How do I install an ASUS USB-AC56 WiFi adapter?

Question

I'm trying to get this ASUS USB-AC56 adapter installed on Ubuntu 12.04, but when I try to extract the Linux file from the cd, it says I don't have the right permissions to extract. I tried downloading the driver from the ASUS website but I can't install it. I don't know the proper syntax. Can anyone help me out?

Solution 1

If lsusb says that the device is 0b05:17d2, then you need the driver 8812au. With a temporary wired ethernet connection, open a terminal and do:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential

Please check here: https://github.com/abperiasamy/rtl8812AU_8821AU_linux On the right hand side, click 'Download ZIP.' Assuming downloads go to your Downloads folder, open the folder, right-click the zip file and select 'Extract Here.' Open a terminal and do:

cd ~/Downloads/rtl8812AU_8821AU_linux-master
make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe 8812au

It 'makes' with a couple of warnings on my 13.10 system, but no errors. I can test no further since I haven't the device. This is a rather new device and we'll be very interested in your report.

Whenever a later kernel version, also known as linux image is installed by Update Manager, after you reboot, you will need to re-compile the driver:

cd ~/Downloads/rtl8812AU_8821AU_linux-master
make clean
make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe 8812au

To gather further data, open a terminal and run:

lspci -nn > wifi.txt
lsusb >> wifi.txt

Find the file wifi.txt in your user directory and transfer it on a USB key or similar to a working, connected computer. Go here: http://paste.ubuntu.com/ Copy the entire text document and paste it in the text block. Click 'Paste!' A link will be created which you can then copy to post here. Here is an example: http://paste.ubuntu.com/6751980/ Then we can examine the result and advise you further.

If you are having trouble connection, please try right-clicking the Network Manager icon, select Edit Connections, select Wireless and then Wireless Security. Input the name of your network and carefully input your WPA password. http://i.stack.imgur.com/4OoHG.png

Next select IPv4 settings and, under BSSID, input the MAC address of your access point; confirm with:

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

Please see this example. http://i.stack.imgur.com/C8Z6w.png

Now can you connect?

I notice in the manufacturer's specifications that this is specifically a USB3 device: https://www.asus.com/Networking/USBAC56/#specifications Are you attached to a USB3 connection on your computer? Check:

lsusb -vv | grep bcdUSB

I wonder if your device will operate correctly without the advanced features of USB 3.0 and whether it is backwards compatible.

Do you have a USB3 connection available?

Solution 2

Although an old question, one additional driver is found at https://github.com/codeworkx/rtl8812au_asus. To install the driver you have to run make and sudo make install. I find this driver to work better than any other found online. Keep in mind though that dkms install is not setup and therefore you will have to install the driver manually on each kernel upgrade.

Bear in mind that for Ubuntu versions after 14.04 the drivers need to be signed otherwise Secure Boot will not let them load. So, even if the driver compiles it will not load. One solution is to disable Secure Boot or use the mokutil --disable-validation command

Comments

[chili555]

Please edit your question to add the details of your wireless device from the terminal command: lsusb

[user230824]

Thanks, chili555. For some reason it downloaded the file to Home folder, but I moved it to Downloads and it worked. But, I'm trying to connect to my network router and it won't. The Wireless Authentication Required window keeps coming back for my password. I click connect but it won't. Any ideas?

[user230824]

HI, chili555. I tried rebooting and it works like a charm now. Thank you so much. I'd never thought I could work this out. I've only been using Ubuntu for a month, and always had trouble with installing drivers. Again, thanks.

[user230824]

This is so so frustrating chili555. I was connected when I rebooted. Checked my router connections. Saw it listed in the client column, turned around and it was disconnected. The Wireless Network Authentication Required window keeps popping up. Help!

[chili555]

This is a newer device and an unknown driver so we are in experimental territory here. Are there any settings you added in Network Manager? Usually you need none. Is the behavior the same with wireless N turned off in the router.

[user230824]

Obviously, there is another driver install defaulting the wireless, and I have identified it. But, I can't find anywhere where it tells me how to blacklist it. Umbuntu 12.04 doesn't recognize "blacklist" as any command. I had two PCI cards I tried to get working and the drivers probably still exist. The one showing as default is Intel Corp.82801BA/BAM/CA/CAM with a chip set 8086:1a30 but I can't find any references anywhere.

[chili555]

8086:1a30 is Intel Corporation 82845 845 [Brookdale] Chipset Host Bridge [8086:1a30]. It has nothing to do with wireless. Please edit your question to add the result of: lspci -nn. I will help find and blacklist the other driver. Why didn't you use the internal?

