What have you tried: Resetting VM, Deleting and re-downloading Kali as a VM, Downloading and updating latest ALFA drivers for WiFi Card (Alfa AWUS036ACH)
What is the error: No error, I just cannot turn on or control USB in Kali VM
What device is this on: Lenova Laptop ThinkPad P52, Windows 11 Home. Virtual Box VM.
I correctly set up a Kali VM in Virtual Box on my Windows 11 Home system. I connected an Alfa AWUS036ACH WiFi AP via USB. I can get the Virtual Box Settings to recognize it and turn that on or off. When I open the Kali machine itself through Virtual Box, it cannot detect the Alfa AP. So I have checked the Settings in Kali VM, and it is not allowing me to turn ON or control USB so that it can detect the WiFi USB. I have spent 5 hours researching it and downloaded all the correct updated drivers just to see if that was the cause. I can get the actual Computer to connect to USB WiFi unit and work, so I know it’s not the USB connection or the drivers.
I am new to using Kali in Virtual Box, so I don’t know if I made an error in setting it up - I am using the latest version of Kali as the VM and it works well otherwise. Any suggestions are appreciated.
I am also not sure if this is an actual Kali issue - it MIGHT be an issue with Virtual Box itself, but I am open to any suggestions that might point me to the resolution. Thank you
When are you plugging in the adapter?
first make sure windows is ignoring it and not capturing it, if you have virtual box set to pass through the USB great, now don’t plug adapter in until AFTER Kali is up and running.
in a terminal ;
lsusb
will show you if it is being passed through or not. Once it is, you will then need to enable it in Kali
Realtek have always been problematic with Linux, have a read of this;
Using lsusb does not show the AP - I have tried lsusb, iwconfig, back and forth - I reset the VM, I reset computer 2 times - I plugged it into the USB and then unplugged and plugged in again several times. I have watched several help videos on this - nothing worked. I do know that Virtual Box does have some USB issues - but it is being recognized by the actual Virtual Box program. You can go into VB settings and USB and it shows that it is connected - and you can turn it on and off there. Once you start the Kali VM - go into Settings and USB - it shows Realtek in the USB but you cannot turn it on - it acts like the Kali VM does not have the privileges or something. But again I have plugged in the AP USB - unplugged - plugged back in - doing that many times - and each time running lsusb, and iwconfig, nothing.
Which is why I linked the article, it included a link to a 3rd party driver package you can install and use a DKMS driver, rather than the in kernel drivers.
Its been my experience that as many of these drivers have know become ‘in kernel’ that they no longer function as they should.
I wrote in initial post that I have already downloaded drivers - and even the one you linked to. It’s not an issue where my computer cannot detect and use the adaptor - I mentioned it works on my computer - but NOT in the Kali VM. It does work on the Virtual Box program - just not on Kali VM. That is why I am asking if anyone knows how to resolve this. I have downloaded several drivers. It works just not in Kali VM.
I am at a point where I am just going to get another adaptor. I did read that this particular driver for this exact WiFi adaptor supposedly got greenlighted for Linux this year - but it does not seem to work.
Realtek chipsets have amazingly bad driver support for linux. Drivers that are or were available at some point, tend to break again when kernels receive updates.
You are not alone with this, realtek chipsets are usually among the cheapest, and lots of adapters use them, and lots of people end up where you are right now, with outdated recommendations for outdated drivers, hoping they find something that works right now.
Or.. people buy an actually recommended adapter.
(or just skip wifi hacking altogether, it has next to no real world relevance anyway)
