URTWN(4)

📦
version 11.0 · 2 versions
, in nixpkgs unstable

💖 URTWN(4) 💖

okay bestie, so this is the manual page for urtwn, a Realtek RTL8188CU/RTL8188EU/RTL8192CU/RTL8192EU USB IEEE 802.11b/g/n wireless network device. no cap, it's giving "i just want my wifi to work" energy. let's get into it ✨

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

urtwn* at uhub? port ?

that's the whole vibe. it attaches to USB hubs, periodt. 💅

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so the urtwn driver is the main character for USB 2.0 wireless network devices based on these Realtek chipsets: RTL8188CUS, RTL8188CE-VAU, RTL8188EUS, RTL8188RU, RTL8192CU and RTL8192EU. iykyk 🔥

the RTL8188CUS and RTL8188EUS are highly integrated 802.11n adapters that combine a MAC, a 1T1R capable baseband and an RF in a single chip. they operate in the 2GHz spectrum only. the RTL8188RU is a high-power variant of the RTL8188CUS. the RTL8188CE-VAU is a PCI Express Mini Card adapter that attaches to the USB interface. it's giving "i'm versatile" 💁‍♀️

the RTL8192CU and RTL8192EU are highly integrated multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) 802.11n adapters that combine a MAC, a 2T2R capable baseband and an RF in a single chip. it operates in the 2GHz spectrum only. ngl, that's kind of iconic of them.

these are the modes the urtwn driver can operate in:

  • BSS mode — also known as infrastructure mode, this is used when associating with an access point, through which all traffic passes. this mode is the default. it's the main character energy mode, fr fr. 🎀
  • IBSS mode — also known as IEEE ad-hoc mode or peer-to-peer mode. this is the standardized method of operating without an access point. stations associate with a service set. however, actual connections between stations are peer-to-peer. it's giving "we're all in this together" energy. peer-to-peer besties! 🫶
  • Host AP — in this mode the driver acts as an access point (base station) for other cards. oh she's the hostess with the mostest. 💅
  • monitor mode — in this mode the driver is able to receive packets without associating with an access point. this disables the internal receive filter and enables the card to capture packets from networks which it wouldn't normally have access to, or to scan for access points. it's lowkey giving hacker vibes and we respect it. 🦋

the urtwn driver can be configured to use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK). WPA is the de facto encryption standard for wireless networks. it is strongly recommended that WEP not be used as the sole mechanism to secure wireless communication, due to serious weaknesses in it. like, seriously bestie, don't use WEP as your only defense. it's not it. 🚩

the urtwn driver can be configured at runtime with ifconfig(8) or on boot with ifconfig.if(5). easy peasy.

🧚 FILES 🧚

the driver needs the following firmware files, which are loaded when an interface is attached. they're like little fairy dust packets that make the magic happen ✨:

  • /libdata/firmware/if_urtwn/rtl8188eufw.bin
  • /libdata/firmware/if_urtwn/rtl8192cfw.bin
  • /libdata/firmware/if_urtwn/rtl8192cfwU.bin
  • /libdata/firmware/if_urtwn/rtl8192efw.bin

don't lose these, okay? they're important. 🌈

👑 HARDWARE 👑

the following adapters should work. and when i say "should" i mean like, go off sis, hope it slays for you:

  • Airlink101 AWLL5088
  • Aus. Linx AL-9604R1S
  • ASUSTeK USB-N10 NANO
  • B-Link BL-LW05-5R
  • Belkin F7D1102 Surf Wireless Micro
  • D-Link DWA-121
  • D-Link DWA-125
  • D-Link DWA-131
  • D-Link DWA-133
  • D-Link DWA-135
  • Digitus DN-7042
  • Edimax EW-7811Un
  • EDUP EP-N8508
  • ELECOM WDC-150SU2M
  • Full River FR-W100NUL
  • Hercules Wireless N USB Pico HWNUp-150
  • IO-DATA WN-G150UMW
  • Mercusys MW150US v2
  • Netgear WNA1000A
  • Planex GW-USEco300
  • Planex GW-USNano2
  • Planex GW-USValue-EZ
  • Planex GW-USWExtreme
  • POWCHIP POW-N18
  • Sitecom N300 USB (WLA-2102 v1)
  • Sitecom WL-365
  • Solwise NET-WL-UMD-606N
  • TP-LINK TL-WN722N v2
  • TP-LINK TL-WN723N v3
  • TP-LINK TL-WN725N v2
  • TP-LINK TL-WN821N
  • TP-LINK TL-WN822N v4
  • TP-LINK TL-WN823N v2
  • TRENDnet TEW-648UBM

like, that's a lot of adapters. she's popular. 💖

⭐ EXAMPLES ⭐

the following ifconfig.if(5) example configures urtwn0 to join whatever network is available on boot, using WEP key “0x1deadbeef1”, channel 11, obtaining an IP address using DHCP:

nwkey 0x1deadbeef1 chan 11
dhcp

join an existing BSS network, “my_net”:

# ifconfig urtwn0 192.168.1.1 netmask 0xffffff00 nwid my_net

see? told you it was easy. you're welcome bestie 😌

🙈 DIAGNOSTICS 🙈

  • urtwn%d: error %d, could not read firmware %s — for some reason, the driver was unable to read the microcode file from the filesystem. the file might be missing or corrupted. it's giving "where did the file go" energy. check your paths! 😭
  • urtwn%d: device timeout — a frame dispatched to the hardware for transmission did not complete in time. the driver will reset the hardware. this should not happen. but if it does... it's not you, it's the hardware. 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

arp(4), netintro(4), usb(4), ifconfig.if(5), wpa_supplicant.conf(5), ifconfig(8), wpa_supplicant(8)

go read these if you want more tea. i've linked them in my brain already. 🧠✨

🎀 HISTORY 🎀

the urtwn device driver first appeared in OpenBSD 4.9 and in NetBSD 6.0. she's been around, okay? she's a legacy icon. 💅

🫶 AUTHORS 🫶

the urtwn driver was written by Damien Bergamini ⟨damien@openbsd.org⟩ for OpenBSD and ported to NetBSD by NONAKA Kimihiro ⟨nonaka@NetBSD.org⟩. we love a collab. legends only. 👑

🚩 CAVEATS 🚩

the urtwn driver does not support any of the 802.11n capabilities offered by the adapters. additional work is required in ieee80211(9) before those features can be supported. so like, don't come for her about the n capabilities okay? she's doing her best. the work hasn't been done yet. periodt. 💀

this iconic little manual page was last updated in Debian on May 26, 2024. stay connected, besties 💖✨

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