Title: Need WiFi adapter recommendation for Raspberry Pi 4 OpenWrt travel router
Hello,
I'm building a portable VPN router on a Raspberry Pi 4 running OpenWrt 23.05.5 and need help finding a compatible USB WiFi adapter.
PROJECT SPECS:
- Hardware: Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB RAM)
- OS: OpenWrt 23.05.5 (r24106-10cc5fcd00)
- Current setup: Ethernet WAN, built-in WiFi as AP (working)
- VPN: WireGuard/Mullvad (configured and working)
GOAL:
Enable portable mode using dual-WiFi setup:
- Built-in Cypress WiFi → Access Point mode (broadcast network)
- USB WiFi adapter → Client mode (connect to phone hotspot for WAN)
WHAT I'VE TRIED:
-
Alfa AWUS036ACS (RTL8811AU chipset)
- Detected but driver unstable
- Interface enters "disabled/blocking" state
- Does not work
-
TP-Link Archer T2U Nano (newer model with Realtek chipset)
- Same issues as Alfa
- Detected as "Generic MAC80211" but won't stay active
- Does not work
REQUIREMENTS:
- Must work as WiFi CLIENT (not AP) on OpenWrt
- Nano/compact size preferred (but not required)
- MediaTek chipset strongly preferred based on research
- Budget: Under $50 USD
CANDIDATES I'M CONSIDERING:
- MT7601-based adapters (found on Amazon for ~$15)
- Alfa AWUS036ACH (MT7612U) - willing to accept larger size if reliable
- Panda PAU0D (RT5572)
QUESTIONS:
- Can anyone confirm MT7601 chipset works in WiFi client mode on Raspberry Pi 4 + OpenWrt 23.05.5?
- Any other compact MediaTek adapters that are confirmed working?
- Should I avoid certain brands/models even if they claim MediaTek?
Thanks for any help! This is for a personal project to learn networking and VPN implementation.