Best Kali Linux Compatible USB Adapters 2024

Anyone who wants to test WiFi security will need a few tools, with a compatible USB adapter being the most important.

Kali Linux and Aircrack-ng are the most commonly used software, with some other options also available.

Finding a good USB WiFi adapter is necessary since most dongles can not go into Monitor Mode and do the things that wireless Pen Testing needs.

What Makes a Kali Linux USB Adapter Compatible?

The Chipset and Drivers written for a card are what make a USB dongle compatible with Kali.

Wireless Penetration Testing requires a card that can go into Monitor Mode and do Packet Injections; most cards cant do this.

There are known chipsets that will work with Monitor Mode and Pen testing.

Most Popular Linux Pen Testing Monitor Mode Wireless Chipsets

RTL8811AU
Atheros AR9271
Ralink RT3070
Ralink RT3572
Ralink RT5572
Realtek RTL8812AU
Ralink RT5370N
MediaTek MT7610U

One thing to keep in mind is occasionally, although rare, manufacturers can change the chipset in an adapter.

This happens when a new, updated version of the adapter is introduced. Although it doesn’t happen, often it has happened in the past with popular dongles.

Below is a list of the most popular USB adapters that work with Kali or other software that needs a USB adapter to go into monitor mode.

They also will work with almost any Linux Distro that requires a wireless card to go into monitor mode.

To see which USB dongles are used the most we had a poll; here are the results.

Don’t forget to take the new Poll at the bottom of the page for your favorite Kali Linux USB adapter of 2024.

*This site contains affiliate paid links for which a commission earned.

Best Kali Linux Pen Testing USB Adapters 2024

Linux USB Adapters Comparison Table

ADAPTER NAME	CHIPSET	FREQUENCY	PROTOCOL	ANTENNA
Alfa AWUS036ACH	RTL8812AU	2.4GHz/5Ghz	802.11AC	External
TP-Link TL-WN722N V1	Atheros AR9271	2.4GHz	802.11N	External
Alfa AWUS036NHA	Atheros AR9271	2.4GHz	802.11N	External
ALFA AWUS036ACS	RTL8811AU	2.4GHz/5Ghz	802.11AC	External
Alfa AWUS036NH	Ralink RT3070	2.4GHz	802.11N	External
Panda PAU09	Ralink RT5572	2.4GHz	802.11N	External
Panda PAU05	Ralink RT5572	2.4GHz	802.11N	External
Alfa AWUS036NEH	Ralink RT3070	2.4GHz	802.11N	External
Alfa AWUS051NH	Ralink RT3572	2.4GHz/5Ghz	802.11N	External
Alfa AWUS036ACHM	MediaTek MT7610U	2.4GHz/5Ghz	802.11AC	External
Alfa AWUS036H	Realtek 8187L	2.4GHz	802.11G	External

USB Adapters that use the Ralink RT5572 chipset

Panda Wireless PAU09…….Amazon

Panda Wireless PAU09…….eBay

Read Full Panda PAU09 Review Here

USB Adapters that use the Ralink RT3070 Chipset

Alfa AWUS036NH 2.4 GHz…….Amazon

Alfa AWUS036NH 2.4 GHz…….eBay

Alfa AWUS036NEH 2.4 GHz…….Amazon

Panda PAU05 2.4 GHz…….Amazon

USB Adapters that use the Atheros AR9271 Chipset

Alfa AWUS036NHA…….Amazon

TP-LINK TL-WN722N Chipset Change
TP-Link has released a new Version 2 of the TL-WN722N which does not work with Kali and Pen testing.

The Chipset for the TP-LINK TL-WN722N Version 2 has changed. If a TL-WN722N is bought be sure it is a Version 1.

TP-Link TL-WN722N…….Amazon

TP-LINK TL-WN722N…….eBay

USB Adapters that use the RT3572 Chipset

Alfa AWUS051NH Dual Band 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz…….eBay

USB Adapters that use the Realtek RTL8812AU Chipset

Alfa AWUS036ACH…….Amazon
The Alfa AWUS036ACH has 802.11ac Drivers that allows it to go into Monitor Mode.

The Driver may need to be loaded with the command “apt-get install realtek-rtl88xxau-dkms”.

USB Adapters that use the MediaTek MT7610U Chipset

Alfa AWUS036ACHM 2.4GHz and 5GHz…….Amazon

Best Linux USB Adapter Poll 2024

Last Year Poll Results

Summary
If you are new to Kali Linux and wireless Pen Testing finding the right USB adapter can be confusing at first.

Any of the above adapters will work with Kali, and it comes down to which one is right for your setup.

For example, if you are using Windows with VMware to run Kali, the adapter will have to be Windows compatible.

Some may want a longer range adapter to get a signal from farther away which an adapter with a bigger dBi antenna would be better with range.

Big adapters with big antennas are not very stealthy in which case a small USB adapter may be the better option.

For those who simply want to get started with Kali getting the cheapest dongle would be best.

If you have a USB adapter that works well with Kali let us know in the comments.