USB WiFi adapters that are supported with in-kernel drivers are plug-and-play with most desktop distros. Additional work may be required for server distros as the maintainers of server distros seem to think that there are ethernet cables everywhere a user may choose to locate a server. Linux in-kernel drivers are preferable over out-of-kernel drivers for most users and use cases as problems with locating, installing and maintaining drivers are dramatically reduced allowing for a better experience.

Note: All USB WiFi adapters listed here are single-state (no Windows driver inside), single-function (no Bluetooth support) and use in-kernel drivers (Plug and Play). Buying adapters that meet this criteria greatly increases the probability of a satisfying experience that should last for many years.

Recent changes:

• 2024-03-24 - added EDUP EP-AX1672 (AXE3000) to mt7921au chipset section.
• 2024-03-24 - added PIX-LINK LV-UAC04 (AC1200) to mt7612u chipset section.
• 2024-03-07 - checked and updated adapter links and prices.
• 2024-01-31 - added new category for adapters based on the new mt7925 chipset (WiFi 7)
• 2024-01-13 - added generic Realtek rtl8812bu adapter (AC1200) to rtl8812bu chipset section.
• 2023-10-17 - added kernel information to BrosTrend AC3L entry.
• 2023-09-21 - added Fenvi FU-AX1800 (AXE3000) to mt7921au chipset section.
• 2023-07-05 - added ALFA AWUS036AXM (AXE3000) to mt7921au chipset section.
• 2023-05-18 - added ALLNET ALL-WA1200AC (AC1200) to mt7612u chipset section.
• 2023-05-17 - updated ALFA AWUS036ACU (AC1200) to rtl8812bu chipset section.
• 2023-04-10 - added BrosTrend AC3L (AC1200) to rtl8812bu chipset section.
• 2023-02-15 - added Panda PAU0B (AC600) to the mt7610u chipset section.
• 2023-02-01 - added ALFA AWUS036AXML (AXE3000) to mt7921au chipset section.
• 2023-02-01 - added Netgear A8000 (AXE3000) to mt7921au chipset section.
• 2023-02-01 - decided to only add single-state, single-function adapters going forward.

Important: Price and availability of listed adapters is subject to change. Updating the list of adapters does take a considerable amount of time. I try to complete a review of the links at least once ever two months. This site has increased in popularity to the point that readers of this site may cause inventory problems for some sellers at times so you may need to wait for inventory to be refreshed. To help with this problem, I have listed multiple links for some popular products. If you see any problems or see links that should be added or removed, please post in Issues.

Market Conditions: 2024-02-16 - Many good adapters are available. Prices for some adapters are still higher than before the pandemic but some adapters have returned to or are lower than pre-pandemic prices. There is a worldwide chip surplus currently. This should put downward price pressure on the cost of chipsets but lower prices may show up slowly as existing inventory has to work its way through supply chains. Most of you should be able to find something that meets your needs at a price you can afford if you shop around. Please take a look at the entire list and ask questions in Issues.

(Warning: no adapters with the below chipset are available to buy at this time - 2023-03-07.)

Warning: No adapters with this chipset are available to consumers yet. You will see AXE5400 class adapters available but those are currently Realtek chipsets and are only WiFi 6 capable devices. The mt7925 is a WiFi 7 capable chipset. Expect adapters to be available at some point in 2024. If you see an adapter that uses the mt7925 chipset, please post in Issues.

Info: It is necessary to add additional information in this section before listing the adapters because the driver, firmware and adapters are relatively new to the market and there are things that Linux users need to know.

Info: Be aware that the range of the 6 GHz band has been reduced compared to the 5 GHz band. So, while 6 GHz may have a big pipeline, it will have less range than 5 GHz. Another issue you need to be aware of is that wifi routers vary in how they handle clients. It is best that you pick a wifi AP/router that gives you the ability to set different names for all 3 bands so that you can control which band you are connected to. Checking the throughput of each band will allow you to see where your best performance is. Testing different channels in your AP/router can also help you find where your best performance is.

