{
  "id": "realtek/rtl8812au",
  "vendor": "Realtek",
  "model": "RTL8812AU USB Wi-Fi adapter",
  "aliases": [
    "RTL8812AU",
    "USB3.0 802.11ac 1200M Adapter",
    "AC1200 USB Wi-Fi"
  ],
  "category": "peripheral",
  "identifiers": {
    "usb": [
      "0bda:8812",
      "0bda:881a",
      "0bda:881b",
      "0bda:881c",
      "0409:0408",
      "0411:025d",
      "04bb:0952",
      "050d:1106",
      "050d:1109",
      "0586:3426",
      "0789:016e",
      "07b8:8812",
      "0846:9051",
      "0b05:17d2",
      "0df6:0074",
      "0e66:0022",
      "1058:0632",
      "13b1:003f",
      "148f:9097",
      "1740:0100",
      "2001:330e",
      "2001:3313",
      "2001:3315",
      "2001:3316",
      "2019:ab30",
      "20f4:805b",
      "2357:0101",
      "2357:0103",
      "2357:010d",
      "2357:010e",
      "2357:010f",
      "2357:0122",
      "2604:0012",
      "7392:a822"
    ],
    "chips": [
      "RTL8812AU"
    ]
  },
  "status": "controllable",
  "vendor_support": "active",
  "summary": "Older Realtek 802.11ac dual-band USB Wi-Fi chip (AC1200), in many USB 3.0 dongles from TP-Link, D-Link, ASUS, Netgear, Edimax, Belkin, TRENDnet and others. Driven by the mainline Linux rtw88 driver since Linux 6.13 (automatic detection of all USB ids from 6.14); the chip loads a Realtek firmware file shipped in linux-firmware. No free replacement firmware exists yet. Writing one is possible in principle (as done before for Atheros open-ath9k-htc-firmware, Broadcom OpenFWWF) but nobody has started. The radio hardware is undocumented, and the firmware licence (LICENCE.rtlwifi_firmware.txt) forbids disassembling it, so a project would have to work clean-room from the open drivers (rtw88, Realtek's GPL vendor drivers) and from observing the chip, keep regulatory radio limits, and get legal advice first. Claim it here if you start.",
  "interfaces": [
    {
      "name": "Wi-Fi (802.11ac) over USB",
      "transport": "usb",
      "status": "documented",
      "confidence": "high",
      "notes": "Linux driver rtw88_8812au (mainline since 6.13); firmware rtw88/rtw8812a_fw.bin. Find your adapter's id with lsusb."
    }
  ],
  "install": [
    {
      "project": "Linux rtw88 driver",
      "method": "host-software",
      "guide": "https://github.com/morrownr/USB-WiFi/blob/main/home/USB_WiFi_Chipsets.md",
      "difficulty": "easy",
      "tools": [
        "Linux 6.13 or later with linux-firmware"
      ],
      "opens_device": false,
      "mains_powered": false,
      "brick_risk": "none",
      "reversible": "yes",
      "notes": "Plug it in: a recent kernel loads the driver by itself. Older kernels can use the out-of-tree morrownr driver."
    }
  ],
  "projects": [
    {
      "name": "Linux rtw88 driver",
      "url": "https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/rtw8812au.c",
      "kind": "driver",
      "license": "GPL-2.0",
      "freedom": {
        "nonfree": [
          "device-firmware"
        ],
        "cloud": "none",
        "notes": "The driver is free; the chip runs Realtek firmware (rtw88/rtw8812a_fw.bin) loaded from linux-firmware. No free replacement firmware exists; its licence forbids disassembly, so one would have to be written clean-room from the open drivers."
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "morrownr USB-WiFi guide",
      "url": "https://github.com/morrownr/USB-WiFi",
      "kind": "other"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "sources": [
      "curated",
      "https://github.com/opendevicedb/opendevicedb/issues/2",
      "https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/rtw8812au.c"
    ],
    "ai_assisted": true,
    "tools": [
      "claude-code"
    ]
  },
  "updated": "2026-10-25"
}