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Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 6:21 am
by vladtepes
It seems that my WiFi card in my computer may have killed itself. It's not being recognised at all.

So.. as at LM 19 Tara, what is the best (most stable) option for WiFi in a desktop computer?

WiFi card?

WiFi dongle?

something else?

Also are there particular brands to go for, or particular ones to avoid (known problems)? Thanks

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:10 am
by vladtepes
michael louwe wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:16 am There are Linux-compatible USB Wifi adapters for sale at around US$10 each. ... https://www.wirelesshack.org/top-linux- ... pters.html
Unfortunately that list is from Dec 2017 so doesn't guarantee compatibility with the latest linux kernel AFAIK.

I was hoping to find something I could buy locally (Australia) as I don;t want to wait 2 weeks to get this thing online....

Could someone offer opinions as to whether the following are likely to work, and which might be best?

http://www.msy.com.au/qldonline/periphe ... apter.html

http://www.msy.com.au/qldonline/periphe ... apter.html

is the Realtek 8192 chipset a "yes" with Linux?
These are probably the same. What do you reckon - would they work?
link 1

link 2

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:29 am
by gm10
Second one will work but I can say from experience that it's quite terrible with extremely low signal strength. I cannot recommend it.
First one I don't know from experience but the user reviews on the manufacturer's page say it doesn't work with current Linux versions.

Why not just replace the wireless card? And are you sure it's even broken? If it ever worked in Mint 19, did you try booting from a live USB to see if it works there?

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:41 am
by vladtepes
Thanks you gm10

Had 18.2 used to work. Now doesn't. At all.

Does have three aerials - ch0 ch1 and ch2 and the plug on ch0 is broken - possibly the culprit?
I've no installed LM19 and neither the live or installed versions of 19 can see it either.

Is there a terminal code I could use to attempt to 'interrogate' the system for the wireless card? (eg a 'lsusb' equivalent)

Then is there are wireless card you'd recommend? I don't care if I have a card or a USB - I just want cheap and working. :)

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:56 am
by gm10
vladtepes wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:41 amHad 18.2 used to work. Now doesn't. At all.
Try a 18.2 liveUSB then if you have one at hand. My point is just that it could have stopped working due to a kernel update or settings change. So having a "clean" environment like the live USB to test with will let you know for sure.

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:05 am
by JeremyB

Code: Select all

lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 net; rfkill list; inxi -Fxxxz
Should tell us something about the wifi that doesn't work

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:52 am
by bill_steamshovel
This might sound a bit daft ...... but ..... I have sometimes used my mobile phone hooked up to computer with a USB cable ...... depends whereabouts in AUstralia you live ...... and what the relative cost/reliability of ISP vs Mobile network is. ie sometimes in the middle of nowhere the telcos mobile phone plans can be quite economic/reliable for Gigabytes compared to relevant ISPs ...... and the NBN definitley doesnt exist where I live - Am a very light user ie emails and browsing no videos or games.

Bill

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:40 am
by trytip
Panda Wireless PAU09 N600 Dual Band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) $39.99 as always read the user reviews. this one is $40 not the typical $10-20 value. THIS adapter works out of the box in live linux. no drivers to install (if you happen to get one that chipset is different you can send it back. i see many adapters throwing in a new batch with completely different hardware)

Panda Wireless PAU06 300Mbps N USB Adapter (2.4GHz ) $14.99

TP-Link TL-WN722N N150 High Gain USB Wireless WiFi network Adapter for PC <<< NO. if you search it will tell you this is most used in live Kali and it used to be. BUT the version 2 changed it's chipset from Atheros AR9271 to have no clue. i bought one of these v1 and works great with great range. do not buy this unless you sure it has Atheros AR9271 chipset

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:49 am
by JeremyB
It is a desktop, I would put a full size card in it with real antennas

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:56 pm
by michael louwe
@ vladtepes, .......
vladtepes wrote:.
.
Please refer to ... https://www.linuxquestions.org/question ... ost5835461 , ie the latest Linux compatible USB Wifi adapters(work ootb) are Panda, Alfa, TPLink, ThinkPenguin, etc.

Or replace the broken Wifi adapter card with an Intel one.

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:41 pm
by tgwilt
I recently bought a Panda Wireless PAU09 adapter from amazon. It is a USB unit with 2 external antennae, and I have been extremely pleased with it. It just works on Mint 19, plug and play.