Status: USB adapters featuring the mt7921au chipset have been available since July 2022. Adapters based on the mt7921au chipset should not be considered plug and play unless you are using a distro using kernel 5.19 or later such as Ubuntu 22.10+. If you are not technically inclined and want a plug and play adapter for an older distro, continue on down this list to see adapters that are currently plug and play with almost all popular non-server distros. This includes adapters starting at the AC1200 section Remember that server distros think the entire world has cabled ethernet connections. You can add wifi support to server distros. Check with your distro doumentation or support forums for more information.

What are the kernel versions you should know about?

• Minimum kernel for managed (client) and monitor modes= 5.18
• Minimum kernel for master (AP) and AP/VLAN modes = 5.19
• Minimum kernel for P2P mode = 6.4
• Minimum kernel for mesh point and IBSS modes = not yet

Note: The mt7921au driver must include the VID/PID that your adapter uses in order for the adapter to be plug and play per the above guidance. Adapter makers may use custom company VID/PID numbers. If this is the case, a patch needs to be submitted to the linux-wireless list in order for the VID/PID to be merged into the mainline kernel. An example of this situation currently is the Netgear A8000 adapter. For more information and a temporary workaround, see the section about the Netgear A8000 below.

The driver (module) for the mt7921au chipset is called mt7921u.ko. You can check on the driver by going to the following location:

cd /usr/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7921

Show the files:

ls -l

The file you are looking for is mt7921u.ko

Note about OpenWRT: There is an exception to the above for OpenWRT. MT7921u has been backported to the kernel (5.10) used in OpenWRT 22.03.x. Starting with OpenWRT 22.03.3, simply install the following package:

kmod-mt7921u

Another note about OpenWRT 22.03: Luci supports WiFi 6 (AX) configuration and it works well. OpenWRT 23.05 was recently released and appears to support WiFi 6e. Your success with the 6 Ghz band is dependent on the rules and regulations in the country that you live in. Many countries have yet to pass laws authorizing the 6 Ghz band.

Remember that in-kernel drivers in Linux come in 2 or more parts. There is what is normally called the driver, which is part of the kernel, and the firmware, which may be 1 or more files, is not part of the kernel. Firmware files are part of the distro and have to be installed and updated by the maintainers of your distros or by you. Some distros do not install firmware, Debian, prior to version 12, is an example. Therefore you may to need to install the firmware yourself depending on your Linux distro. You can check the firmware , see appropriate section, to see if firmware needs to be installed or upgraded. Keep in mind that firmware file names do not change so you have to compare file sizes, dates or version to determine if you have the latest version. The symptom of a missing firmware is that the adapter does not show up on boot... just like if there is no driver in your kernel. To repeat, adapters that use in-kernel drivers, to function properly, the driver (module) is required AND the firmware is required. The absence of either will cause the adapter to not show up on boot. All of the more popular mainstream desktop have everything in place. This includes but is not limited to current releases of Ubuntu (and all of its puppies), Debian, fedora, Manjaro, Raspberry Pi OS and many more.

>================================<
>=====>  ALFA AWUS036AXM <=======<
>================================<

Note: This adapter is a single-state adapter.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7921aun chipset.
Note: This adapter uses the standard Mediatek device ID (VID/PID): ID 0e8d:7961

Rokland - 59 USD - ALFA AWUS036AXM WiFi 6E 3000 mbps Tri Band 2.4/5/6 GHz WiFi USB Adapter

Varia - 33 plus shipping EUR - ALFA AWUS036AXM WiFi 6/6E, 2x2 Tri-band

Please help me to add additional links to sellers of this adapter around the world.

Review: Pending. If you have this adapter, please submit a review.

>================================<
>======>  Netgear A8000  <==-====<
>================================<

Note: This is a single-state adapter. The Windows driver is supplied on a small flash drive.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7921aun chipset.
Note: This adapter does not use the standard Mediatek device ID (VID/PID). See below.

Amazon - 80 USD NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter (A8000) | AXE3000 Tri-Band Wireless

Walmart - 79 USD NETGEAR Nighthawk AXE3000 WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter (A8000-100PAS)

Netgear - 100 USD -AXE3000 USB 3.0 WiFi Adapter -A8000

Please help me to add additional links to sellers of this adapter around the world.

