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I recently considered installing Linux on my desktop workstation. Then I decided I wanted to buy a wireless card for the machine - and any device I saw availabl

I recently considered installing Linux on my desktop workstation. Then I decided I wanted to buy a wireless card for the machine - and any device I saw available locally had dubious issue/debugging threads online, people unable to get it to work, BT functionality missing, etc. I've used Linux desktop in the past and it looks like things haven't changed much. I don't like the idea of having to compile kernel modules just to get my machine to work (and then having to do it on each distro upgrade) - I have better things to do with my time.

sph 4y ago
There's just one brand of Wifi that's crap under linux and that's broadcom. Are you telling me you can't find an Intel wireless module anywhere? Also, if you use a modern distro instead of, say, gentoo, you don't have to compile anything yourself, there's packages and dkms available if you really have to go with broadcom. Do you not install drivers on Windows?
- norman784 4y ago
  Indeed I bought a while ago one of those pci-e cards that comes with the same BT/wireless that Apple uses, it wasn't that hard to make it work but if it works out of the box, then better, also I think the intel wireless chips are one of the best ones out there.
- moonchrome 4y ago
  All of the models I was looking into were Intel based - but I could't find any info if they are actually supported/tested - and just threads people complaining they can't get them to work on their distro or can't get BT to work.
skepticalwaves 4y ago
You can find and buy Intel AC series wifi cards meant for laptops on PCIe surfboards with external antennas. They're plug and play and fantasfic
- moonchrome 4y ago
  Does BT 5 support work ? High quality wireless headphone connection for calls is pretty important for me, this is the reason I'm getting the wireless card for workstation (I use laptop for calls right now)
Youden 4y ago
Keep in mind that you'll only find results from people who have issues. Few people will go online just to say their hardware works with Linux. To give a concrete recommendation for a wifi adapter, look at Intel-based hardware. Intel stuff generally works out of the box because they contribute drivers to the Linux kernel directly. The ASUS PCe-AXE58BT is based on Intel's AX200 so should work out of the box on any modern Linux distro. You basically never have to compile kernel modules anymore. Even if compilation is necessary, DKMS-based packages mean that the recompilation is done when you install your package updates, so you don't need to think about it.
- moonchrome 4y ago
  The Asus card isn't available in my region. I can find TPLink Archer TXE75E V2 which seems similar (BT5.2, 6E) - I can't find any info on linux support or BT.
  - schmuelio 4y ago
    I haven't used it, but the page lists "The latest Intel Wi-Fi 6E chipset" so I would run under the assumption that it works fine. It's the chipset that you would need to ensure compatibility with, unfortunately I can't find anything concrete on the actual chipset used, Intel only has 3 wifi 6E chipsets and as far as I can tell (from here https://venzux.com/intel-ax411-vs-ax211-vs-ax210-wi-fi-6e-modules-in-contrast-sadly-not-wi-fi-7-however-new-double-join-characteristic-restricted-to-cnvio2/ https://venzux.com/intel-ax411-vs-ax211-vs-ax210-wi-fi-6e-mo...) they should all be compatible with Linux.
Xunjin 4y ago
Won't deny, BT depending on the vendor, is just a hell to make it work. And you are not gonna get the same functionality (like ADP2 + mic). In the end is the compromises you are willing to make. For development Linux is way better IMO, even gaming now really good with DXVK (Steam Proton)
Zhyl 4y ago
I would at the very least make an effort to validate those claims before repeating them. Linux has improved greatly in the last few years, and I haven't had a WiFi issue for a long time.
squarefoot 4y ago
Pretty much every device is supported under Linux once one avoids the very latest product. I'm not talking about using Granma's 286, just don't buy the latest hardware or anything younger than say six months. Hardware manufacturers are encouraged (just to say) to support only Windows out of the box, therefore Linux support requires either personal unpaid work by members of the community or investment from FOSS companies, which for obvious reasons needs more time. One extremely important aspect of Linux support is that once it happens, it stays there virtually forever: there's no such thing as declaring a product obsolete so that users are forced to migrate to the newer version. This applies to software too; WINE allows Linux users to run perfectly good Windows software that stopped working on native Windows ages ago forcing Windows users to shell out a lot of money.
drdec 4y ago
Try https://linux-hardware.org/ https://linux-hardware.org/ for a good source of known good hardware.

