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I have tried using multiple WiFi adapters (some USB, some mini-PCIe) as access points, but I can't get any of them to work on the 5 GHz band.

So, no AC and no dual-band N. I've heard it may have something to do with firmware, but I'm not clear on the details. Does anyone know of a USB adapter that actually works as an AC access point in Linux?

K7AAY
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Chris Clawson
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  • You want a USB-attached 5GHz-capable, 802.11ac capable ,WiFi adapter which, under Linux, will also do double duty as a Wireless Access Point for other devices, a la https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/debian-ubuntu-linux-setting-wireless-access-point/ ? Just trying to make sure I understand the objectives and specifications. – K7AAY Apr 16 '20 at 23:45
  • Yes, that's right. – Chris Clawson Apr 16 '20 at 23:52
  • A) Which makes and models have you tried so those, and the chipsets they use, can be ruled out? B) Did you use the hostapd package as suggested in my answer below, or another package? URL to detail very welcome. Opened Netgear Community query https://tinyurl.com/USB5GHZWAP – K7AAY Apr 17 '20 at 15:13

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Numerous 802.11ac-ready 5GHz-capable USB WiFi adapters are on the market.

This article explains how to configure an Ubuntu Linux system to perform double duty with hostapd as a Wireless Access Point, allowing other devices to connect to the web through the PC.

That PC must have a separate WiFi or Ethernet connection to an Internet-connected router or gateway.

Suggest you rule out all Tp-Link USB devices, as per a chat with TP-Link chat support agent Rikka @ 08:33 on 2020-04-17 they don't support WAP configuration.

K7AAY
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  • But which ones actually work as access points on the 5 GHz band? Every one I've tried only works as an AP on 2.4 GHz. Just because an adapter works as a 5 GHz client does not mean it will work as a 5 GHz AP. – Chris Clawson Apr 17 '20 at 01:05
  • A) Which makes and models have you tried so those, and the chipsets they use, can be ruled out? B) Did you use the hostapd package as suggested in my answer below, or another package? URL to detail very welcome. – K7AAY Apr 17 '20 at 15:17
  • Why rule out TP-Link? You might be missing a part of your answer – jaskij Apr 20 '20 at 08:29
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    @K7AAY yeah, but it sounds kind of odd stated like this, like maybe you wanted to add something more but forgot. Out of sheer curiosity I'll try that, although mine is a PCIe model. Fun fact: it's running in Windows with an Asus driver. – jaskij Apr 20 '20 at 15:21
  • @K7AAY I don't remember which exactly, but the story is they both use same BCM internally without bothering to change VID&PID. My Archer T6E cost roughly 60% of the Asus card but TP-Link's drivers at the time were commonly bashed online. Lo and behold, Asus' drivers did work perfectly, I'm able to max my landline 300 Mbit through it with low pings and a stable connection. – jaskij Apr 20 '20 at 15:24
  • You might want to hit wikidevi to find the Asus card. – jaskij Apr 20 '20 at 15:25
  • @Jan Dorniak Found WikiDevi now at https://deviwiki.com/ and the device at https://deviwiki.com/w/index.php?search=TP-Link+Archer+T6E&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go but I can't in good faith make a purchasing recommendation on a device I don't have which is not tested in Linux. – K7AAY Apr 20 '20 at 15:34
  • This question is about USB anyways. The mention of PCIe makes me think this is for a notebook anyways. I'll probably test it out of sheer curiosity over the weekend. – jaskij Apr 20 '20 at 16:41
  • It works out-of-the-box with Manjaro, but I only used it as a client. – jaskij Apr 20 '20 at 16:41