BrosTrend AC1200 Linux USB WiFi Dongle for PC, Raspberry Pi 2+, Odroid etc.

I'm using the BrosTrend AC1L Wireless Dual Band USB Adaptor on a 10 year old Asus X401A laptop to give me 5GHz Wifi - the laptop only has 2.4GHz as standard. It works very well, much faster than I expected since the laptop has only USB-2 ports. I don't normally review products I buy on Amazon but this one is good enough to make me do so. So, if you are looking for a dual band wi-fi USB adaptor for Linux, then you need to read the description from BrosTrend very carefully to make sure it will work for you. Specifically, it does not work on all Linux distros. So, make sure your distro is not on the unsupported list - as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Centos are for example. If you pass this test, make sure the version of your Linux distro is present in the supported list. If it is, you are good to go. For anything else, contact BrosTrend by email and ask them, don't waste your time and money on a gamble. Before you order from Amazon, check again that you are ordering the Linux adaptor, rather than the Windows or Apple one. What you will receive will be the adaptor and a mini-CD containing drivers. The packaging will also tell you that you can contact BrosTrend for technical support. I found I didn't need the support ticket, I simply went to the BrosTrend website and found the download page for the AC1L, and downloaded the Quick Installation Guide for Linux. It's a PDF that gets displayed using a Google online viewer but it works fine. I then followed the instructions absolutely as specified - they are complete, simple and commendably brief. The installation script downloads all of the necessary libraries and code to build the driver, and installs it in kernel space. The run time on my (aged) laptop is about 15 minutes, the compilation phase takes several minutes so be patient. Once complete, I didn't even need to reboot, after a minute or so I could see two wireless network interfaces in Wi-Fi Settings. These are the two network interfaces of the AC1L and they both work! I can choose either as the interface I want to use, and additionally the Aeroplane Mode function key of the Asus turns off both of them. The performance of the 5GHz is surprisingly good - bear in mind I am using USB-2 on a 10 year old laptop, your experience may vary. Finally, if you send your Amazon order number to [email protected], you get 30 months warranty on the product, rather than just 24 months. It doesn't get much better than this.

I recently purchased the Linux USB WiFi Adapter AC1200, and I am delighted with its reliable performance and high-speed connectivity. This adapter has proven to be a valuable addition to my Linux-based system, providing seamless wireless internet access with impressive speed capabilities. The Linux USB WiFi Adapter AC1200 has exceeded my expectations in terms of performance and reliability. As a Linux user, finding compatible hardware can sometimes be a challenge, but this adapter has seamlessly integrated with my system, providing a hassle-free wireless internet connection. One of the standout features of this adapter is its support for the AC1200 standard. With dual-band functionality and speeds of up to 1200Mbps, it offers a significant improvement in wireless performance compared to older adapters. This increased bandwidth allows for smooth streaming, online gaming, and fast file transfers, enhancing overall internet experience. The adapter's compatibility with Linux operating systems is a major advantage. It works out-of-the-box with popular Linux distributions, eliminating the need for additional driver installations or troubleshooting. This seamless integration ensures a straightforward setup process and a stable connection without any compatibility issues. In terms of build quality, the adapter feels solid and well-constructed. Its compact design makes it convenient for use with laptops or desktop computers. Additionally, the USB interface provides flexibility, allowing for easy installation and removal without the need to open up the computer case. The adapter's range and signal strength are noteworthy. It maintains a stable connection even at a considerable distance from the router, and the signal strength remains strong even through walls and obstacles. This reliable performance ensures consistent internet access throughout my home or workspace. Furthermore, the Linux USB WiFi Adapter AC1200 supports advanced security protocols, ensuring a secure and protected wireless connection. It offers encryption options such as WPA2 and WPA3, adding an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access. Overall, the Linux USB WiFi Adapter AC1200 is a reliable and high-speed solution for wireless connectivity on Linux-based systems. Its support for the AC1200 standard, compatibility with Linux distributions, solid build quality, extended range, and advanced security features make it an excellent choice for Linux users seeking a fast and stable wireless connection.

Be careful if you are buying this item for a Linux machine. I can't judge it for Windows or MAC. The rest of this is quite technical..... Basically it will not work out of the box on new versions of Linux which in my case was Debian 13 (Trixi) and I am using it on a Raspberry pi 3b (ARM64). This is because at this moment in time (Nov 2025) Debian 13 doesn't include a working set of device drivers for this network device running with the Realtek RTL8812BU/AU chipset. I have no doubt that it will get fixed eventually in a future release of Debian 13's kernel. I was actually a bit suspicious because on the 'BrosTrend' website, there is very sparce information about installing it on Linux, yet Windows and MAC is well documented. If, like me you are able to rebuild the kernel, then you will be able to get it going by downloading an applicable set of souce code from github for the RTL8812BU/AU. After rebuilding the kernel I tested it and it worked as a network adaptor and I was able to connect to the Internet. I then tried to set it up as an AP. I managed to connect my phone to the AP, but there wasn't any Internet. It tuned out to be a routing configuration (iptables) issue on the Pi. I fixed that and the Internet finally came alive. However im not totally convinced of its overall reliability, plus the speed is quite poor. I have read various reports about the Realtek RTL8812BU/AU chipset under linux and its not brilliant. I believe that I can tune it somewhat, but its never going to be good. I was going to send it back to Amazon, but I will actually keep hold of it so I can keep playing with it. Now, I need one that will actually work well on linux.

