BrosTrend AXE3000 Tri-Band Linux WiFi Adapter Plug & Play for Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Debian, Arch, Kali, Manjaro, openSUSE, Raspberry Pi OS etc. Linux USB WiFi Adapter for PC, WiFi-6E 6GHz /5GHz/2.4GHz

I've reviewed a number of wireless adapters over the years, including one from BrosTrend. There's been one staple of every single one of these reviews: lack of Linux compatibility. Some of them you can get working with drivers from unofficial sources, but the manufacturers of the product, nor its underlying chipset manufacturers (cough cough, looking at you Qualcomm), prioritize Linux support. The listings will come out and tell you just as much, but it's disappointing that so little effort is put in to supporting the granddaddy of operating systems (okay technically that's Unix, but I'm going to assume that distinction is lost for most folks). When I saw an adapter that had the words "Linux" and "Plug & Play" in the listing title, I didn't trust that statement one bit. Boy was I totally, completely wrong.The secret sauce in this adapter is its MediaTek mt7921au chipset. Generally speaking, MediaTek does a much better job supporting Linux (and as a result ends up with more in-kernel drivers) than the usual suspect in cheap Wi-Fi adapters (Qualcomm). I would speculate that's got a lot to do with MediaTek's close ties to mobile chipset design (Android runs atop Linux, iOS is some flavor of BSD), but in any case, it meant that this was literally - no questions asked - plug and play on any Linux distro from 2022 onward straight out of the box, and literally any distro where you're keeping your kernel up to date (it was released in 5.19, if you're using something older than that we need to have a talk.) The mt7921 is one of only two tri-band chipset families with in-kernel drivers, the other being the mt7925 for Wi-Fi 7.As for adapter functionality, it's rock solid. There weren't any weird usb modeswitch or protocol negotiation issues; the first time I plugged it in it came up right away on a USB 3.2 link, exactly as expected. The speeds I get on it beat or match the prior adapter (also a BrosTrend) that I was using on this device, and it gets signal even in conditions other adapters struggle with. The PC I attached this to is the furthest device from the AP it connects to, it has to travel through two floors and tons of furniture, and yet I still get >150 down and >50 up. Performing the same test in the same location with my phone yields less than half those speeds despite supporting the same Wi-Fi protocols. This is genuinely one of the best-performing wireless adapters short of ones I've tried with external SMA antennas such as those integrated into some motherboards.At $33.99 at the time of writing, it is not the cheapest mt7921 adapter available right now, however it is priced competitively compared to brand name AXE3000 adapters, including Netgear at $44.40 and TP-Link at $49.99. If you're looking for the best deal on a Linux-friendly adapter, you'll want to research other adapters (the USB-WiFi project is a great place to start), pick one based on your needs, and go from there. But in the Wi-Fi 6E segment, I can certainly say this adapter more than exceeds its price in value delivered just from the reduced frustration alone.

it's certainly a sign that Linux is going mainstream when you start to see accessories marketed specifically for it. TLDR: yes, it works on any fairly modern kernel version. You can get it to work on Windows with the right drivers.Being a USB device, there's some overhead and limitations from that connection, but I was able to get good speeds from it and solid connections. The device was recognized right away and it took less than a minute to get connected to my hotspot. (Fedora 42).Linux users know very well that some wireless devices are better supported than others, and there's a list that can be found of tested devices that frequently needs updating. This device has a chipset that might be less-common for consumer devices, but does actually work well with Linux. Okay, that's a bit less marvelous today than even five years ago, but it does bring a smile to my face.You will need a USB 3.0 or better (5Gb) connection to get good speeds, and USB 3.2 (10Gb) to actually achieve Wifi 6E speeds in theory. (9.6Gb, but you ain't gonna get it.) If you're currently running 2.5GbE wired, this actually might be a speed boost if you have the right port, the right router, and a network that can support it. In my nearly ideal setup, I was seeing around 700-850MB/sec transfer rates. Not shabby!

Running PopOS on a Lenovo ThinkPad T14. Didn't need to download any drivers or mess with anything. As soon as I plugged it in it was recognized as an adapter and working. No muss. No fuss. Probably the easiest WIFI adapter I've ever used. Would love to have a couple of these to always have with me.Have not tested monitor mode, but the fact that it shows as the adapter on the network instead of my machine's MAC is very nice. It's now a permanent item in my accessory bag.

The BrosTrend AXE3000 Tri-Band Linux WiFi adapter is hands down the best Linux-compatible USB WiFi adapter I�ve ever used. I�ve tried so many �Linux supported� adapters over the years, and this is the first one that truly lives up to the plug n play promise. Great for Raspberry Pi, laptops, and desktops. Solid build & great range, no dropouts or weird driver issues. Fast & stable WiFi-6E speeds, 6GHz band is insanely smooth. If you're a Linux user tired of adapters that require wrestling with drivers, look no further. This BrosTrend AXE3000 is a total win and worth every penny. Highly recommended!

I found this worked great in my Windows 11 Pro Gaming Desktop rig.I would suggest following the instructions & downloading the driver & installing that first. Then restart the machine & plug in this adapter and all should work smoothly.Speeds were plenty fast in my case. Some of this will depend on your processor & amount and speed of you Ram memory, so speeds for this adapter may vary from PC to PC.I don't use Linux at all, at least for now, so I can't comment on that really, but I understand the process for Linux is even easier since the needed driver is built in already.Well made adapter & a good way to add WiFi 6 to an existing machine. ...We actually have Wifi 7 out now but I don't believe anything is really using that protocol yet.