How to get Realtek USB Wifi Adapter to function as the network controller?

User Support
1

The adapter is recognized by sys-usb and can be attached to any qube, seems fine.

However the problem I have is that the adapter is not functioning as intended–its not connecting to wifi. In the sys-net device tab, Qubes automatically selected my laptop’s ethernet and network controller as the connecting devices. Those sys-net network controllers are seemingly used as internet connectors for all the qubes.

I tried installing the needed 8814au driver for the adapter in the sys-net terminal, but still have the same problem as a result. Though perhaps I installed the driver in the wrong terminal or incorrectly (I followed the Debian command line instructions from the Realtek website)?

I would greatly appreciate any help or insight. Thank you.

(I am running Qubes 4.1 (Debian 11) on a Lenovo Thinkpad T51)

2

You need to install the appropriate driver/firmware in sys-net template.

1 Like
3

apt install firmware-realtek

It should already be installed in the pre-installed debian and fedora templates.

4

I’ve reinstalled the required driver and the needed packages. Everything should be operational but when I connect the adapter to sys-net, the connection is through the laptop PCI network controllers and not the adapter.

5

Check the journalctl in sys-net to see the errors/failures related to your USB WiFi adapter.
Or you can save it and upload it here if:

sudo journalctl -b > journalctl.log
6

I can’t identify any errors on the wifi adapter’s part. The adapter works fine with my other Laptops/PCs (windows and kali linux), but with qubes I can’t seem to figure it out.

I thought maybe if I disable the PCI network device in the sys-net it would default to the adapter, but last time I messed around with the PCI device connectivity I ended up having to completely re-install qubes on my laptop. After disconnecting some device from a qube, I tried to start/resume it and the whole OS just frozen. I power button restarted my laptop and after that every time I unencrypted the drive (and the default VMs would auto start) the system just froze. So then I disabled auto start and was able to get in to the home screen, but every time I tried to start/resume a qube the system would just freeze until I just powered the laptop down. Pretty much I am on a re-installed qubes OS and am still trying to figure out how to connect this adapter.

7

Analyze or post here the journalctl log from sys-net when you connect the USB WiFi adapter to sys-net.
There should be relevant messages as to why it’s not working.

8

You should start from compartmentalizing. Create separate sys-net(-usb-wifi) for the dongle and do not assign any other device to it.