Wifi has always been a problem for free software users. For Mini PCIe all cards with an Atheros chipset are supported.

For USB wifi devices this list includes the Realtek RTL8187B chipset (802.11G) and the Atheros AR9170 chipset (802.11N). Complex installation procedures are no longer required and support may continue long after a product has been discontinued.Ĭurrently there are only a few modern wifi chipsets readily available that work with free software systems. For instance features are often left out, bugs go unfixed, and what support does exist from the manufacture may be fleeting.īy encouraging good social practices the community is able to support end-users. With non-free drivers and firmware support is often unavailable or severely constrained.

Non-free drivers and firmware are produced by entities refusing or unable to cooperate with the free software community.

Newer versions of Debian (6+) do not include non-free drivers or firmware. In practice this means manufacturers are required to cooperate by releasing specifications and free drivers that can be worked on by the community. Drivers and firmware are what determine if, and how well, your hardware works.ĭebian's Social Contract mandates the freeing of the distribution. Consequently, the driver/module for one chipset will work for all wireless devices using that chipset.įree software based systems such as Debian depend on the cooperation between manufacturers and developers to produce and maintain quality drivers and firmware.

We can find the same chipset in several different devices. Availability of compatible WiFi chipsetsĪ WiFi device operates on an electronic chip called a 'chipset'.

Realtek wifi drivers download