: Some older Windows 10/11 builds may require manual driver updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog
: Compatible with macOS, Raspberry Pi, and various set-top boxes. Microsoft Update Catalog
Works with Windows (XP through Windows 11), Linux, and macOS. Common Hardware Examples
While Windows users may groan, the Linux community has effectively perfected support for the RTL8188CU over a decade. The open-source rtl8192cu driver (which covers this chipset) has been heavily patched and forked into stable versions.
| Network | RTL8188CU | Modern Intel AX210 (Wi-Fi 6E) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 2.4 GHz / 20 MHz | 35 Mbps | 120 Mbps | | 2.4 GHz / 40 MHz | 65 Mbps | 210 Mbps | | 5 GHz / 80 MHz | N/A (not supported) | 800 Mbps | | Latency (ping to router) | 4-8 ms | 1-2 ms | | Range (reliable) | ~50 ft (15 m) | ~100 ft (30 m) |
: 64/128-bit WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryptions. Power Features
: 2.4 GHz only (it does not support 5 GHz/Wi-Fi 5). Interface : USB 2.0 (backwards compatible with 1.1).