it.

Also you may want or need to disable the old wifi NIC.
Again I had this same issue Pjotr told me how to get that done as well see
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=386225

[peter_62au]

I down loaded the .deb file put it on a usb to install on my desktop but it's got dependancies which obviously I can't down load because I can't connect without installing the deb file. I installed Fedora,it recognised my network card straight away but I don't like it. It's making things that are easy in mint difficult.

[sleeper12]

You might get a temporary connection with phone tethering:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... ernet.html

[majpooper]

What version of Mint did you upgrade to ?
Tell me if I have this right: your computer has only the TP Link AC600 WiFi NIC - that's it?

I tested it on a VM and there are seven dependencies. It's a big PITA but you can download all seven from the Ubuntu repository and install them one by one.
I have done it that way a few times - and sometimes the dependency has a dependency but it's doable.

If you are on Mint 21 which is based on Ubuntu 22.04 everything you would need is here:
https://ubuntu.pkgs.org/22.04/ubuntu-un ... l.deb.html
You just need to type in each dependency into the search bar, go to it's page and download it's .deb file and put it on your USB then install them one by one and then install the driver.

[peter_62au]

I've solved it sort of. I can't get it to run on Mint 20 or the 20.1 Beta but it works fine on Ubuntu 22.1 which is odd given Mint is based on Ubuntu. Anyway I'm now running Ubuntu and I installed the Cinammon desktop. It's not ideal but I'm to lazy to download and install all the dependencies individually. It'll do until Mint catch up with the drivers. Thank you everyone for your assistance.

[sleeper12]

If you know which driver you are using on Ubuntu (rtl8812au?), there might be an easier way to get it on Mint.

[peter_62au]

I've given up on Mint and Ubuntu, for now. I tried installlng the dependencies off usbon Mint, tried installing the driver using usb tethering on my phone. Which is handy now I know I now how to get wifi on my laptop when out. The driver installed but didn't work. Ubuntu didn't like having cinammon installed so that didn't work. I have installed the cinammon version of fedora and after a little tweaking it does what I want it to do. I'll just keep checking each Mint version as they come out until i get one that works.

[majpooper]

Well the too easy solution is that once you have wifi you can just install the correct driver right from synaptic (mint package manager).