I’m letting the community know that the ASUS USB-N10 Nano works!
Hi Ark74,
Thank you for your reply.
I’d like to understand this, and so far no one here has explained to me why, after a clean installation of Trisquel 12, without plugging in or using an Ethernet cable, I can simply plug in a USB adapter with an RTL8192CU chip, enter the command, and then use the internet.
$ sudo modprobe rtl8xxxu
modprobe is a tool that tells the Linux-libre kernel to load (or unload) a kernel module.
rtl8xxxu is the name of the kernel module that provides the driver for Realtek 802.11ac/ax wireless USB adapters (the ‘rtl8xxxu’ chipset family).
There are two PCIe wifi chipsets - RTL8188EE and RTL8821AE - that are known to have started working with the linux-libre kernel years ago (about 2018), even though their firmware is not loaded. So this could theoretically be another case, this time with a USB device.
I too have no idea why we should not believe your initial output that says the rtl8192CU was down. Since that contradicts the other claims, we cannot be certain that the tests have been conducted accurately: are there other systems installed when you boot from the live ISO image? Is it happening on a VM?
Everybody here would like a world full of hardware that runs on free software, but since this is not the case we are better off with fewer safe references than with a longer list of unsafe references.
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/netis-wf2122-300mbps-wireless-n-usb-adapter
I bought the https://cukii.com/product/high-speed-comfast-cf-wu825n-300mbps-802.11n-g-b-rtl-8188cus-mini-usb-wifi-adapter-wireless-signal-receiver-emitter?sku=CK30220
vid pid 0bda8178
which is RTL8192CU 802.11n
https://www.devicekb.com/hardware/usb-vendors/vid_0bda-pid_8178
I have tested the usb wifi card on trisquel 12.0 and several other gnu linux systems. On none of them does the usb wifi card work.
Can you tell me how to get the usb wifi card to work on trisquel 12.0?
Fyi thinkpenguin concluded in the post mentioned above, that the RTL8192CU ought not to work on trisquel because it requires non free software in order to work. I bought a RTL8192CU usb wifi card anyway. As I wrote then, the RTL8192CU usb wifi card I bought worked on trisquel and debian main. However after some time the RTL8192CU usb wifi card stopped working on trisquel and debian main. Maybe thinkpenguin was right? Maybe by mistake some non free software got into trisquel and debian main? And maybe after some time someone corrected the mistake and the non free software got removed again? That would explain why the RTL8192CU usb wifi card stopped working after some time.
Hello Tonlee,
Thank you for your reply.
I’m waiting for someone to buy this Wi-Fi adapter (don’t get it mixed up) and, just like me, check that everything works.
I’d like to point out once again that there are many Wi-Fi adapters which the user plugs into their PC, and no matter what they do—whether they switch the PC on or off—the adapter will never work.
The cost of the test is $5–$10.
This adapter works!
How it worked for me (again)
When you plug it in for the first time, it might not appear on your desktop, or perhaps a list of your available networks will appear, but when you enter the command:
$sudo modprobe rtl8xxxu
then everything will work.
Command to check if the kernel module has loaded:
$ lsmod | grep rtl
I don’t know whose fault it is – the Debian developers’ or Trisquel’s – but the fact remains.
So that Jason doesn’t write to me saying I have a second network card through which traffic is passing, I checked on an old laptop that doesn’t have a network card!
What I am telling you is, I have tested an usb RTL8192CU 802.11n wifi card on trisquel 12. I also ran the commands you stated. And the wifi card does not work. Why do you think it should make a difference that your and my usb wifi card is of a different brand?
Hello Tonlee,
Since the test came back clean, could you please send a photo (without any personal details, MAC addresses, etc.) of the device you tested?
debian says by their standards the rtl8192cu requires non free software in order to work.
https://wiki.debian.org/WiFi#USB_Devices
If you read the paragraph
simple guide
then it says the tp-link tl wn821n will run on free software, correct? Is the tp-link tl wn821n a rtl8192cu usb wifi card?
I think the task here is not to trust other than actual direct experience.
Yet again, h-node, even we could have some issues when cleaning or reporting, that's doesn't mean we shouldn't investigate and fix "it" if we need to fix something.
Sadly Debian is not reliable now days, since the accept non-free firmware at will policy update.
No more unreliable then ubuntu though.
The only advantages to being based on ubuntu:
easier installer
more user friendly interface
Non-stable releases for those who want a non LTS release.
Disadvantages?
Less architectures
more corporate orientated
Just my two cents