Hardware

Selecting a High-Performance Linux Distribution Choosing the right Linux distribution is key to achieving optimal performance on modern computers. Popular options like Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux offer advantages for speed and responsiveness. Ubuntu Ubuntu utilizes the Debian-based APT package manager, providing access to thousands of optimized software packages. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, focuses…

Diagnosing Linux Boot Problems When a Linux system fails to successfully complete the boot process and load the operating system, there are several common culprits that should be investigated first: Corrupted Bootloader Configuration The bootloader is the first piece of software launched when a computer starts up. It is responsible for loading the Linux kernel…

Modern computing systems utilize various layers of software to bridge the gap between physical hardware components and high-level application software. At the lowest level resides the kernel – a core software program that directly interfaces with hardware devices and allows other programs to interact with them via an abstraction layer. Built atop the kernel are…

Troubleshooting Unreliable Wi-Fi on Linux Flaky Wi-Fi connections on Linux can be frustrating to diagnose and resolve. However, identifying the root causes of dropped or lagging connections is the critical first step. Common sources of flaky Wi-Fi include outdated or buggy drivers, poor signal coverage, interference from other devices, overly congested networks, and hardware compatibility…

Locating Your Realtek Wi-Fi Adapter Finding the hardware IDs and driver details for your Realtek Wi-Fi adapter is the first step toward improving its performance. Commands like lspci and checking dmesg outputs can reveal useful information. Finding Hardware IDs and Driver Details Use lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 net to list all network controllers and…

Determining Your Needs When choosing a Wi-Fi card for Linux, first determine what kind of functionality you need. Consider the following factors: Speed – If you simply need basic internet connectivity, a lower-speed 300Mbps card may suffice. For faster file transfers and streaming, consider dual-band 450Mbps+ cards. Single vs. Dual Band – Lower-end cards are…

Identifying the Issue Symptoms of unstable connectivity An unstable Wi-Fi connection with a Realtek USB adapter on Linux may exhibit various symptoms including intermittent connectivity losses, drastically reduced speeds, inability to connect to certain networks, or authentication failures when trying to join wireless networks. These symptoms typically manifest as frequent disconnects, high latency and packet…