I recently got a new HP 15-fd00 laptop for school, and while it had no issues running Debian and Linux Mint, I can't seem to get the WiFi to work. The laptop uses a Realtek WiFi card, but neither of the operating systems automatically installed the required drivers, and to make matters worse, there's no Ethernet port on the laptop. I've been trying to connect the laptop to my phone as a hotspot, but while it recognizes a connection, it won't actually connect. I'm also considering buying a USB-Ethernet adapter or a USB WiFi dongle. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any suggestions on how to get this working?
5 Answers
USB Ethernet adapters usually work well for cases like yours. Just make sure to check for compatibility with Linux before buying. A lot of users have good luck plugging them in and getting instant access to the internet. You might need to do a little research on which specific adapter would be best, but they tend to be plug-and-play with Ubuntu and similar distros.
If you still have your phone, try USB tethering again. Just connect it with a data cable, enable USB tethering on your phone, and your laptop should pick it up. Make sure to share the connection from either WiFi or cellular data on your phone. It’s a great workaround if you can manage it!
I actually tried that already, but it recognizes the connection without being able to connect. So frustrating!
Consider looking for a USB WiFi dongle that’s Linux-compatible. There are many listed in the kernel, so finding one that works out of the box shouldn’t be too hard. Just avoid those that explicitly say they need additional drivers, and you should be good to go!
Before you head out to buy anything, try running `inxi -nz` on your laptop. This command will tell you if any drivers are already installed and what chipset you have, which could offer some insights on what to do next!
Honestly, the easiest route might just be to download the driver package offline using another computer and transfer it over with a USB. This way, once you have a connection, you can install it directly without worrying about driver issues on your new laptop.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll look into which adapters are Linux-friendly.