I'm using an Acer Aspire 5 laptop that has a buggy MediaTek WiFi driver. I'm considering switching to Linux, and I'm curious if Linux and its distributions come with their own drivers that might replace this problematic driver from Windows. How does that work?
5 Answers
If you're really struggling with the internal WiFi, USB WiFi dongles are pretty cheap these days and they often work well with the default drivers in Linux. It's a simple solution to get you back online without dealing with driver issues!
Yeah, Linux usually has its own drivers that are separate from Windows. They get bundled with the Linux kernel, so they install automatically when you set up Linux. But that doesn't always mean they'll be better than what you're currently using on Windows, and sometimes the drivers might not even support your hardware at all!
Gotcha, thanks! I'm really fed up with the constant disconnects. I've been told the only fix might be to replace the whole laptop.
If your WiFi card isn't super old, newer MediaTek cards are generally pretty good with open source support in Linux, and the drivers are typically included in the kernel. Just make sure to check the compatibility list, and you should be good to go!
In my experience, many drivers work right off the bat with Linux, but they usually provide just the basic functionality. On one of my laptops, I actually had to pull files from a Microsoft driver package to get things running smoothly. WiFi can definitely be hit or miss! Also, if your hardware uses both WiFi and Bluetooth, turning off Bluetooth can sometimes improve WiFi performance. Just something I've noticed from my own setups!
Just a heads up—Linux drivers are often developed from scratch, meaning they can provide better support. But keep in mind, some hardware still requires firmware that can be a black box—only the manufacturers really know how to deal with it. So it's a mixed bag depending on what you have!
Nice idea! I hadn’t thought about that.