I also have to agree with Jeremy about a regular card in your desktop. USB occasionally exhibits certain vagaries, although I have not experienced any of them with the Panda unit. It hasn't dropped connection, ever, and will connect to a 5GHZ network.

HTH and good hunting.

Tom

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:53 pm
by Joe2Shoe
TP-Link TL-WN722N v2.1 150MBPS High-Gain USB WiFi Adapter works in LM19 Mate & Cinnamon. It has the Realtek RTL8188EU (8188E USB WiFi) chipset.
I have been using the TL-WN722N v1.0 for years, which has the Atheros chipset, that also works.

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 5:12 pm
by JeremyB
Joe2Shoe wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:53 pm TP-Link TL-WN722N v2.1 150MBPS High-Gain USB WiFi Adapter works in LM19 Mate & Cinnamon. It has the Realtek RTL8188EU (8188E USB WiFi) chipset.
I have been using the TL-WN722N v1.0 for years, which has the Atheros chipset, that also works.
Is the RTL8188EU supported by a kernel module now? Or does it still need to used compiled source code from github?

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:08 pm
by Joe2Shoe
JeremyB, I rehabbed a laptop for someone and used the TP-Link TL-WN722N v2.1 USB WiFi adapter, and it worked in LM19 Cinnamon 64-bit without any problems.
I don't have that laptop or the TP-Link TL-WN722N v2.1 anymore, but I did not have to compile source from github.
Client says it's working swell.
I had to compile the github source drivers using LM18.3 to make it work, though.

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:17 pm
by gm10
JeremyB wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 5:12 pm Is the RTL8188EU supported by a kernel module now? Or does it still need to used compiled source code from github?
Has been for a while. E.g.

Code: Select all

$ apt content linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic | grep rtl8188eu
/lib/modules/4.15.0-20-generic/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8188eu
/lib/modules/4.15.0-20-generic/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8188eu/r8188eu.ko
But has been in Mint 18 kernels as well. The issue was always just that the nl80211 API wrapper for NetworkManager didn't work with it. Switching to wext fixed it.

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:21 pm
by vladtepes
Thank you everyone for your input it's most helpful :) and will be a good reference post for others in future I think.

Oh and the Panda stuff does have a good rep but isn't generally avail here in Australian and Amazon won't ship it here either.

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:55 pm
by vladtepes
Joe2Shoe wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:53 pm TP-Link TL-WN722N v2.1 150MBPS High-Gain USB WiFi Adapter works in LM19 Mate & Cinnamon. It has the Realtek RTL8188EU (8188E USB WiFi) chipset.
I have been using the TL-WN722N v1.0 for years, which has the Atheros chipset, that also works.
Any idea if v 2.0 works? Because I just bought one by accident... thinking it was a 2.1

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:39 pm
by trytip
no version 2.0 quote from a customer saying this?
After purchasing this, I found it does not properly work with some Linux setups that were usually guaranteed to work (Kali). After some reaserch, I found that the adapter has two versions - one with an Atheros Chipset, and one with a RealTek Chipset. So far, the only reliable way to tell that I've ascertained is to look at the bottom of the device itself for the FCC number, which is a small sequence of numbers directly above the barcode on the back. If yours reads "TE7WN722NV2", you have the RealTek version 2, which is unusable for some projects. Otherwise, you likely have the superior Atheros version. Another way to tell is, sometimes, next to the S/N on the back, it'll say "v2.1" or something similar. So far I haven't worked out if the FCC number or version is on the box, as I threw that away before realizing this.

I'm rating this product two stars for not making it clear that this was something that I needed to worry about. There should be, at least in the description, something saying that this is Version 2 using the RealTek Chipset instead of Atheros. I don't know if they sell the Version 1 at all, but some people I've asked said they received that version, meaning the seller may be just randomly picking between versions 1 and 2 to ship out.
source also read customers reviews on the right

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:01 am
by trytip
Panda Wireless PAU06 300Mbps N USB Adapter
not sure why they are so expensive there but you can search for something that has Ralink 3070, Atheros AR9271 chipsets which work with no drivers.

Re: Best WiFi option for Linux Mint 19 desktop?

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:40 am
by vladtepes
Seems my post failed so I'll try again.

What's the best way to find out what units have these chipsets. Even the specs on some manufacturer websites (eg tp link) don't seem to specify that information.