Important: The Netgear A8000 uses a device ID (VID/PID) that went into Linux kernel 6.4. This adapter will not be plug and play on earlier kernels. There are two methods for users that want the adapter to work with kernels that do not have the VID/PID included yet.

Method 1: Hotplug automation using udev.

Create a file called /etc/udev/rules.d/90-usb-0846:9060-mt7921u.rules

$ sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/90-usb-0846:9060-mt7921u.rules

Note: you can change nano to the text editor of your choice in the above command.

Copy the below lines and paste them into the above file that you are creating:

ACTION=="add", \
	SUBSYSTEM=="usb", \
	ENV{ID_VENDOR_ID}=="0846", \
	ENV{ID_MODEL_ID}=="9060", \
	RUN+="/usr/sbin/modprobe mt7921u", \
	RUN+="/bin/sh -c 'echo 0846 9060 > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/mt7921u/new_id'"

Save file and reboot.

Method 2: From a terminal, enter and execute the following commands:

su
modprobe mt7921u
echo 0846 9060 > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/mt7921u/new_id

Be aware that method 2 will need to be executed after each reboot.

Review by russeree 2.4/5GHz Tested - 6GHz untested.

The Good:

• Reliability: 2.4/5 GHz modes have not dropped a connection or needed to be reset after days of use.
• Speeds: At a distance of ~75 feet getting.
  • ~300mb/s down
  • ~400mb/s up
• Latency: Consistent at ~5ms
• Temps: Device runs cool to the touch. Would not be considered hot or even warm.
• Size: The device, given it's performance, is quite compact.
• Packing: Minimal packing, good for the environment.
• Aesthetics: The new, applied-polished Netgear logo is visually pleasing.

The Bad:

• Not PnP yet: A PATCH is scheduled to go into kernel 6.4. (Editor's note: the patch was merged in kernel 6.4.)
• Cost: At $99 USD MSRP this adapter is not inexpensive. (Editor's note: the price is lower from some sellers.)
• Packing: Minimal for the cost, unboxing is underwhelimg.

>================================<
>=====>  ALFA AWUS036AXML  <=====<
>================================<

Note: This adapter is a single-state adapter.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7921aun chipset.
Note: This adapter uses the standard Mediatek device ID (VID/PID): ID 0e8d:7961

Rokland - 80 USD - ALFA AWUS036AXML 802.11ax WiFi 6 1800 mbps Tri Band WiFi USB Adapter w Bluetooth

Video 1 - Video from Rokland

Video 2 - Video from Rokland

Amazon - 80 USD - ALFA AWUS036AXML 802.11axe WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter AXE3000, Tri Band 6 GHz, Gigabit Speed up to 3Gbps

ebay - 80 USD - ALFA AWUS036AXML 802.11axe WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter AXE3000, Tri Band 6 GHz

Varia - 47 plus shipping EUR - AWUS036AXML - WiFi 6+BT5.2 , 2x2, WLAN USB adapter

Please help me to add additional links to sellers of this adapter around the world.

Note: Contact Alfa for information about Alfa dealers near you.

Review of user comments by @morrownr : User reports so far are positive with the exception of one user finding a driver error in AP mode but he has submitted a PATCH to correct the situation. One of the advantages this adapter and the Alfa AXM adapter has over the other listed adapters in this section is that it has removable antennas which allow users to install directional antennas for longer range if so desired. Rokland keeps directional antennas for this adapter in stock. This adapter also appears to have no thermal issues at all and it has a VERY NICE extension cable that can plug into USB3-A and USB3-C ports.

>================================<
>=====>  Fenvi FU-AX1800 <=======<
>================================<

Note: Single-state adapter.
Note: Uses the mt7921au chipset.
Note: Uses the standard Mediatek device ID (VID/PID) for the mt7921au chipset: ID 0e8d:7961

Important: FENVI makes a very similar adapter that contains the rtl8852bu chipset. That is not what you want. The model number that you want is FU-AX1800 and make sure the ad says mt7921.

