Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Ben Caradoc-Davies]

On 16/08/18 05:52, Miguel A. Vallejo wrote:

So, I'm also looking for a Linux friendly 802.11ac USB dongle.


And I should have mentioned that the TL-WN722N is a single band (2.4 
GHz) b/g/n dongle, *not* dual band.


--
Ben Caradoc-Davies 
Director
Transient Software Limited 
New Zealand

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Miguel A. Vallejo]

My experience is similar.

Currently I'm using Linksys WUSB600N v2 USB dongles based on Ralink
RT3572 and they work just fine. They can handle my 100 MBit conection
using 2x2 N mode in 5 GHz band without too much problems.

But I have also a Linksys WUSB6300 802.11ac dongle, based on
RTL8812AU. Although I made it to work, all drivers/modules I tried
seems to be in very early stage to my taste, with many missing
functions: a lot of missing information while running monitoring
programs (like wavemon).

So, I'm also looking for a Linux friendly 802.11ac USB dongle.

Greetings

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Ben Caradoc-Davies]

On 14/08/18 12:14, Ben Caradoc-Davies wrote:

On 12/08/18 15:12, Ben Caradoc-Davies wrote:
I am using a TP-Link TL-WN722N (ath9k_htc). I have two. Inexpensive, 
high-gain antenna, quite reliable despite regular hard work.
Since my broadband upgrade from ADSL to gigabit fibre three days ago, I 
can put greater load on my WiFi, and my TL-WN722N hangs under this heavy 
load. Downloads or uploads of 3-4 GB files succeed only about a third of 
the time. Hangs require USB disconnection and reconnection. I must 
withdraw my recommendation.


Since upgrading from linux-image-4.17.0-1-amd64 4.17.8-1 to 
linux-image-4.17.0-2-amd64 4.17.14-1 this morning, I have given my 
TL-WN722N a workout, with one 3.0 GB upload and six 4.0 GB downloads 
with the same servers as before, all successful, with no hangs. Perhaps 
the problems I encountered were related to interference that has now 
gone away? Or have been fixed by kernel driver improvements? Anyway, my 
TL-WN722N now seems quite stable under load.


Kind regards,

--
Ben Caradoc-Davies 
Director
Transient Software Limited 
New Zealand

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Ben Caradoc-Davies]

On 12/08/18 15:12, Ben Caradoc-Davies wrote:
I am using a TP-Link TL-WN722N (ath9k_htc). I have two. Inexpensive, 
high-gain antenna, quite reliable despite regular hard work.


Since my broadband upgrade from ADSL to gigabit fibre three days ago, I 
can put greater load on my WiFi, and my TL-WN722N hangs under this heavy 
load. Downloads or uploads of 3-4 GB files succeed only about a third of 
the time. Hangs require USB disconnection and reconnection. I must 
withdraw my recommendation.


Kind regards,

--
Ben Caradoc-Davies 
Director
Transient Software Limited 
New Zealand

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Michael Stone]

On Tue, Aug 14, 2018 at 08:46:36AM +1200, Joel Wirāmu Pauling wrote:

Huh? Intel cards are numerous and cheap - they come in PCIe / NGFF form factors
(like the easily available ath) - get a PCIe/USB to MiniPCIe converter card for
a few pennies off Aliexpress and you are in business.


Everyone has their own tolerance for cobbling together grey market stuff 
off aliexpress. If it floats your boat then I guess you're set.


Mike Stone

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Joel Wirāmu Pauling]

Huh? Intel cards are numerous and cheap - they come in PCIe / NGFF form
factors (like the easily available ath) - get a PCIe/USB to MiniPCIe
converter card for a few pennies off Aliexpress and you are in business.

On 14 August 2018 at 08:33, Michael Stone  wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 08, 2018 at 08:12:37AM -0700, tony mollica wrote:
>
>> I need to find a good, reliable WiFi adapter.  I have an Alfa AWUS036ACH
>> using
>> a RTL8812au chip
>> and there is support but it's unreliable.  Connects sometimes, mostly
>> not.  My
>> older adapters work
>> but they're slow but maybe that's the compromise I need to resolve.
>>
>> What's being used reliably?
>>
>
> Intel, but as far as I know you can only buy one with a new laptop.
> Your other options are the rtl* stuff which tends to be flaky, or the ath*
> stuff which is impossible to find. It's not a good time for open source
> wifi.
>
> Mike Stone
>
>

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Michael Stone]

On Wed, Aug 08, 2018 at 08:12:37AM -0700, tony mollica wrote:

I need to find a good, reliable WiFi adapter.  I have an Alfa AWUS036ACH using
a RTL8812au chip
and there is support but it's unreliable.  Connects sometimes, mostly not.  My
older adapters work
but they're slow but maybe that's the compromise I need to resolve.

What's being used reliably?


Intel, but as far as I know you can only buy one with a new laptop.
Your other options are the rtl* stuff which tends to be flaky, or the 
ath* stuff which is impossible to find. It's not a good time for open 
source wifi.


Mike Stone

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Curt]

On 2018-08-12, Ben Caradoc-Davies  wrote:
>
> You must check the full version as the v2 has a different chipset (see 
> complaints in the Amazon comments). The original is Atheros, the v2 is 
> Realtek:

But you cannot check the full version because the full version is not
specified, thus the complaints to which I alluded in the comment section
from various disappointed penguinites (and my quasi-rhetorical question).