Does this dongle work ? Yes, it does and, so far, very well, but it might be useful to you if you read a bit further especially if you want it for a Linux based operating system. I bought the dongle a couple of days ago for an old Dell desktop PC (an Optiplex 755) that, like almost all such desktops, has no wireless card. I need wireless internet because the shared printer is in another room. For an operating system I installed the desktop version of Raspberry Pi onto the PC (which is very easy to do) and I have installed some extra programs on it such as Flowblade. I have other devices , including a Chromebook and tablets, but I prefer using a desktop PC as my everyday device, especially for long periods of work. I read the reviews on Amazon and took a chance on this. Things that you need to know are that the installation was not as straightforward as simply inserting the dongle but neither was it especially difficult because the help given by the suppliers was really excellent. I had a couple of problems and sent off emails and I received replies within twenty-four hours. Once I had the extra information and copied into the terminal the right command, everything went very smoothly. The more difficult problem was setting up the wireless connection to the printer (an Epson ET 2710 which is one of those newer printers that uses large ink tanks rather than cartridges) as I had never set up a wireless printer in Linux before, but that only took a few minutes. I would recommend this product although, of course, I cannot guarantee that your experience will be similar to mine.

Excellent item. Worked right out of the box on Linux Zorin OS - no need to download additional drivers.

I decided to give this USB WiFi adapter a shot after experiencing constant dropouts with my laptop's built-in WiFi. Looking back, I regret not getting it sooner! With this adapter, I'm consistently achieving blazing-fast speeds of up to 640 Mbps, which is a significant improvement over my laptop's onboard WiFi. The best part is that it hasn't dropped connection even once during the few weeks I've been using it. Setting it up on my Ubuntu 22.05 OS was a breeze. It connected instantly without the need for any additional software, making the transition to this adapter seamless and hassle-free. Overall, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. If you're facing similar WiFi issues, I highly recommend giving this USB WiFi adapter a try – it's been a game-changer for me!

Have a class at uni using Linux. My motherboards integrated Wifi is not compatible with Linux so I ordered this product hoping it would be a nice solution. After 2 fresh installs of different Linux distros, many failed attempts to get this thing to work, it is my biggest regret! Do not purchase this thinking it will be an easy, no-hassle wifi dongle to work with Linux as this is not the case whatsoever. First of all you need to be hooked up to a connection via ethernet to even get the drivers installed. Confused? Me too. Defeats the purpose of buying the thing. No problem, I carried my rig (fairly heavy desktop pc) to somewhere I could plug in via ethernet. Done. Still getting issues with drivers not installing. Secondly, I installed a plain Ubuntu distro as it is advertised to definitely work with Ubuntu. Furthest I have gotten is actually getting the device to show up and networks to show but every time I try to connect to a network it asks me for my wifi password over and over, and over again. Which I am definitely typing in right. Been in contact with their "24hr support" service. Been waiting almost 24 hours for a reply on my latest issue. Replies usually come in the middle of the night (UK) and every time I do get a reply, they want me to move my pc yet again to a place I can get a wired connection. It's just becoming a total struggle, even for me, a computer science student. By all means this probably works on Windows or MacOS, but I cannot recommend AGAINST this product more for Linux users. This has held me back badly with my work at uni and I've had to resort to doing all of my Linux class in-lab. Product just does not work on Linux. Considering a refund at the moment as the product is currently not working as advertised, will update review if they actually get back to me with a response that fixes my issue.

I didn't have wifi in my PC. Now I do. Ideal.

Más de un año con el y sigue funcionando perfectamente

This Wifi Adapter works so well! As I was installing Linux Mint on my Dell Precision 5820 desktop, it picked up this adapter automatically and was seamlessly connected to the wifi router and the printer. Absolutely brilliant. Also, its speed is even better than the laptop I had!

Très bien

Lo uso con Debian 13 KDE su un vecchio mini PC DELL; perfettamente plug&play; prende benissimo banda 5GHz anche se il router è al piano di sotto. Consigliatisssimo.

Easy five stars. I returned two other wifi devices that claimed to work with Linux on older hardware but didn't. This one came with instructions to download a Linux driver. But I just plugged it in to see. It worked almost instantly. No drivers were needed for this fresh install of Mint on an old Dell Precision 3500. I'm posting this from that old Dell over wifi minutes after plugging it in.