AliExpress - (cheap) - FENVI 1800Mbps WiFi 6 USB Adapter Dual Band 2.4G/5Ghz Wireless WiFi Receiver USB 3.0 Dongle

eBay - 15 USD - Wifi 6 USB Adapter AX1800 MT7921 Dual Band Wireless USB3.0 Dongle for PC Desktop

Please help me to add additional links to sellers of this adapter around the world.

Review by @karimHI :

ID : ID 0e8d:7961 MediaTek Inc. Wireless_Device
It is plug and play in kali but in windows, no, it comes with a small cd with the driver on it
Does it have good range? : Medium
Where did you order it : aliexpress / Any problems? : no
Thermal problems? : from the adapters I tested before, this is the coolest one. I was surprised.
Is it fast / what bands ? : everything is good and at described in the box (2.4ghz/5.0ghz).
Distro: kali 2023.3
Kernel : 6.5.0-kali2-amd64
Does it work with extension cable : yes, I'm using it with 2 extensions hub.
Cost? : 10$
What modes have you tested? : I have tested managed - ap/vlan - monitor everything is good.
* managed
* AP
* AP/VLAN
* monitor
* P2P-client
* P2P-GO

>================================<
>=====>  EDUP EP-AX1672 <=======<
>================================<

Note: Single-state adapter.
Note: Uses the mt7921au chipset.
Note: Uses the standard Mediatek device ID (VID/PID) for the mt7921au chipset: ID 0e8d:7961

Amazon - 30 USD - EDUP EP-AX1672

Note: 2024-04-10 - The adapter is back in stock after having sold out after about a week after this link was added to the list. I've seen this happen many times.

Review: (2024-04-24) I now have one of these adapters. It was ordered from the above Amazon link. Here is a quick and dirty initial review:

I tested this adapter for 3 days in client (managed) mode. I pushed it hard with iperf3. The client system is using Debian 12. The adapter was plug and play. I updated the driver firmware per the Firmware guide in the Main Menu. I could not find any problems. The adapter was fast and very stable. I did not notice any thermal related issues even though I pushed it at max WiFi 6 throughput for extended periods. The case of the adapter does have vent holes. When you combine well done vent holes with a chip that runs cool to begin with, there are no thermal problems. I need to do more testing but right now, indications are that it has better than average range and the antennas are removable. I consider that to be a really good feature. As I have time, I will test it with some Alfa antennas to see what happens. For the last 10 days, the adapter has been running in AP mode using my AP mode guide here on the Main Menu. I am using the WiFi 6 hostapd.conf example. AP mode performance has been very good. It is very stable with 5 GHz WiFi 6 AP mode. It has an LED that serves as a powered up indicator similar to what the above Alfa adapters do. The LED is a little brighter than what Alfa uses so remember that if you will be using it in a room where you sleep. At the time of this review, I see an average rating of 4.1 for the Amazon reviews but I think Linux users can ignore that number. When I read the Amazon reviews, it appears that all of the lower rated reviews are from Windows users that are complaining about finding a driver. As Linux users, we don't worry about that since the adapter is plug and play on Linux as long as the kernel you are using is kernel 5.19 or later. My testing is with kernel 6.6 and I have not found any problems that would affect daily use by regular desktop or laptop users. When I ordered this adapter, there was a 20% off clickable coupon so my final price was only about 26 USD. My overall opinion is that this adapter is a good adapter and the price is good. Most Linux users running modern Linux distros such as Debian 12, Ubuntu 24.04 or fedora 39, etc. should find this adapter to be a problem free experience.

If you want something specific tested, let me know by asking in Issues.

@morrownr

>===============================<
>=====>  ALFA AWUS036ACM  <=====<
>===============================<

Maintained by @morrownr

Note: This is a single-state adapter.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7612u chipset.

Important: If running this adapter with Kali in Virtual Box, here is a Video that should help.

Rokland - 43 USD - US - ALFA AWUS036ACM 802.11ac Dual Band USB WiFi Adapter - Info: free shipping and no tax outside of Florida. Ships to Canada and US.

