How to get wifi USB working (TL-WN725N / Realtek RTL8188EUS)

[MartinB]

Hello,

I've just bought a "TP-LINK 150Mbps Wireless N Nano USB Adapter" (Model No. TL-WN725N). Below is how Linux identifies the device:

dmesg (immediately after plugging it in):

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[  948.016228] usb 4-4: USB disconnect, device number 3
[  954.913645] usb 4-4: new high-speed USB device number 4 using ehci-pci
[  955.029038] usb 4-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=8179
[  955.029041] usb 4-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[  955.029042] usb 4-4: Product: 802.11n NIC
[  955.029043] usb 4-4: Manufacturer: Realtek
[  955.029044] usb 4-4: SerialNumber: 00E04C0001

lsusb:

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Bus 009 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 003: ID 0bda:8179 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188EUS 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0951:1665 Kingston Technology Digital DataTraveler SE9 64GB
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 003: ID 093a:2516 Pixart Imaging, Inc. 
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 046d:089d Logitech, Inc. QuickCam E2500 series
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 1058:1021 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. Elements Desktop (WDBAAU)
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

After failing to identify which wireless driver to enable in the kernel, I downloaded Ubuntu 14.04 Live to test if the USB wifi dongle is supported by Linux. This test was successful and I was able to connect to my router (and the Internet) using wifi from the Ubuntu Live environment.

I ran lsmod to see which module may be used for the USB wifi dongle. This is the list of modules loaded in Ubuntu:

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Module                  Size  Used by
cfg80211              450560  0 
dm_crypt               24576  0 
snd_usb_audio         143360  1 
snd_usbmidi_lib        28672  1 snd_usb_audio
gspca_zc3xx            57344  0 
gspca_main             28672  1 gspca_zc3xx
r8188eu               421888  0 
videodev              139264  2 gspca_main,gspca_zc3xx
snd_emu10k1_synth      16384  0 
snd_emux_synth         36864  1 snd_emu10k1_synth
snd_seq_midi_emul      16384  1 snd_emux_synth
snd_seq_virmidi        16384  1 snd_emux_synth
media                  24576  1 videodev
snd_hda_codec_realtek    69632  1 
dm_multipath           24576  0 
snd_emu10k1           143360  3 snd_emu10k1_synth
scsi_dh                16384  1 dm_multipath
snd_hda_codec_generic    65536  1 snd_hda_codec_realtek
snd_hda_intel          32768  3 
snd_util_mem           16384  2 snd_emux_synth,snd_emu10k1
snd_hda_controller     32768  1 snd_hda_intel
snd_ac97_codec        106496  1 snd_emu10k1
kvm_amd                53248  0 
snd_hda_codec         122880  4 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_controller
kvm                   413696  1 kvm_amd
ac97_bus               16384  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_hwdep              16384  4 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec,snd_emux_synth,snd_emu10k1
snd_seq_midi           16384  0 
snd_seq_midi_event     16384  2 snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_midi
snd_pcm                94208  6 snd_usb_audio,snd_ac97_codec,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_emu10k1,snd_hda_controller
edac_core              49152  0 
snd_rawmidi            28672  4 snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_emu10k1,snd_seq_midi
edac_mce_amd           24576  0 
k10temp                16384  0 
snd_seq                57344  5 snd_seq_midi_event,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_midi_emul,snd_seq_midi
emu10k1_gp             16384  0 
serio_raw              16384  0 
bnep                   20480  2 
snd_seq_device         16384  5 snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_emu10k1_synth,snd_emu10k1,snd_seq_midi
gameport               16384  2 emu10k1_gp
rfcomm                 61440  0 
8250_fintek            16384  0 
snd_timer              28672  3 snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_emu10k1
i2c_piix4              20480  0 
bluetooth             430080  10 bnep,rfcomm
shpchp                 32768  0 
snd                    69632  28 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_usb_audio,snd_ac97_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_pcm,\
snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_emux_synth,\
snd_seq_virmidi,snd_emu10k1,snd_seq_device
asus_atk0110           20480  0 
soundcore              16384  2 snd,snd_hda_codec
mac_hid                16384  0 
parport_pc             32768  1 
ppdev                  20480  0 
lp                     16384  0 
parport                40960  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
squashfs               49152  1 
overlay                36864  1 
nls_iso8859_1          16384  2 
dm_mirror              24576  0 
dm_region_hash         20480  1 dm_mirror
dm_log                 20480  2 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror
pata_acpi              16384  0 
hid_generic            16384  0 
usbhid                 49152  0 
hid                    98304  2 hid_generic,usbhid
uas                    24576  0 
usb_storage            57344  3 uas
nouveau              1208320  3 
mxm_wmi                16384  1 nouveau
video                  20480  1 nouveau
i2c_algo_bit           16384  1 nouveau
ttm                    86016  1 nouveau
drm_kms_helper        114688  1 nouveau
8139too                32768  0 
drm                   282624  6 ttm,drm_kms_helper,nouveau
8139cp                 28672  0 
pata_atiixp            16384  0 
ahci                   32768  1 
r8169                  73728  0 
libahci                32768  1 ahci
mii                    16384  3 r8169,8139cp,8139too
wmi                    20480  2 mxm_wmi,nouveau

The only interesting one seems to be r8188eu. However, I can't find anywhere in the kernel to enable this module in Gentoo. I am using kernel version 4.1.12.

Can someone please point me in the right direction for getting this USB wifi dongle working in Gentoo?

Cheers,
Martin[/code]

Added line breaks - NeddySeagoon

[charles17]

The only interesting one seems to be r8188eu. However, I can't find anywhere in the kernel to enable this module in Gentoo. I am using kernel version 4.1.12

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  │ Symbol: R8188EU [=n]
  │ Type  : tristate
  │ Prompt: Realtek RTL8188EU Wireless LAN NIC driver
  │   Location:
  │     -> Device Drivers
  │ (1)   -> Staging drivers (STAGING [=n])
  │   Defined at drivers/staging/rtl8188eu/Kconfig:1
  │   Depends on: STAGING [=n] && WLAN [=y] && USB [=y]
  │   Selects: WIRELESS_EXT [=n] && WEXT_PRIV [=n] 

According to https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/use ... ng_drivers it will be renamed rtl8xxxu.