1. Reference
  2. Supported devices
  3. Supported WiFi adapters
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Supported Wifi Adapters

We currently tested and provide explicit support for the following WiFi adapters:

  • bcm43143 based adapters

Balena's software validation is only doing a sanity check on features that are commonly required by balenaOS. To run these tests, we use the driver provided by the manufacturer and the NetworkManager/ModemManager support.

Balena cannot guarantee that a modem or chipset is reliable and ready for production from our end. End users should run the necessary tests to validate their use case end-to-end and work with the vendor to resolve issues.

Supported modems

We currently test as part of our release process and provide explicit support for the following modems:

  • USB modems (tested on Raspberry Pi 3, Balena Fin, Intel NUC and Nvidia TX2)
    • Huawei MS2131i-8
    • Huawei MS2372
  • mPCI modems (tested on Balena Fin and Nvidia TX2 Spacely carrier)
    • Huawei ME909s-120
    • Quectel EC20
    • SIM7600E

WiFi USB Dongle

  • Panda N600 Dual-Band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) Wireless-N USB Adapter This USB dongle is based on the Ralink RT5572 chipset and is supported by the generic rt2800usb driver. Tests have been done on the PAU09 model of the Panda N600 Dual-Band USB Adapter and having the firmware version 0.36 from firmware file rt2870.bin

Configuration

Wifi adapters drain a lot of power which unfortunately causes power issues with many devices if you try to hotswap the adapters (adding a WiFi adapter to your device after power-on). Be sure you connect your WiFi adapter prior to switching on your device to avoid instability.

With some of the modems listed in the ModemManager Supported Devices list you may find they struggle to connect, this is most likely due to usb_modeswitch not knowing how to automatically switch the device to modem mode. In these cases you will need to have a look at your modem's data sheet and figure out how to force it to stay in modem mode.

Notes on Raspberry Pi

If you are powering your USB modem from a Raspberry Pi, it is a good idea to enable the full 1.2A current throughput for the USB ports.

Notes on Beaglebone Black

Always run the Beaglebone Black from a 5VDC 1A minimum supply when using a Wifi Dongle. You may also need to use an extension cable to move the dongle away from the planes of the PCB, as often times there is too much interference for the wifi dongles to work correctly. Sometimes standoffs will work. We also have had instances where when placed in a metal case, there can be Wifi issues as well. It will also help to use a dongle with a real antenna on it.

Have a look at this list of wifi dongles that are known to be compatible with the Beaglebone Black. We have seen that the Beaglebone Green does not exhibit these wifi issues and has much better wifi stability overall.