Amazon - 42 USD - US - Alfa AWUS036ACM Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter

ebay - 41 USD - US - Alfa AWUS036ACM 867Mbps Long Range Dual Band Wi-Fi USB Adapter

Amazon.it - 40 EUR - Italy - Alfa AWUS036ACM

getic - 33 plus VAT EUR - Latvia - Alfa USB Adapter AWUS036ACM

TUNG NETWORK TRADING - 220 RM - Malaysia - Alfa AWUS036ACM 802.11ac Dual Band 2.4/5 GHz WiFi USB Adapter

Varia - 43 EUR - Germany - AWUS036ACM - 802.11ac Dualband-WLAN-USB-Adapter 2,4/5 GHz

Note: Contact Alfa for information about Alfa dealers near you.

ALFA AWUS036ACM Technical information

ALFA Network Linux support for MT7612U based products

Review by Nick - The Alfa AWUS036ACM is an excellent product. It is mid-priced, well made and works well in managed mode, master mode and monitor mode. It is a very solid, stable performer in 5 GHz AP mode. It supports 80 MHz channel width in AP mode and can sustain 400+ Mb/s as measured by iperf3. It runs cool and uses a maximum of only about 380 mA power when under heavy load. I use one in the wifi router/access point that I built. Works so well with the Raspberry Pi 4B, 3B+ and 3B, it is almost like it was designed specifically for that hardware. You really need to use it with a Raspberry Pi 4b so as to get the full througput capability. It works well with desktop systems (an extension cable is included in the packages most retailers of this product sell). It also works well with laptop systems. This adapter is a high quality product with good range and is plug and play in all of the modern distros of Linux. Highly recommended.

>===========================<
>=====>  Panda PAU0D  <=====<
>===========================<

Note: This is a single-state adapter.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7612u chipset.

Amazon - 31 USD - US - Panda Wireless PAU0D AC1200 Wireless AC USB Adapter with High Gain Antennas

Review: Pending. If you have this adapter, please write a review.

>=============================<
>==>  ALLNET ALL-WA1200AC  <==<
>=============================<

Note: This is a single-state adapter.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7612u chipset.

Amazon.de - 22 EUR - Allnet ALL-NAS200 WA1200AC WLAN 1200MBIT/S Network Card

pollin.de - 19 EUR - ALLNET WLAN-Stick ALL-WA1200AC, 1200 MBit/s

Review: Pending

>=============================<
>===>  PIX-LINK LV-UAC04  <===<
>=============================<

Note: This is a single-state adapter.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7612u chipset.

AliExpress - 11 USD - PIX-LINK LV-UAC04

Amazon.in - India - PIX-LINK LV-UAC04

Electronics Crazy - Singapore - PIX-LINK LV-UAC04

Review: See this issue

>=============================<
>=====>  Netgear A6210  <=====<
>=============================<

Note: I own this adapter and run it with Linux. Feel free to ask questions.

Note: This is a single-state adapter.
Note: This adapter uses the mt7612u chipset.

Walmart - 36 USD - NETGEAR - AC1200 Dual-Band USB 3.0 WiFi Adapter (A6210-10000S)

ebay - 35 USD - NETGEAR AC1200 USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter - A6210-10000S

Review by Nick - The Netgear A6210 is an adapter that is designed to be portable. I rate the range of this adapter to be average as far as small adapters with no external antenna go so if you need a long range adapter, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if range is not an issue, this adapter is easy to pack and take on the road. It comes with a good quality USB3 extension cable plus cradle. It is a stable performer. I have noted that it runs a little warm which is unusual for Mediatek chipset based adapters. Users looking for a portable AC1200 adapter that uses an in-kernel driver and has good performance over short to medium distances should be happy with this adapter. Note: Due to the somewhat limited range of this adapter, I do not recommend it for use in AP mode unless your requirement is only for same room connections. I also do not recommend this adapter for security analysis/pen testing because of the limited range.

