If you’re into wireless pentesting or ethical hacking, the Alfa AWUS036ACH is a go-to Wi-Fi adapter. It consistently ranks in the top 5 for Kali Linux compatibility, thanks to its support for monitor mode and packet injection. However, it’s not plug-and-play—Kali doesn’t support it out of the box. In this post, I’ll walk you through the installation process step by step, based on my recent setup.

Getting Started

Plug the AWUS036ACH into a USB port on your Kali machine using the included cable. Run lsusb to confirm Kali detects the device:

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lsusb

You’ll see it listed on something like Bus 002. That’s good—Kali recognizes the hardware. But check iwconfig:

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iwconfig

No wireless interface shows up yet because the drivers aren’t installed.

Updating Kali Linux

Before drivers, ensure your system is current:

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sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo apt dist-upgrade -y

Reboot after the updates finish.

Installing the Realtek RTL88xxAU Drivers

Install the Realtek drivers package:

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sudo apt-get install realtek-rtl88xxau-dkms

Next, get DKMS for kernel module management:

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sudo apt-get install dkms

Clone the RTL8812AU drivers from GitHub:

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git clone https://github.com/aircrack-ng/rtl8812au.git

Navigate to the directory:

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cd rtl8812au

Build the drivers:

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make

Install them (as root):

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sudo make install

Reboot the system.

Verifying the Installation

Post-reboot, run iwconfig again. You should see two wireless interfaces: wlan0 (built-in) and wlan1 (the new Realtek one).

In Kali’s network manager, look for “Wi-Fi NETWORKS (REALTEK RTL8812AU 802.11A/B/G/N/AC 2T2R)” as an available interface.

Installed Interface

Enabling Monitor Mode

For monitor mode (essential for tools like Aircrack-ng), use these commands (replace wlan1 with your interface):

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sudo ip link set wlan1 down
sudo iw dev wlan1 set type monitor
sudo ip link set wlan1 up

Repeat this each time you need monitor mode, as it doesn’t persist.

Final Thoughts

With this setup, your AWUS036ACH is ready for wireless assessments. It’s reliable for injection and monitoring, making it a staple in my toolkit. If you run into issues (e.g., kernel mismatches), check the GitHub repo for updates. Questions? Drop them in the comments—happy hacking!