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morrownr/8821cu-20210916

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Linux Driver for USB WiFi Adapters that are based on the RTL8811CU, RTL8821CU, RTL8821CUH and RTL8731AU Chipsets - v5.12.0.4

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About morrownr/8821cu-20210916

An open-source Linux kernel driver for USB Wi-Fi adapters based on the Realtek RTL8811CU, RTL8821CU, RTL8821CUH, and RTL8731AU chipsets (version 5.12.0.4). It supports a wide range of wireless features including IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, WPA3-SAE and WPA3-Enterprise, monitor mode, AP mode with DFS, hostapd compatibility, packet injection, and power saving. The driver is actively maintained by the community and compatible with kernels 5.10–6.17 and CPU architectures x86, x86-64, ARM, and ARM64. Note: For kernel 6.12 and later, the in-kernel mac80211-compliant driver (rtw88) is recommended as a superior alternative; this legacy driver will not receive API updates beyond kernel 6.14.

Key Features

IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFi compliant
WPA3-SAE (Personal) and WPA3-Enterprise (Suite-B 192-bit)
WPA/WPA2 TLS client and WAPI 1.0
Monitor mode (packet injection, aircrack-ng compatible)
AP mode with DFS channel support (hostapd compatible)
Miracast and WiFi-Direct support
MU-MIMO and Mesh networking
Wake on WLAN and power saving modes
Wireshark compatible
WPS – PIN and PBC methods

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Supports a wide range of Realtek chipsets (RTL8811CU, RTL8821CU, RTL8821CUH, RTL8731AU)
  • Rich feature set including WPA3, AP mode with DFS, monitor mode, and packet injection
  • Active community maintenance and clear documentation (FAQ, install scripts)
  • Compatible with multiple CPU architectures (x86, ARM, aarch64)
  • Open source and freely available on GitHub
Cons
  • Not a standards-compliant mac80211 driver; maintainer recommends in-kernel rtw88 driver for kernel 6.12+
  • Will not receive API updates beyond kernel 6.14 (community patches possible)
  • Requires manual installation (DKMS or compile) and may have compatibility issues with newer kernels
  • Less optimal than the in-kernel driver for modern distributions

Best For

Enabling USB Wi-Fi adapters based on RTL8811CU/8821CU chipsets on Linux systems without native driver supportSetting up a wireless access point (AP) with DFS channels using hostapdNetwork monitoring and penetration testing (monitor mode, packet injection, aircrack-ng)Creating WPA3-secured connections (Personal and Enterprise) on LinuxRunning a Wi-Fi mesh or Miracast/WiFi-Direct applicationsPower-efficient Wi-Fi for embedded devices (ARM, aarch64)

FAQ

Should I use this driver if my kernel is 6.12 or later?
The maintainer recommends using the in-kernel rtw88 driver (standards-compliant mac80211) for kernel 6.12 and later. This legacy driver is no longer needed and will not receive API updates beyond kernel 6.14.
Does this driver support WPA3?
Yes, it supports WPA3-SAE (Personal) and WPA3-Enterprise (Suite-B 192-bit). Refer to the FAQ.md file in the repository for more details.