To be clear: This adapter can provide good throughput. Here is a sample from iperf3:

Bitrate
  366 Mbits/sec                  sender
  365 Mbits/sec                  receiver

This test was conducted in client mode at a distance of about 5 meters with 2 walls between the adapter and wifi router. The test was on 5 GHz on a clean DFS channel. This test shows that this adapter can certainly provide AC1200 performance and it is a good adapter to take on the road. It does not have long range so use as an AP should be limited to same room or short distance and monitor mode performance is not going to let you reach out long distances. It appears the twpower is fixed on this adapter at 18 dBm. I am posting this additional paragraph because a user expressed some displeasure at not being able to get this adapter to do what he wanted. My suggestion is that anyone that is not sure of what you need, go to issues and ask.

Note: The in-kernel driver for this chipset is part of rtw88. The in-kernel driver for this chipset is stable in client (managed) mode but currently does not support USB3 so speeds will be limited to USB2. Hopefully this can be corrected soon. Modes beyond managed mode, such as AP, monitor or P2P may not meet user expectations at this point. Some users may decide to use the out-of kernel driver located here at this site for now as it is very good for an out-of-kernel driver:

Linux Driver for USB WiFi Adapters that use the RTL8812BU and RTL8822BU Chipsets

Important: The in-kernel driver and out-of-kernel drivers are not feature equal. Post in Issues if you have questions about what features are supported in which driver. For now, I recommend users only purchase adapters with this chipset if you use case for the adapter is client (managed) mode.

Important: Currently incompatible with OpenWRT. The RTL8812bu / RTL8822bu in-kernal drivers require Linux Kernel 6.2+, the current stable release of OpenWRT 23.05 uses Linux Kernel 5.15. Right now and probably until the 2025 version of OpenWRT, the only dual or tri-band, WiFi 5, 6 or 7 chipsets that are supported are the mt7921au, mt7612u and mt7610u (also the mt7925 but no adapters are on the market yet).

>============================<
>====> ALFA  AWUS036ACU <====<
>============================<

Rokland - 22 USD - ALFA AWUS036ACU (single-state, single-function)

Review by @morrownr : I now have this adapter and am slowly testing it. I'll go ahead and give my thoughts so far: This adapter is much smaller than most "football goal" style adapters and it is stylish (cute). The quality appears to be well above average. It is showing an average of 525 Mbps in managed mode testing with iperf3 and 435 Mbps with the in-kernel driver (kernel 6.4). Testing was accomplish on channel 100 DFS (no other APs on the channel) and distance of about 10 meters with 3 walls. Extended iperf3 testing results is less than average heat buildup and the single most impressive thing is the range. This is not called a "High "Power" or "Max Power" adapter as Alfa likes to call its extended range adapters, but it has excellent range. So far, this adapter has exceeded my expectations. Antennas are removable. No extension cable/stand is included.

Overall: If you are looking for a rtl8812bu based adapter that has good performance and excellent range, this adapter should be work well for you.

>==========================<
>====> BrosTrend AC3L <====<
>==========================<

BrosTrend - $41 USD - BrosTrend AC1200 Linux Compatible USB WiFi Adapter - AC3L

Review by @morrownr : This adapter has performed very well. It is a single-state, single-function adapter, which is what we want.

Good:

• It is fast. I have consistently measured around 545 Mbps (clean DFS channel) using iperf3 with the out-of-kernel driver. Testing with the in-kernel driver in kernel 6.3 as of 2023-04-10 shows an iperf3 score of 410 Mbps. The in-kernel driver appears to be stable at this point and the performance is reasonably good. Optimizations continue to be merged.

• The adapter comes with a nice extension cable/stand. One of the best designs that I have used.

• The quality seems to be above average.

• The antennas are removable so you can use replacement directional antennas if you want and the ability to move the antennas to the position you want is good.

Average:

• Thermal characteristics are average as the adapter will become warm to the touch if running iperf3 for an extended period of time. There are no slits or holes to help with heat during heavy use. This should not be a problem for most use cases as my testing in this regard is torture. I would prefer to see slits or small holes to allow for some airflow.

Bad:

• None

Overall: If you are looking for a rtl8812bu adapter that has very good performance, this adapter should be on your short list.

