Issue with WiFi connectivity on Elementary OS 5.0 Juno.
Issue with WiFi connectivity on Elementary OS 5.0 Juno.
Not always, it hinges on the age of the device. The RTL8821AE received Linux kernel support roughly a year after I purchased my IdeaPad 300-15ISK (around a month after its release). I tested it using beta drivers from third parties because Realtek didn’t provide timely source code. @Stylin80 suggests verifying if your WiFi card can be replaced. Realtek’s networking drivers are problematic—they shift processing to the CPU, which hurts performance and drains battery more on mobile devices. The alternatives like Intel or Qualcomm offer better reliability; Broadcom is decent but closed-source. Intel cards are more accessible, especially through retailers like Fenvi, where you can find an AX200 for about $17. I moved from RTL8821AE to Intel models with better features: Wireless-AC 3165, Wireless-AC 7260 (2x2MIMO), and the Intel 9260 (MultiMIMO). I plan to upgrade to the AX200 once I can afford it, as it supports newer standards and offers solid performance. For budget builds, Intel or Qualcomm are preferable, while Broadcom remains a solid option despite its restrictions. An M.2 PCIe adapter for ~$15 can get you started on desktop setups.
Hello everyone, new to this community but I also own the same laptop JOI BOOK 150. I use elementaryOS and it works great. To fix the Wi-Fi, note that the built-in network only supports 2.4GHz, even on Windows, so expect slower speeds. Download the driver from https://github.com/lwfinger/rtl8723bu. You'll need to compile it yourself along with the Linux headers. These steps should work: sudo apt install make sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname-r) sudo apt install gcc Remove the default Wi-Fi adapter sudo modprobe -r rtlxxxu Unzip your driver and edit the Makefile, comment out the line starting with #. To save these changes permanently, add the rtl8xxxu driver to the blacklist so it doesn't load again: sudo echo "blacklist rtl8xxxu" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf exit Ensure the driver loads with ant_sel=2 settings. Reboot and everything should function properly. If you're curious, I'm launching a blog about setting up elementaryOS on JOI BOOK 150—once everything is ready it's pretty impressive, though it requires some effort. For details, check out my notes here: https://adwilson99.wixsite.com/joi-linux
You appreciated the feedback greatly! It's been quite some time since I tried anything new after the post seemed a bit outdated. I've also looked at your site and found many helpful materials for anyone using JOI Book 150. I don't have my copy right now, but I'm sure I'll try again once it becomes available. Thanks again!