sph 4y ago

There's just one brand of Wifi that's crap under linux and that's broadcom. Are you telling me you can't find an Intel wireless module anywhere? Also, if you use a modern distro instead of, say, gentoo, you don't have to compile anything yourself, there's packages and dkms available if you really have to go with broadcom. Do you not install drivers on Windows?

norman784 4y ago
Indeed I bought a while ago one of those pci-e cards that comes with the same BT/wireless that Apple uses, it wasn't that hard to make it work but if it works out of the box, then better, also I think the intel wireless chips are one of the best ones out there.
moonchrome 4y ago
All of the models I was looking into were Intel based - but I could't find any info if they are actually supported/tested - and just threads people complaining they can't get them to work on their distro or can't get BT to work.

skepticalwaves 4y ago

You can find and buy Intel AC series wifi cards meant for laptops on PCIe surfboards with external antennas. They're plug and play and fantasfic

moonchrome 4y ago
Does BT 5 support work ? High quality wireless headphone connection for calls is pretty important for me, this is the reason I'm getting the wireless card for workstation (I use laptop for calls right now)

Youden 4y ago

Keep in mind that you'll only find results from people who have issues. Few people will go online just to say their hardware works with Linux. To give a concrete recommendation for a wifi adapter, look at Intel-based hardware. Intel stuff generally works out of the box because they contribute drivers to the Linux kernel directly. The ASUS PCe-AXE58BT is based on Intel's AX200 so should work out of the box on any modern Linux distro. You basically never have to compile kernel modules anymore. Even if compilation is necessary, DKMS-based packages mean that the recompilation is done when you install your package updates, so you don't need to think about it.

moonchrome 4y ago
The Asus card isn't available in my region. I can find TPLink Archer TXE75E V2 which seems similar (BT5.2, 6E) - I can't find any info on linux support or BT.
- schmuelio 4y ago
  I haven't used it, but the page lists "The latest Intel Wi-Fi 6E chipset" so I would run under the assumption that it works fine. It's the chipset that you would need to ensure compatibility with, unfortunately I can't find anything concrete on the actual chipset used, Intel only has 3 wifi 6E chipsets and as far as I can tell (from here https://venzux.com/intel-ax411-vs-ax211-vs-ax210-wi-fi-6e-modules-in-contrast-sadly-not-wi-fi-7-however-new-double-join-characteristic-restricted-to-cnvio2/ https://venzux.com/intel-ax411-vs-ax211-vs-ax210-wi-fi-6e-mo...) they should all be compatible with Linux.

Xunjin 4y ago

Won't deny, BT depending on the vendor, is just a hell to make it work. And you are not gonna get the same functionality (like ADP2 + mic). In the end is the compromises you are willing to make. For development Linux is way better IMO, even gaming now really good with DXVK (Steam Proton)

Zhyl 4y ago

I would at the very least make an effort to validate those claims before repeating them. Linux has improved greatly in the last few years, and I haven't had a WiFi issue for a long time.

squarefoot 4y ago

Pretty much every device is supported under Linux once one avoids the very latest product. I'm not talking about using Granma's 286, just don't buy the latest hardware or anything younger than say six months. Hardware manufacturers are encouraged (just to say) to support only Windows out of the box, therefore Linux support requires either personal unpaid work by members of the community or investment from FOSS companies, which for obvious reasons needs more time. One extremely important aspect of Linux support is that once it happens, it stays there virtually forever: there's no such thing as declaring a product obsolete so that users are forced to migrate to the newer version. This applies to software too; WINE allows Linux users to run perfectly good Windows software that stopped working on native Windows ages ago forcing Windows users to shell out a lot of money.

drdec 4y ago

Try https://linux-hardware.org/ https://linux-hardware.org/ for a good source of known good hardware.