>===================================================<
>====> Generic Realtek RTL8812BU Adapter <====<
>===================================================<

Amazon - 19 USD - Realtek RTL8812BU USB Wireless Adapter 1200 Mbps with 5 dBi Antenna Dual Band AC1200 WiFi Dongle

Review by @kj_sh604: I was looking for a relatively cheap wireless USB adapter on Amazon after having issues with my TP-Link adapter (rtl8821au) and the out-of-kernel drivers for that chipset. I thought it would be better to just stick with an adapter that already has an in-kernel module even if performance may be a bit slower. I am on a rolling-release distro that updates its kernel package as soon as a new stable one comes out, so alleviating the worry of a dkms module either failing or not working properly was of great benefit. I understand that there may be a bit of skeptism and concern given that the adapter is unbranded and seems to be drop-shipped from China but from my overall experience and monitoring my own network it seems to be fine. It performs better with the in-kernel module rather than the out-of-kernel ones. It definitely won't take advantage of your entire internet connection speed but it's very much hassle-free, affordable, and it works. Definitely beats my other "Plug-and-Play" Atheros ones in terms of performance and it remains relatively cool to the touch.

Additional Notes:

• On the Amazon page it says the Brand is "Connecting" but upon clicking that Brand Name it just leads to a page of books and other material that has the word "connecting" in it.
• Obviously, purchase and use at your own risk. It is a unknown brand with no warranty.
• Tested on Zen Kernel Linux 6.6.5-zen1-1-zen

>============================<
>====> ALFA AWUS036ACHM <====<
>============================<

Note: This adapter looks like a basic everday wifi adapter but it is not! I have tested many adapters and this adapter has the longest range of any modern dual band adapter that I have tested. If you need long range or an adapter that can run 24/7/365 and never miss a beat, this adapter is worth a look. Don't buy it for speed as it is a AC600 adapter, but if looking for range, great AP mode support, great monitor mode support and reliability, take a look.

Rokland - $40 USD - ALFA AWUS036ACHM 802.11ac Dual Band High Power Mediatek MT7610U WiFi USB Adapter

Amazon - $40 USD - Alfa AWUS036ACHM 802.11ac WiFi Range Boost USB Adapter

ebay - $40 USD - Alfa AWUS036ACHM 802.11ac dual band High Power Wi-Fi USB Adapter +RP-SMA antenna

TUNG NETWORK TRADING - 210 RM - Malaysia - Alfa Network AWUS036ACHM 802.11ac WiFi USB Adapter

ALFA AWUS036ACHM Technical information

ALFA Network Linux support for MT7610U based products

Review by Nick - The Alfa AWUS036ACHM is a good product. It is mid-priced, well made, runs cool, has EXCEPTIONAL range and works well in managed mode, master mode and monitor mode. I have recently been testing master (AP) mode: This adapter is exceptional in 2.4 GHz AP mode and good in 5 GHZ AP mode. The range in both bands exceeds the wifi router that I tested it against and I consider that wifi router to have good range. One thing to consider regarding 5 GHz AP mode is that this is an AC600 device so maximum transfer rate is limited to 433 Mb/s. That is fast enough for most use cases and will be for a long time but it is not as fast as you can get from an AC1200 adapter. This adapter shows good link quality and signal level even in difficult situations where other adapters would drop the connection. My testing shows that this adapter has the longest range of any current dual band consumer grade adapter that Alfa sells and Alfa is known for their long range products. My opinion is that this adapter is the single best adapter available for use with Kali Linux or other distros used for pen testing and security analysis. Compared to the Alfa AWUS036ACH, the Alfa AWUS036ACHM has better range, costs less and is supported with in-kernel drivers making it the better choice for Linux users. It comes with the required USB2 cable and a clip that allows you to mount the adapter in various locations. Overall, the Alfa AWUS036ACHM is a solid performer. Highly recommended.

=====> PANDA - PAU0B <=====

Amazon - $28 USD - Panda Wireless® PAU0B AC600 Dual Band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wireless USB Adapter W/ High Gain Antenna - Mint, Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora, Centos, Kali Linux and Raspberry PiOS

Review pending. Please suubmit a review if you own this adapter. The reviews on Amazon are very favorable.

