A List of USB Wi-Fi Adapters that support Monitor Mode

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.

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.

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)):

1. ZyXEL NWD6605 (Chipset: Realtek RTL8812AU)
2. Alfa AWUS036NHA (Chipset: Atheros AR9271)
3. TP-LINK TL-WN823N (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
4. TP-LINK TL-WN822N (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
5. TP-LINK TL-WN821N (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
6. ASUS USB N13 (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
7. Panda PAU06 USB (Chipset: Ralink RT5372)
8. Panda PAU05 USB (Chipset: Ralink RT3070)
9. Netis WF2123 (Chipset: Realtek RTL8192CU)
10. TP Link AC600 (Archer T2U Plus) (Chipset: RTL8821AU)
11. ALFA AWUS036NEH (Chipset: Ralink RT3070)​​
12. 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:

• Kasens 2000 mw (Chipset: Realtek 8187 L)
• Edimax EW-7711USn (Chipset: Ralink RT2870 / RT3070)
• TP-LINK TL-WN422GC (Chipset: Atheros AR9271)
• TP-Link TP-WN321G v4.1 (Chipset: Ralink RT2870)
• TP-Link TL-WN422G USB 802.11g 100mW (Chipset: Zydas zd1211rw)
• Érize ERZW54-USB04RS1W and ERZW54-USB04RS800 (Chipset: Realtek 8187 L)
• WIFLY-CITY 1500MW 20G and WIFISKY 1000 mw (Chipset: Realtek 8187 L)
• HIGH POWER 500mw USB LAN CARD and freewifilink FL2016G 1000 mw (Chipset: Realtek 8187 L)​​.

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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