rtl88x2bu (88x2bu.ko)

Realtek RTL88x2BU Wireless Lan Driver for Linux

• v5.13.1 (20210702)
• Based on EDIMAX EW-7822UTC Linux Driver (Version : 1.0.2.2) 2021-10-26
• Support Kernel: 3.8 - 5.11 (Realtek)
• Support up to Kernel 6.3

Specification

• Supported interface modes:
  • IBSS
  • managed
  • AP
  • monitor
  • P2P-client
  • P2P-GO
  • Concurrent mode plus virtual interface control
• Packet injection
• TX power control
• LED control
• Power saving control
• Driver debug log level control
• DFS channels control
• VHT control
• Wireless mode control
• REGD source selection
• Security:
  • WEP 64/128-bit, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3

Supported adapters

• ASUS USB-AC53 Nano
• ASUS USB-AC54 B1
• ASUS USB-AC55 B1
• ASUS USB-AC57
• ASUS USB-AC58
• D-Link DWA-181 rev A1
• D-Link DWA-182 rev D1
• Edimax EW-7822ULC
• Edimax EW-7822UNC
• Edimax EW-7822UTC
• Edimax EW-7822UAD
• Hawking HW12ACU
• Linksys WUSB6400M
• Netgear A6150
• Simplecom NW621 AC1200
• TP-LINK Archer T3U
• TP-LINK Archer T3U Plus
• TP-LINK Archer T4U v3
• TRENDnet TEW-808UBM
• Realtek 8822BU Wireless LAN 802.11ac USB NIC
• Realtek 8812BU Wireless LAN 802.11ac USB NIC
• WN8602L Wireless LAN 802.11ac USB NIC
• CC&C 433Mbps Wireless USB2.0 Adapter
• Dacota Platinum AC1200 USB 2.0 Wireless Adapter
• Dacota Platinum AC1200 USB 3.0 Wireless Adapter

Tested Linux Distros and Tools

Successful tested injection aireplay-ng -9 <interface>, deauthentication aireplay-ng -0 1 -a <bssid> <interface>.

NO fixed channel 1 issue.

Successful hcxdumptool driver test hcxdumptool -i <interface> --check_driver and capture packets hcxdumptool -i <interface> -o test.pcapng --filterlist_ap=targets.lst --filtermode=2 --enable_status=15 (hcxdumptool -i <interface> -o test.pcapng --filterlist=targets.lst --filtermode=2 --enable_status=15).

Connecting to AP with WPA3 (WPA3-SAE) authentication method (IMPORTANT: Test distro Ubuntu 22.04 kernel 5.15 - NetworkManager 1.36.4 nmcli tool, version 1.36.4. Otherwise use wpa_supplicant).

Start WPA3 (WPA3-SAE) SoftAP.

TX power control tested with SoftAP mode and OpenWrt firmware (OpenWrt 21.02.0 r16279-5cc0535800, Channel Analysis Feature).

• Ubuntu 22.04 (kernel 5.19)
  • hostapd v2.11-devel-hostap_2_10-309-gc3d389b72
  • wpa_supplicant v2.11-devel-hostap_2_10-309-gc3d389b72
  • Aircrack-ng 1.6
  • hcxdumptool 6.2.6

HOW TO

Install

Download source:

git clone https://github.com/ivanovborislav/rtl88x2bu.git
cd rtl88x2bu

Install missing packages:

sudo apt-get install bc build-essential

Install linux headers:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

or

apt-cache search linux-headers
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-5.14.0-kali4-amd64 (for example)
apt-cache search linux-image
sudo apt-get install linux-image-5.14.0-kali4-amd64 (for example)

Compile:

make
sudo make install

or

chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh -i

IMPORTANT: Prevent loading old driver rtw88 8822bu.

echo "blacklist rtw88_8822bu" > /etc/modprobe.d/rtw8822bu.conf

Raspberry Pi:

Edit Makefile:

Ln142 - CONFIG_PLATFORM_I386_PC = y to CONFIG_PLATFORM_I386_PC = n

Ln143 - CONFIG_PLATFORM_RPI_ARM = n to CONFIG_PLATFORM_RPI_ARM = y for ARM

or

Ln144 - CONFIG_PLATFORM_RPI_ARM64 = n to CONFIG_PLATFORM_RPI_ARM64 = y for ARM64

Monitor mode

sudo airmon-ng check kill
sudo ip link set <interface> down
sudo iw dev <interface> set type monitor
sudo ip link set <interface> up

Managed mode

sudo ip link set <interface> down
sudo iw dev <interface> set type managed
sudo ip link set <interface> up
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager (sudo service network-manager restart)

TX power control

Note: Set TX power before start SoftAP mode. ...set txpower fixed 3000 = txpower 30.00 dBm.

sudo iw dev <interface> set txpower fixed 3000

Driver options

Change driver options during inserting driver module

Remove (unload) a module from the Linux kernel.

sudo rmmod /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/88x2bu.ko

Insert (load) a module into the Linux kernel.

sudo insmod /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/88x2bu.ko rtw_ips_mode=1 rtw_drv_log_level=4 rtw_power_mgnt=2 rtw_led_ctrl=1

Change driver options loading from file

Create a file 88x2bu.conf containing options 88x2bu rtw_ips_mode=1 rtw_drv_log_level=4 rtw_power_mgnt=2 rtw_led_ctrl=1. Copy a file to /etc/modprobe.d/ directory.

sudo cp -f 88x2bu.conf /etc/modprobe.d

Power saving control.

