People appear perplexed when WIFI adapters and wireless cards are a topic of discussion; they have no idea what they are, why they are needed, or how to choose the best one from so many manufacturers. Because not all Wi-Fi cards support Monitor mode and packet injection, we’ve compiled a list of the most exemplary Wi-Fi adapters for Kali Linux below.
In this article, we’ll go over the best USB Wireless Adapters for Kali Linux, as well as how to install them. These adapters are entirely compatible with Kali Linux and contain monitor mode and packet injection capabilities to help with Wi-Fi penetration testing.
What Exactly Is A Wi-Fi Adapter And Wi-Fi Chipset?
Wireless adapters are technological devices that enable computers to communicate with the Internet and other computers without wires. They transmit data over radio waves to routers and then forward it to broadband modems or corporate networks.�?
Wireless adapters are inbuilt on most laptops and tablet computers. However, they must often be installed on desktop computers. The type of adapter you acquire must match your needs before installing them on business workstations and setting up a wireless network in your office.
The USB Wi-Fi adaptor’s brain is a Wireless chipset, which does all the calculations. The Wi-Fi chipset determines whether a USB Wi-Fi adapter is suitable or not. We should be cautious about the chipset found within the USB Wi-Fi adaptor. Kali Linux supports a variety of chipsets used to carry out packet injections and other attacks.
Why Is A USB Wi-Fi Adapter A Requirement For Kali Linux?
A USB wireless adapter is a device that connects to your computer via a USB port and allows you to communicate with other WiFi-enabled devices. It allows you to connect to wireless networks and communicate with other WiFi-enabled machines. Now, we could argue that our laptop already has the feature, and we’d be correct; most laptops and phones do, but there are two problems.
1. The first issue is that when Kali gets deployed as a virtual machine, we cannot access built-in wireless adapters.
2. The second and most crucial problem is that these built-in wireless adapters are not hackable.
You will have access to your built-in wireless card even if you install Kali Linux as your primary machine. Still, you will not utilize it for hacking because it does not support monitor mode or packet injection. So, you’ll need to get a Kali Linux USB Wi-Fi adapter if you want to use it for Wi-Fi auditing and other cool Kali Linux stuff like aircrack-ng and other utilities.
How Can You Make Your USB Wi-Fi Adapter’s Range Longer?
Most Wi-Fi Routers and USB Wi-Fi Adapters have a built-in antenna that is adjustable. The manufacturer’s integrated antenna will often have a power gain of 3 dbi, five dbi, or even up to 9 dbi, which is poor compared to other available antennas. If your USB Wi-Fi adapter allows an external antenna, you can get a higher gain antenna such a 12 dbi or 24 dbi. Your Wi-Fi range will surely improve as a result of this.
Kali Linux’s Best Wi-Fi Adapters
The most exemplary Wi-Fi Adapters for Kali Linux are as follows:
1. Alfa-AWUS036NH
2. Alfa AWUS036NEH
3. Alfa AWUS036NHA-Wirelss B/G/N USB Adapter
4. Panda PAU06
5. Panda PAU09 N600
6. Alfa AWUS036ACH / AC1200
7. Alfa AWUS1900 / AC1900
8. TP-LINK TL-WN722N 2.4GHz (Version 1)�?
Software Basic Requirements
Throughout the series, you will utilize the following setup.
1. Virtual Machine Workstation (VMware Workstation): you’ll run Kali Linux and wireless link devices on VMWare Workstation 9.0 in this series. You can purchase the most recent version from the official VMWare website.
2. ISO of Kali Linux: Kali Linux ISO can be downloaded directly from the official website. Penetration testing software is pre-installed on open-source operating systems.
1. How To Install Wireless Adapter In Kali Linux Virtualbox
1. When using VirtualBox, go to the Oracle VM VirtualBox menu > Devices > USB > [select your adapter] to attach a wireless adapter to your Kali Linux VM.
2. It may not include the Wi-Fi Adapter’s name, but it may list information about its chipset. That is a TPLINK TL-WN722N 2.4GHz v2/v3 wireless router. The Realtek 802.11n NC is visible.
3. VirtualBox can attach an adapter to your Kali Linux VM automatically. You don’t have to connect it every time manually.
