BrosTrend Linux USB WiFi Adapter 1200Mbps for Ubuntu Mint Debian Kubuntu Mate Zorin PureOS Raspberry Pi 2+ Windows etc. Linux Compatible Wi-Fi Adapter Wireless Dual Band 5GHz 867Mbps + 2.4GHz 300Mbps

BrosTrend Model AC1L, 1200Mbps Wi-Fi adapter.Excellent durability, functionality, signal strength, compatibility with Ubuntu, and value for money.There is NO driver issue IF you run a supported Linux distro AND if your OS is UP TO DATE. I run the Debian-based Ubuntu 24.04.2 (Kubuntu flavor). "Up to date" in this case means the Linux kernel should be 6.2 or greater in order to utilize the adapter without needing to install drivers because they are included in the supported OS software. The supplied mini-CD disc includes other driver options, well explained.My computer was already connected to the Internet via Ethernet, which I keep connected to an Ethernet switch box in order to disconnect the computer from the Internet by turning the switch box dial to a vacant Ethernet port. To activate Wi-Fi connectivity, the switch box dial was used to disconnect the wired connection. After 15 seconds or so, the available Wi-Fi networks in my apartment building were displayed. Configuring the Wi-Fi connection amounted to entering the password for my network. Simple. I chose the 2.4 Ghz band (about one-third the speed of the 5 Ghz band) so that the computer would share the 2.4 ntwk with other devices of mine. It was virtually as fast as the wired connection, to my eyes.Recommended, without qualification.

Completely solved my Linux Wi-Fi issues. The one caveat is you need to download the drivers. My existing Wi-Fi adapter worked well enough to download the required driver, but it operated at only 1.5Mbps. This one was at about 80Mbps. I like Linux, but it seems to have serious issues with Wi-Fi connections. This adapter works great with Linux Mint. I installed the driver in advance, and when this adapter arrived I simply plugged it in and was instantly connected.

The BrosTrend Linux USB WiFi Adapter has been an absolute game-changer for my setup! As someone who uses Ubuntu daily, finding a reliable dual-band WiFi adapter that’s truly plug-and-play for Linux felt like a unicorn hunt—until this device came along. The speeds are fantastic (5GHz for my media streaming and 2.4GHz for everyday browsing), and the setup was seamless… *as long as I followed one critical tip*: **use the default Ubuntu driver!**Out of curiosity, I initially tried installing the driver from the BrosTrend website, but it unexpectedly disabled my adapter. After a quick reinstall of Ubuntu’s default driver, everything worked flawlessly. No more tinkering—just instant, stable connectivity. This little powerhouse is plug and play. Running on my beautiful Kubuntu distro using KDE Plasma (latest as of 2/21/2025)If you’re a Linux user tired of wrestling with driver issues, this adapter is worth every penny. Just let your OS handle the driver automatically, and enjoy blistering speeds without the hassle. BrosTrend nailed compatibility here—highly recommended!

I gave this unit four stars only because once you have the adapter installed, it does the job well that it is designed to do. What exactly is it designed to do? That is part of where the catch comes in. It says it "works on Linux" but really they should have said it works on Debian based distributions. Others, which are not officially supported, they also provided instructions for on the web. I had in mind that this adapter would work to aid me in installing distributions to try out (I do distro reviews on YouTube). The first one I installed it into was a Debian based system, and the instructions were pretty clear on how to do it, even if a bit outdated (no need to add "busybox" onto the command, unless you are installing it on an ancient system). But you run one command and it is installed.That's fine for existing systems, but you have to have a LAN connection until you get it installed. Especially if and when you install a new system. So I would literally have to install it every time I tried out a new distro on my computer, and I can't do that without installing the distro first. On top of that, I could only install it on Debian based systems. When I followed the instructions for Arch Linux installation (it isn't officially supported nor a tested install), it involved extracting the source code from the DEB file and compiling it. They gave pretty good instructions on how to go about it, though with one typo or mistake ('sudo pacman -Sy' will not install anything on your computer, it just updates the repositories. It should be 'sudo pacman -S <pkg name>'). However, i encountered a driver error that I could do nothing to fix. So, "no Arch for me!" (says the Arch Nazi). At least on that computer. At least, not without using a temp LAN connection. Which I had hoped to get away from using.So despite the good speed and all, there are two issues that Linux users need to be aware of:1) This is not a "plug n play" adapter. If you plan on using this to install a distribution or two, or more, don't buy this as you will not be able to use it to install anything since there is no way to install it until after you have installed the distro. This driver, as of today, cannot be found in any of the distribution repos.2) This only has official support on Debian based distros such as Ubuntu and most any based on either Debian or Ubuntu, which probably covers somewhere around 55% of Linux users. Everyone else is lucky if it does install after using the instructions.And I'll throw in a 3) The "hidden" install instructions are in a PDF file on the mini-CD that comes with the unit, in the "Linux" directory. Why they don't tell folks that on the paper instructions for Windows and Mac that come with it, is unknown. Especially when this unit is advertised as being specifically for Linux users. Yet, at first glance, as several have said in these reviews, there doesn't appear to be any instructions for Linux.So who would I recommend this wifi adapter to? I would recommend it to anyone who has a bit of ability with a terminal/command line (one line for Debian users), just click and paste (probably why they put the instructions into a PDF file) and hit enter, pretty easy actually. And anyone with a Debian system, who doesn't plan on installing a bunch of systems, and who has access to a LAN Ethernet connection. If that description fits you, this is a great wifi adapter, look no further.Just be aware, DO NOT expect the Linux kernel to see and install this adapter out of the box. Because, well, it just won't do it. It's not designed to do that.