IPS (Inactive Power Saving) Function, rtw_ips_mode=

0:Disable IPS
1:Enable IPS (default)

LPS (Leisure Power Saving) Function, rtw_power_mgnt=

0:Disable LPS
1:Enable LPS
2:Enable LPS with clock gating (default)

Driver debug log level control, rtw_drv_log_level=

0:_DRV_NONE_
1:_DRV_ALWAYS_
2:_DRV_ERR_
3:_DRV_WARNING_
4:_DRV_INFO_ (default)
5:_DRV_DEBUG_
6:_DRV_MAX_

Driver LED control, rtw_led_ctrl=

0:led off
1:led blink (default)
2:led on

Driver DFS channels control, rtw_dfs_region_domain=

0:NONE
1:FCC
2:MKK
3:ETSI

Driver VHT control, rtw_vht_enable=

0:disable
1:enable (default)
2:force auto enable

Driver wireless mode control, rtw_wireless_mode=

1: 2.4GHz 802.11b
2: 2.4GHz 802.11g
3: 2.4GHz 802.11b/g
4: 5GHz 802.11a
8: 2.4Hz 802.11n
11: 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n
16: 5GHz 802.11n
20: 5GHz 802.11a/n
64: 5GHz 802.11ac
84: 5GHz 802.11a/n/ac
95: 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n 5GHz 802.11a/n/ac (default)

Driver REGD source selection, rtw_regd_src=

0:Realtek defined
1:OS (default, get channel plan from OS)

Connecting with wpa_supplicant

Example wpa_supplicant.conf with WPA3-Personal (WPA3-SAE).

update_config=1
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
country=EN
p2p_no_group_iface=1
sae_groups=19 20 21

network={
    ssid="WPA3"
    proto=RSN
    key_mgmt=SAE
    pairwise=CCMP
    group=CCMP
    ieee80211w=2
    psk="1234567890"
}

Now start...

sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager
sudo killall wpa_supplicant
sudo wpa_supplicant -B -i <interface> -c wpa_supplicant.conf
sudo dhclient <interface>

Start SoftAP mode

Example hostapd.conf with WPA3-Personal (WPA3-SAE) 2.4GHz.

driver=nl80211
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
ctrl_interface_group=0
ssid=WPA3
country_code=EN
hw_mode=g
channel=6
beacon_int=100
dtim_period=1
max_num_sta=16
rts_threshold=2347
fragm_threshold=2346
ignore_broadcast_ssid=0
wmm_enabled=1
ieee80211n=1
ht_capab=[RXLDPC][HT40-][SHORT-GI-20][SHORT-GI-40][RX-STBC1][MAX-AMSDU-7935][DSSS_CCK-40]

auth_algs=1
wpa=2
wpa_passphrase=1234567890
wpa_key_mgmt=SAE
wpa_pairwise=CCMP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
ieee80211w=2
sae_groups=19 20 21
sae_require_mfp=1

Example hostapd.conf with WPA3-Personal (WPA3-SAE) 5GHz.

CAUTION: Allow width: 80 MHz, insmod 88x2bu.ko rtw_vht_enable=2.

driver=nl80211
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
ctrl_interface_group=0
ssid=WPA3_5GHz
country_code=EN
hw_mode=a
channel=36
beacon_int=100
dtim_period=1
max_num_sta=16
rts_threshold=2347
fragm_threshold=2346
ignore_broadcast_ssid=0
wmm_enabled=1
ieee80211n=1
ht_capab=[RXLDPC][HT40+][SHORT-GI-20][SHORT-GI-40][MAX-AMSDU-7935][DSSS_CCK-40]
ieee80211ac=1
vht_capab=[MAX-MPDU-11454][RXLDPC][SHORT-GI-80][TX-STBC-2BY1][RX-STBC1][SU-BEAMFORMEE][MU-BEAMFORMEE][HTC-VHT][MAX-A-MPDU-LEN-EXP7]
vht_oper_chwidth=1
vht_oper_centr_freq_seg0_idx=42

auth_algs=1
wpa=2
wpa_passphrase=1234567890
wpa_key_mgmt=SAE
wpa_pairwise=CCMP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
ieee80211w=2
sae_groups=19 20 21
sae_require_mfp=1

Now start...

sudo killall hostapd
sudo hostapd -i <interface> hostapd.conf

Kali NetHunter Kernel module Samsung Galaxy S5

Test devices

• TP-Link Archer T3U V1

• TP-Link Archer T4U V3

• Linksys WRT1200AC V2

  • OpenWrt 21.02.0 r16279-5cc0535800 / LuCI openwrt-21.02 branch git-21.231.26241-422c175

config wifi-iface 'default_radio1'
    option device 'radio1'
    option network 'lan'
    option mode 'ap'
    option macaddr '30:23:03:XX:XX:XX'
    option ssid 'WPA3'
    option encryption 'sae'
    option key '1234567890'
    option ieee80211w '2'