To do so, follow these steps:
1. Shut down the Kali virtual machine if it’s already operating.
2. Connect your PC to your wireless USB adapter.
3. To access the Settings option, right-click your Kali VM. The Settings window will appear, with all configuration choices displayed.
4. Check the Enable USB Controller check box under the USB option.
5. This window will require a USB filter to connect your wireless adapter to the Kali VirtualBox VM.
6. By clicking on the USB symbol with a (+) sign, you can select your Wireless adapter.
Remove the adapter if you’re not sure what it’s called, and the name will disappear from VirtualBox USB.
The “USB Device Filters” section will show your wireless adapter.
By right-clicking on your USB filter, you can close the window. The window will show you all information about your wireless adapter. Next, pick Yes from the Remote drop-down menu.
2. Connect A Wireless Adapter with Kali Linux Vmware Player�?
Hardware Requirements
�?You will have to utilize the following configuration in the given sequence.
One laptop with an inbuilt Wi-Fi card works as an attacker’s device:�? you must use a laptop to mount and run Kali Linux on VMWare and the host (Windows) as a victim’s PC. At least 1 GB of RAM should have an allocation to Kali Linux. It’s because we’ll be running many memory-hungry apps from the collection.
Alfa Wireless Adapter (one): you’ll need a USB Wi-Fi card that supports Packet Injection and Packet Sniffing for the best results.
You’ll need one access point that supports WEP, WPA/WPA2, and WPS security standards. Use the TP-Link MR3420 3G Wireless-N router to clarify the access point.
Online connections: A safe and straightforward link for the best software download and other tests
Software Requirements
Use the following configuration throughout the entire process:
This series will use VMWare Workstation 9.0 to run Kali Linux and connect Wi-Fi devices. VMWare’s current edition can be downloaded from the company’s official website.
Kali Linux is available for download from the official website. It’s an open-source operating system with various penetration testing software pre-installed.
Windows 8/10 as a host machine: To connect to the series’ main Access Point, you’ll need Windows 8 as a victim. The network card on the host machine will be allocated entirely to the host (Windows 8), and the Alfa card will be dedicated solely to Kali Linux (in VMWare) for Attack.
The Process
You may attach a Wi-Fi adapter to your Kali Linux virtual system using VMware Player. To do so, navigate to VMware Player > Player > Removable devices > [your adapter] >Connect in the VMware Player menu (Disconnect host).
It may not include the Wi-Fi Adapter’s name, but it may list information about its chipset. That is a TPLINK TL-WN722N 2.4GHz v2/v3 wireless router. The Realtek 802.11n NC is visible.
Your device has been safely halted and is now detachable from the host computer, according to the notification. It will then connect to Kali Linux using the VMware player.
3. How Can You Use Broadcom Installer To Install The WIFI Adapter In Kali Linux?
1. Using the apt update command, upgrade to Kali Linux in a Terminal window.
2. After installation, clone the Broadcom Installer with the git cloning command. Broadcom Wi-Fi drivers are typically installed on most laptops.
3. After cloning, use the cd command to get to the folder:
4. Then, before executing the automatic bash script, ensure you use the following command to permit it to run: Sudo chmod +x Broadcom. sh
The bash script can then be run by adding the following command:
1. It’s now going to present us with several options. Here, we choose (1) an Install Wi-Fi driver to install and automatically
2. Configure everything.�?
3. Depending on our device’s efficiency and the Internet’s speed, it will take some time.
Please be patient, as this will undoubtedly take some time.
After the installation is complete, this script will restart our computer. So don’t be concerned if it starts up again right away.
Upon reinstallation, the Wi-Fi connectivity will appear in the upper right corner, and we may now use a password to join our PC to the Wi-Fi network.
Conclusion
The majority of today’s smartphones include a Wi-Fi chipset. These built-in Wi-Fi adapters are not suitable for testing Wi-Fi networks in terms of Wi-Fi hacking. Built-in Wi-Fi adaptors have several drawbacks.
Kali Linux has been one of the most extensively used penetration testing operating systems in history.�?
It comes with a set of Ultimate weapons-usable to undertake online application penetration testing, network attacks, and Wi-Fi hacking. It is a vibrant and active community that constantly develops new features and releases updates.
You may now start practicing your wireless hacking skills by booting your Kali VM!