> Atheros: https://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_TL-WN722N
> Realtek: https://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_TL-WN722N_v2
>
> I suggest contacting the vendor for confirmation.

Right. 

> Kind regards,
>


-- 
"She was a blank wall, fresh painted." 
Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Ben Caradoc-Davies]

On 12/08/18 20:55, Curt wrote:

I looked at the TP-LINK TL-WN722N on Amazon.fr suggested by another
poster (whom I think was Ben if memory serves, which is increasingly not
exactly the case), but had trouble understanding which of the multiple
versions of the device contained the desired chipset (some commenters
claimed the device they bought did not work out of the box with their
Linux distribution). I guess my question would be (if I was in the
business of asking questions): how can you be assured when purchasing a
wireless usb dongle what chipset is lodged within the device?


You must check the full version as the v2 has a different chipset (see 
complaints in the Amazon comments). The original is Atheros, the v2 is 
Realtek:


Atheros: https://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_TL-WN722N
Realtek: https://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_TL-WN722N_v2

I suggest contacting the vendor for confirmation.

Kind regards,

--
Ben Caradoc-Davies 
Director
Transient Software Limited 
New Zealand

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Curt]

On 2018-08-12, Joel Wirāmu Pauling  wrote:
>
> Basically find one that uses the ath9k Chipset. They are easily the best
> supported Wifi Interface.
>
> If you need Wireless AC then ath10k based products are useable too.
>
> The Intel ranges are OK as clients, but are not really very Opensource.
> Ath9k has the best Fully Opensource impementation out of any of the
> Wireless cards.
>
> https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Ath9k
>

I didn't see any usb dongles listed on that page.

Maybe here below (but maybe out of date):

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Atheros_AR9271#Linux_support

I looked at the TP-LINK TL-WN722N on Amazon.fr suggested by another
poster (whom I think was Ben if memory serves, which is increasingly not
exactly the case), but had trouble understanding which of the multiple
versions of the device contained the desired chipset (some commenters
claimed the device they bought did not work out of the box with their
Linux distribution). I guess my question would be (if I was in the
business of asking questions): how can you be assured when purchasing a
wireless usb dongle what chipset is lodged within the device?

-- 
"She was a blank wall, fresh painted." 
Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Ben Caradoc-Davies]

On 12/08/18 13:51, Joel Wirāmu Pauling wrote:

On 9 August 2018 at 03:12, tony mollica  wrote:

Hello.
I need to find a good, reliable WiFi adapter.  I have an Alfa AWUS036ACH
using a RTL8812au chip
and there is support but it's unreliable.  Connects sometimes, mostly
not.  My older adapters work
but they're slow but maybe that's the compromise I need to resolve.
What's being used reliably?
Thanks,
Tony

[reordered by the posting order secret police]
> Basically find one that uses the ath9k Chipset. They are easily the best
> supported Wifi Interface.
> If you need Wireless AC then ath10k based products are useable too.
> The Intel ranges are OK as clients, but are not really very Opensource.
> Ath9k has the best Fully Opensource impementation out of any of the
> Wireless cards.
> https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Ath9k

+1 for ath9k. I am using a TP-Link TL-WN722N (ath9k_htc). I have two. 
Inexpensive, high-gain antenna, quite reliable despite regular hard work.


Inadvertent enabling of QoS while idle breaks connectivity in a small 
range of kernel versions:

https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=891060
Found in versions linux/4.15.4-1, linux/4.15.11-1, linux/4.14.17-1
Fixed in versions linux/4.16.5-1, linux/4.15.17-1

Kind regards,

--
Ben Caradoc-Davies 
Director
Transient Software Limited 
New Zealand

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Joel Wirāmu Pauling]

Basically find one that uses the ath9k Chipset. They are easily the best
supported Wifi Interface.

If you need Wireless AC then ath10k based products are useable too.

The Intel ranges are OK as clients, but are not really very Opensource.
Ath9k has the best Fully Opensource impementation out of any of the
Wireless cards.

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Ath9k

On 9 August 2018 at 03:12, tony mollica  wrote:

> Hello.
>
> I need to find a good, reliable WiFi adapter.  I have an Alfa AWUS036ACH
> using a RTL8812au chip
> and there is support but it's unreliable.  Connects sometimes, mostly
> not.  My older adapters work
> but they're slow but maybe that's the compromise I need to resolve.
>
> What's being used reliably?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tony
>

Re: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[Dale Forsyth]

https://www.mycause.com.au/page/183259/a-smile-will-change-a-day-love-that-changed-my-world

From: tony mollica 
Sent: Thursday, 9 August 2018 1:12 AM
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
Subject: USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters


Hello.

I need to find a good, reliable WiFi adapter.  I have an Alfa AWUS036ACH using 
a RTL8812au chip
and there is support but it's unreliable.  Connects sometimes, mostly not.  My 
older adapters work
but they're slow but maybe that's the compromise I need to resolve.

What's being used reliably?

Thanks,

Tony

USB2 or 3 WiFi dual band adapters

[tony mollica]

  
  
Hello.
I need to find a good,
  reliable WiFi adapter.  I have an Alfa AWUS036ACH using a RTL8812au
chip
and there is support but it's
  unreliable.  Connects sometimes,
mostly not.  My older adapters work
but they're slow but maybe that's the compromise I need to resolve.
  
What's being used reliably?
Thanks,
Tony