Most distro compatible Wi-Fi dongle?

That Random Guy · 12-05-2017, 03:04 PM

Hello,

I'm interested in purchasing a Wi-Fi dongle/adapter that I can plug into a USB port.

The problem currently is my having been made aware of the fact that the chipset may not be supported for all distributions.

Is there a generic Wi-Fi adapter that's recommended? Preferably one which always works, no matter the distribution?

TIA

- T.R.G.

Hungry ghost · 12-05-2017, 03:53 PM

Hi there.

I'm not sure if there is a brand that will always work, but you can check this link for a list of supported USB adapters. You can also check this second link (includes USB and PCI adapters).

Tip: if you find a particular adapter you want to buy, you can also do a web search for "<adapter brand & model> linux" (without the quotes) to see whether it's supported or has any issues under Linux.

jefro · 12-05-2017, 07:10 PM

Almost every kernel level will have built in choices. It's not so much a distro as it is a kernel issue. I had an old linksys 10/100 that I used to recovery forever that finally stopped working on a kernel level change.

A few products are advertised as being fully linux supported. I forget the brand. Online places have full specs on the distro or kernel level support.

Also the internal chip that runs the device is more important than the make. https://wikidevi.com/wiki/List_of_Wi...e_IDs_in_Linux

frankbell · 12-05-2017, 08:18 PM

ThinkPenguin offers USB dongles guaranteed to be Linux-compatible. I needed one once and got one from them. It worked like a charm.

I have no relationship with ThinkPenguin other than as a customer.

fatmac · 12-06-2017, 07:37 AM

Most atheros USB wifi sticks tend to work in Linux, (& BSD).