So many folks use Windows and they want to capture Wi-Fi traffic in Monitor Mode (aka RFMON) using their onboard Wi-Fi adapter, and, for those of us who have tried, we all know how problematic that is. The answer as discussed in my post here is to use an external adapter. You can test this with WlanHelper – read more here.
Check out these great references as well:
Our Wireless custom profile for Wireshark
Our Udemy course on Wireless Packet capture
Our other Wi-Fi related articles
So which adapter should I use?
Want to spend under $8, try this one on Amazon! But it is limited to 2.4GHz. If you want more choices, read on, but be prepared to spend more money. I have not tested all of these, but based on their chipsets (remember there are only like 5 chipset manufacturers that them appear in lots of products) they should be good.
Any links to products are available on Amazon through our Amazon Associate status – please use them when purchasing, it helps us with a small cut. Thank you.
If you prefer to simply shop by which chip set, look at these (but make double sure the chip set is in the product):
Here’s a list of USB Wi-Fi adapters that support monitor mode and packet injection (no order of preference tho #12 is pretty good wink-wink)):
- ZyXEL NWD6605 (Chipset: Realtek RTL8812AU)
- Alfa AWUS036NHA (Chipset: Atheros AR9271)
- TP-LINK TL-WN823N (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
- TP-LINK TL-WN822N (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
- TP-LINK TL-WN821N (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
- ASUS USB N13 (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
- Panda PAU06 USB (Chipset: Ralink RT5372)
- Panda PAU05 USB (Chipset: Ralink RT3070)
- Netis WF2123 (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
- TP Link AC600 (Archer T2U Plus) (Chipset: RTL8821AU)
- ALFA AWUS036NEH (Chipset: Ralink RT3070)
- BrosTrend Linux WiFi Adapter for Ubuntu, Mint, Kali, Debian, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Mate, Zorin, PureOS, Raspberry Pi 2+, Windows 11, 1200Mbps, 5GHz/2.4GHz, Long Range 2X5dBi Antennas, USB3.0
Additionally, from another source, here are more adapters known to support monitor mode and packet injection:
- Realtek RTL8812BU USB Wireless Adapter (Chipset: Realtek 8187 L)
- RT3070 802.11n 150Mbps Wireless USB WiFi Adapter (Chipset: Ralink RT2870 / RT3070)
- AR9271 802.11n 150Mbps Wireless USB WiFi Adapter (Chipset: Atheros AR9271)
This new Netgear adapter looks great too: NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6 or 6E USB 3.0 Adapter (A8000) – AXE3000 Tri-Band Wireless Gigabit Speed (Up to 3Gbps) – New 6GHz Band – Works with Any Router Or Mesh System – for Windows PC
For those looking for TP-Link adapters specifically:
- TP-Link TL-WN722N: Popular among security testers, supports monitoring mode and packet injection. Compatible with Kali Linux and Windows operating systems.
- TP-Link Archer T4U V3: A dual-band USB WiFi adapter that supports monitoring mode and packet injection. Known for its compatibility with Kali Linux and Windows systems.
- TP-Link Archer T9UH: A high-gain dual-band USB WiFi adapter that supports monitoring mode and packet injection. Offers strong signal reception and is compatible with Kali Linux and Windows.
These adapters vary in capabilities and compatibility with different operating systems. Make sure to check the chipset and compatibility with your specific operating system before purchase, as this can impact the functionality of monitor mode and packet injection capabilities.
You may want to look at what we have in our “go bag” here.
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Great list! Thanks.
If you are using Windows, getting Monitor Mode to work is not guaranteed. Urge you to read this post: https://www.cellstream.com/2025/07/16/what-is-rfmon/
Sometimes getting the right driver is also not always easy in Linux. For example – here is a procedure for the RTL8192EU chip set used in many of the adapters discussed in the article. There is a simplified procedure at the bottom of my note.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install bc
sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install libelf-dev
!Try either of these commands to see which works:!
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-5.10.0-kali6-amd64
then:
for normal Linux systems:
sudo apt-get install git linux-headers-generic build-essential dkms
for Raspberry Pi:
sudo apt-get install git raspberrypi-kernel-headers build-essential dkms
sudo apt install dkms
sudo rmmod r8188eu.ko
git clone https://github.com/Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver
cd rtl8192eu-linux-driver
sudo -i
echo “blacklist rtl8192eu” > “/etc/modprobe.d/realtek.conf”
echo -e “8192eu\n\nloop” | sudo tee /etc/modules
exit
sudo reboot
sudo apt update
cd rtl8192eu-linux-driver
sudo make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe 8192eu
!To enable Monitor mode and test packet injection:!
=================================
iwconfig
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
sudo airmon-ng check kill
sudo iwconfig wlan0 mode monitor
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up
iwconfig
sudo aireplay-ng –test wlan0
A Simplified version
=============
sudo apt update
sudo apt install bc
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`
git clone https://github.com/Mange/rtl8192eu-linux-driver
cd rtl8192eu-linux-driver
sudo -i
echo “blacklist rtl8192eu” > “/etc/modprobe.d/realtek.conf”
echo -e “8192eu\n\nloop” | sudo tee /etc/modules
exit
sudo reboot
sudo apt update
cd rtl8192eu-linux-driver
sudo make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe 8192eu
In Windows, to find out what chipset your Wi-Fi adapter is using, try the following:
Press Win + X → select Device Manager.
Expand Network adapters.
Find your USB Wi-Fi adapter in the list.
Right-click it → Properties.
Under Details tab, set the Property drop-down to Hardware Ids.
Look for values like: USB\VID_148F&PID_5370
Use the VID (Vendor ID) and PID (Product ID) to identify the chipset by doing a good old search.