=====> ANDDEAR - MT761003 <=====

AliExpress - $13 USD - ANDDEAR - MT761003

Review by amisix - This adapter is $12 as of 2022-04-22. It is size (2.25" x 1" x .3"). It consumes less power than many adapters (~110mA/idle, 150mA-230mA/at load). The ANDDEAR-MT761003 is only an AC600 adapter (150N/433AC) although it performs quite well in real-world usage, has a medium transmission distance, and when running casual internet speed tests it easily achieved 100Mbps - the maximum speed of my ISP. It has an excellent Mediatek chipset that is highly capable with AP, monitor mode, and packet injection and the drivers are included in kernel so it just works. Overall I highly recommend the ANDDEAR-MT761003 if you're looking for something that's highly capable and you need qualities other than raw speed.

Important: ANDDEAR also makes an AC1200 version of this adapter that uses a mt7612u chipset. Avoid it. In testing, it was found to have a bug that generally shows in USB3 ports if port 1 is used. The conclusion of the testers is that the mt7612u chipset version of this adapter should be avoided as no workaround or fix could be identified. However, the above listed adapter based on the mt7610u chipset does not show this critical bug and should work well for you.

--- Links to additional adapters that are based on the mt7610u chipset ---

ebay - $20 USD - ZyXEL Dual-Band Wireless AC600 USB Adapter, NWD6505

Amazon - $40 USD - Asus Dualband Wirel. AC600 USB, USB-AC51

Amazon - $20 USD - Panda Pau0a AC600 Dual Band Wireless USB Adapter

Note: Keeping an inexpensive single band adapter that is supported by in-kernel drivers in your toolkit can be very handy.

Some technical details... (the driver for this chipset is very good)

Supported interface modes:
	 * IBSS
	 * managed
	 * AP
	 * AP/VLAN
	 * monitor
	 * mesh point
Valid interface combinations:
		 * #{ AP, mesh point } <= 8, total <= 8, #channels <= 1

Note: I own one or more adapters based on the rt5370 chipset. Feel free to ask questions.

Amazon - $17 USD - (nano) Panda PAU03 (b/g/n) 150Mbps Wireless-N 2.4GHz USB Adapter

Review: Solid little NANO adapter. It just works.

Amazon - $17 USD - Panda Mid Range 150Mbps Wireless N USB Adapter w/ 2dBi Antenna - I have read many positive comments from Linux users about this adapter.

AliExpress - AliExpress has many links to adapters based on the rt5370 chipset

Note: The above link will show many adapters. Ensure you check to make sure the adapter is based on the rt5370 chipset. Read the reviews. Use caution as there may be some quality adapters in the list.

Note: the mt7601u driver only supports managed and monitor modes (no AP mode and monitor mode does not support packet injection).

Note: I own one or more adapters based on the mt7601u chipset. Feel free to ask questions.

Amazon - $8 USD - EDUP MS8551 USB WiFi Adapter for PC - High Gain 6dBi Antenna

Review by Nick: I own this EDUP adapter and run it with Linux. I consider this adapter to be a very dependable long range adapter for managed mode. The antenna on this adapter can only fold 90 degrees but cannot rotate which can be a little annoying depending on how you use it .

Amazon - $7 USD - (nano) Zibo Mini USB Wifi Wireless Adapter, 150Mbps

Note: Production of the ar9271 chipset ended during 2021. There are still new adapters for sale for now.

Note: I own one or more adapters based on the ar9271 chipset. Feel free to ask questions.

>=================================<
>=======> ALFA AWUS036NHA <=======<
>=================================<

Rokland - $29 - ALFA AWUS036NHA Atheros AR9271 802.11n WIRELESS-N USB Wi-Fi adapter - Info: free shipping and no tax outside of Florida. Ships to Canada and US. I have read many positive comments from Linux users about this adapter.

ebay - $29 - ALFA AWUS036NHA 802.11n Wireless-N Wi-Fi USB Adapter High Speed Atheros AR9271 - I have read many positive comments from Linux users about this adapter.

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