Realtek 8188gu Wireless Lan 80211n Usb Nic Driver
If you are trying to get this working on a Linux machine, you will likely run into issues out of the box. The 8188GU is a variant of the 8188EU family but with a different USB ID, which often confuses the kernel.
To get this working on Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi OS, or similar, you usually need to compile the driver from source or use a DKMS package.
A quick fix often involves opening the terminal and installing the generic Realtek drivers:
sudo apt-get install realtek-rtl88xxau-dkms (This sometimes covers the GU variant, though YMMV).
For a more permanent fix, you may need to blacklist the default power-saving features, as this chip is notorious for dropping connections on Linux when power management is active.
Windows is the easiest platform for the 8188GU because Realtek provides signed drivers, and Microsoft includes a generic driver via Windows Update. realtek 8188gu wireless lan 80211n usb nic driver
The most reliable open-source driver for the 8188GU is maintained by aircrack-ng (for monitor mode) or morrownr (for stable client mode). Below we cover morrownr’s 88x2bu driver – wait, that’s for a different chip. For 8188GU, use rtl8188gu driver by kelebek333 or brektrou.
Recommended driver repository:
https://github.com/kelebek333/rtl8188gu
Not natively supported. No kernel driver = no OTG Wi-Fi adapter usage.
The 8188GU driver supports creating a Wi-Fi hotspot. If you are trying to get this working
Using create_ap tool:
git clone https://github.com/oblique/create_ap
cd create_ap
make install
sudo create_ap wlan0 eth0 MyHotspot MyPassword
Limitations: Only 2.4 GHz, max 8 clients, no 5 GHz band.
| Problem | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Adapter is detected but no scan results | Run sudo ip link set wlan0 up (replace wlan0 with your interface name) |
| Authentication timeout | Disable 802.11n: sudo iwconfig wlan0 rate 54M |
| Dropped connections under load | Blacklist mac80211_hwsim: echo "blacklist mac80211_hwsim" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/mac80211_hwsim.conf |
| Monitor mode needed (for pentesting) | The 8188GU does not support monitor mode or packet injection. Use an 8188EU or RTL8812AU for that. |
The rtl8xxxu driver in mainline Linux should support 8188GU, but in practice: The 8188GU driver supports creating a Wi-Fi hotspot
Workaround (if desperate):
# Install the proprietary rtl8xxxu (DKMS) from aircrack-ng’s fork
git clone https://github.com/aircrack-ng/rtl8812au.git
# But note: 8188GU is often shoehorned into 8812au drivers – unstable.
Better solution: Buy a $15 Atheros AR9271 USB dongle instead.
Realtek has a confusing lineup of similar chips, including the 8188EU, 8188CTV, 8192CU, and 8812AU. The GU variant is distinct in its internal USB protocol handling and power management features. It is commonly found in generic, no-name USB dongles from Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress. Branded adapters from TP-Link, Edimax, or Linksys rarely use this chip; they prefer the better-supported 8192 or 8812 series.
Crucial Note: Do not confuse the 8188GU with the 8188EU. While both are 802.11n chips, they require different drivers. Using an 8188EU driver on an 8188GU adapter will fail.