# Does RTL8188EE work on FreeBSD?



## Asdew (Dec 11, 2018)

I have a laptop currently running Linux. I've been thinking of dual booting it with FreeBSD, but before that, I'd like to know if the RTL8188EE Wi-Fi card works with FreeBSD. I've tried searching the forums and the internet, but I've never found if it has actually worked for anyone. I tried the live version of FreeBSD and it didn't work, but it may be due to missing drivers in the live version.

I'm sorry if this has been answered before, and thanks!


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## k.jacker (Dec 11, 2018)

Some others of the 8188 family are supported by the rsu(4) driver, but the 8188EE not yet (neither in FreeBSD 11.2-RELEASE nor 12.0-RELEASE).
According to this thread, a driver update, to support the EE is in the works.

You could swap your wifi card or get a usb wifi device.
Check the Hardware Notes to find something that works and is available where you live.
mPCI cards are best to get used in the bay.


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## Asdew (Dec 11, 2018)

I do have another laptop which is broken. Maybe I could check if the Wi-Fi card in it is supported. I've never opened my laptop though (the one I use, not the broken one, I have opened in many times) and the laptop is my only working computer.


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## Sensucht94 (Dec 12, 2018)

You can try Farhan Khan's driver

https://github.com/khanzf/rtl8188ee; beware it's still at a *very* experimental stage, and I don't even know whether it's been upstreamed to HEAD already or not


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## Asdew (Dec 12, 2018)

The one I have in my broken laptop is a BCM4313, which doesn't seem like it is supported either.


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## Asdew (Dec 12, 2018)

Sensucht94 said:


> You can try Farhan Khan's driver
> 
> https://github.com/khanzf/rtl8188ee; beware it's still at a *very* experimental stage, and I don't even know whether it's been upstreamed to HEAD already or not


It says that it currently only works in monitor mode. From what I just read about monitor mode, it's useless for me.


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## Asdew (Dec 14, 2018)

Hey, what's this? This looks pretty promising, at least to me
https://reviews.freebsd.org/D15692


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## Jay F. Shachter (Sep 2, 2019)

Sensucht94 said:


> You can try Farhan Khan's driver
> 
> https://github.com/khanzf/rtl8188ee; beware it's still at a *very* experimental stage, and I don't even know whether it's been upstreamed to HEAD already or not



That is a broken link.  Does anyone have a link to a working RTL8188EE driver for FreeBSD?  Thank you in advance for any and all replies.  jay at m5 dot chicago dot il dot us


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## Sensucht94 (Sep 3, 2019)

Jay F. Shachter said:


> That is a broken link.  Does anyone have a link to a working RTL8188EE driver for FreeBSD?  Thank you in advance for any and all replies.  jay at m5 dot chicago dot il dot us



As far as I can tell, it's been upstreamed and should be available in 13-CURRENT


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## Shadow53 (Sep 4, 2019)

Sensucht94 said:


> As far as I can tell, it's been upstreamed and should be available in 13-CURRENT



There's also a driver available in 12-STABLE that I'm using on my own laptop, which I think means it should be available in 12.1-RELEASE. It seems a little bit buggy right now but very usable.


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