In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing drivers for the TP-LINK TL-WN8200ND v2 on Ubuntu 18.04. This Wi-Fi adapter does not have an official driver that works out of the box on Ubuntu 18.04, but there are several community-developed drivers that have been reported to work.
To install drivers for TP-LINK TL-WN8200ND v2 on Ubuntu 18.04, you have two options. The first option is to use the clnhub/rtl8192eu-linux driver, which is suitable for newer kernels. The second option is to use the Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver. Both options require installing necessary packages, downloading the driver from the respective repositories, and configuring the system. It is recommended to try both solutions and see which one works best for your specific setup.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, ensure that you have a working internet connection and that your system is up-to-date. You can update your system by running the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgradeSolution 1: Using the clnhub/rtl8192eu-linux Driver
This solution is suitable for newer kernels (>=5). The driver can be found in the clnhub/rtl8192eu-linux repository on GitHub.
Step 1: Install Necessary Packages
First, we need to install some necessary packages. Open the terminal and run the following command:
sudo apt install -y linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential git binutils dkmsHere, linux-headers-$(uname -r) installs the headers for your current kernel version, build-essential installs packages required for compiling, git is used for cloning the repository, binutils for binary tools and dkms for automatic driver installation.
Step 2: Download and Install the Driver
Next, download the driver from the GitHub repository and install it. Run the following commands:
sudo bash
cd /tmp
git clone https://github.com/clnhub/rtl8192eu-linux.git
cd rtl8192eu-linux/
./install_wifi.shThe install_wifi.sh script will compile and install the driver.
Solution 2: Using the Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver
Another option is to use the driver from the Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver repository.
Step 1: Install Necessary Packages
As before, we need to install some necessary packages. Run the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install git linux-headers-generic build-essential dkmsStep 2: Download and Install the Driver
Next, clone the repository, navigate into the directory, and install the driver:
git clone https://github.com/Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver
cd rtl8192eu-linux-driver
sudo dkms add .
sudo dkms install rtl8192eu/1.0Step 3: Update System Configuration
Finally, update the system configuration to use the new driver:
echo "blacklist rtl8xxxu" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8xxxu.conf
echo -e "8192eu\n\nloop" | sudo tee /etc/modules
echo "options 8192eu rtw_power_mgnt=0 rtw_enusbss=0" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/8192eu.conf
sudo update-grub
sudo update-initramfs -u
systemctl reboot -iThese commands blacklist the old driver, enable the new driver at boot, set some options for the new driver, update the GRUB bootloader, update the initial RAM filesystem, and reboot the system.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed two possible solutions for installing the TP-LINK TL-WN8200ND v2 driver on Ubuntu 18.04. Remember, these solutions are community-developed and may not work for everyone. It is recommended to try them one by one and see which one works best for your specific setup. If you encounter any issues, don’t hesitate to seek help from the Ubuntu community.
These drivers are specifically designed for the TP-LINK TL-WN8200ND v2 model. They may not work for other TP-LINK models. It is recommended to check the compatibility of the drivers with your specific model before proceeding with the installation.
After installing the driver, you can check if it is loaded correctly by running the command lsmod | grep 8192eu in the terminal. If the driver is loaded, it should display some information about the module. You can also check if the Wi-Fi adapter is recognized by running the command iwconfig and looking for the adapter name in the output.
If you have installed the driver using Solution 1 (clnhub/rtl8192eu-linux) and you update your kernel, you may need to repeat the installation process to ensure compatibility with the new kernel version. However, if you have installed the driver using Solution 2 (Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver) with the dkms command, the driver should be automatically recompiled and installed whenever a new kernel is installed or updated.
These drivers are specifically developed for Ubuntu 18.04. While they may work on other Linux distributions, it is not guaranteed. It is recommended to check if the drivers are compatible with your specific distribution before attempting to install them.
If the drivers provided in this article do not work for your TP-LINK TL-WN8200ND v2, you can try searching for alternative drivers or seeking help from the Ubuntu community. There may be other community-developed drivers or workarounds available that could solve the compatibility issue.