[user230824]

First, what is the internal? Second, I did lspc -nn and there are two other chipsets mentioned (sorry, I don't know how to do a screenshot and post it) and they are CardBus bridge [0607]: 02 Micro, Inc. SmartCardBus Controller [1217:6933] and Firewire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: Texas Instruments [i04c:8023]. If this doesn't help I'll figure out how to post a screenshot. Thanks,

[user230824]

Sorry, there is another VGA compatible controller [0300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RV100/M6 [1002:4c59].

[chili555]

We still don't see it. Simply run: lspci -nn and also lsusb and paste them here and give us the link in your reply: paste.ubuntu.com

[user230824]

I'm on another computer because I don't have internet on the one I'm working on. I don't know what you mean by "paste" and give you the "link"

[chili555]

Please see my edit.

[user230824]

I don't know what you mean. I'm new to all this. What is your edit?

[chili555]

See above where I added, "To gather further data..."

[user230824]

I created a Ubuntu pastebin but I can't paste it here. It won't let me or I'm doing it wrong. I don't know. Anyway the address is paste.ubuntu.com/6752218/ if that helps. I don't know what else to do.

[user230824]

Okay, it's on paste.ubuntu.com/6752551

[chili555]

I'm sorry,I don't see any other wireless device except your Asus USB. Please try with the command: lsmod. We'll get to the bottom of this!

[user230824]

Okay, address is paste.ubuntu.com/6752817

[chili555]

I see no other driver that's loaded that would, in any way, interfere with 8812au. What did you identify that you felt you needed to blacklist? May I see a paste of: cat /var/log/syslog | grep -e wlan -e etwork | tail -n30

[user230824]

It says cat/var/log/syslog: No such file or directory. I assumed that since I had a PCI card installed and it was working at one point that it was in there. Every instruction I read about installing a driver says to blacklist the present driver but never tells how to do that. And, I Googled can't connect to internet and every posting said there is another driver installed.

[chili555]

It isn't cat/var/log/syslog; it is cat /var/log/syslog with a space after 'cat.'

[user230824]

address is paste.ubuntu.com/6753205

[user230824]

chil555; I tried to connect to my router again and it did the same. But, I think I got a new cat /var/log/syslog. If you want it, the address is paste.ubuntu.com/6753365

[chili555]

"Activation (wlan0) failed for access point (spyware.exe)" Is you networks name actually 'spyware.exe?' Yikes!

[user230824]

Yes, it is. Here's another paste I did this morning Http://paste.ubuntu.com/6756435. Are we making any progress in solving this issue? I truly want to.

[chili555]

This paste looks much better! It shows 'asking for new secrets' i.e. your WPA key. It fails on 'failed (reason 'no-secrets'). Did you have a balloon pop up asking for the key? Did you input it? I am preparing an edit in a few moments.

[user230824]

chili555: Okay I did as you said in your edit and input the MAC address of my router in the SBBID slot and got a ;little window saying connect established but when I click Firefox icon it says server not found and now the wireless network authentication required window popped up. I'm disconnect again.

[user230824]

chili555: here is the latest paste paste.ubuntu.com/6758381

[chili555]

Please see my edit and after a fresh reboot, paste: dmesg

[user230824]

chili555: No, I don't have USB3, but when I purchased the adapter, the salesperson reassured me that it would work on USB2. Here is the paste you requested paste.ubuntu.com/6763127

[chili555]

I am afraid I have tried everything I know to do. I regret that I have no further suggestions.

[chili555]

Did you read my comment just above?

[user230824]

chili555; I returned the USB-AC56 and got a USB-N66 with a USB2 connector. I've been looking at some driver installations online and did everything that was said. Now, I still can't connect. The device is not even recognized. When I open the Network Manager it doesn't have "enable wireless" listed. Can you help me, please?

[chili555]

I will be happy to help. Please search here for USB-N66; if there is no solution, start a new question and I'll be happy to help. Be sure to include: lsusb.

[user230824]

I've already started a new question. It's on the ask Ubuntu site. It says how do I install an ASUS USB-N66 on Ubuntu 12.04. By the way, on your last comment the "here" is not linked to anything.

[chili555]

See my comment on your new question. The 'here' was intended to mean that you should search on the entirety of askubuntu.com. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[Andrew]

After finding and following this page before finding the official Asus driver page I thought I'd post back about my experience. I first used the above method to install the Asus USB-AC56, as posted by Chili555. It works fine today however I wasn't happy with the performance of this driver as the connection kept dropping. I then tried installing Asus's official driver and it performs markedly better. I didn't perform any speed testing but the signal strength went from 35% to 100%. Hope this helps someone.