ALFA AWUS036AXM — Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 + Bluetooth 5.2
一句話定位（One-liner）: The AWUS036AXM is ALFA's flagship Wi-Fi 6 dongle — an MT7921AUN AX3000 dual-band adapter with Bluetooth 5.2, USB 3.2, two antennas and, crucially, an in-kernel driver (
mt7921usince Linux 5.18). One stick replaces both your Wi-Fi and your Bluetooth.
規格總覽 (Spec overview)
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Chipset | MediaTek MT7921AUN |
| Wi-Fi class | AX3000 (574 + 2402 Mbps) |
| Interface | USB 3.2 |
| Bands | 2.4 + 5 GHz |
| Antenna | 2 × external 5 dBi, RP-SMA |
| Bluetooth | BT 5.2 (same dongle) |
| MIMO | 2×2 |
| Linux driver | mt7921u — in-kernel since 5.18 |
| Monitor mode | ✅ good |
Overview
The AXM is the modern successor to the beloved AWUS036ACM — MediaTek radio, in-kernel driver, no DKMS pain — but with a whole generation of upgrades: AX3000 speeds (2.4 Gbps on 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.2 riding on the same USB device, and a newer radio that handles crowded environments better.
For Linux users the appeal is the same as the ACM: it just works. Driver in the kernel (need 5.18+, so Ubuntu 22.04+ or recent Kali), monitor mode available via the standard mac80211 path, and the bonus that your WiFi and Bluetooth share one port.
The one caveat: because mt7921u needs a 5.18+ kernel, older OS installs will not see it at all — check the compatibility matrix.
Install & drivers
In-kernel since 5.18 — nothing to compile. See the MT7921AUN driver page for full detail. Verify:
lsusb | grep -i mediatek
iw dev
bluetoothctl list
Expected output: the MT7921U line in lsusb, an interface in iw dev, and a Bluetooth controller in bluetoothctl list (BT may need sudo modprobe btusb).
Advanced usage
Max-speed connect + BT pairing
nmcli device wifi connect "MySSID" password "my-passphrase"
bluetoothctl
power on
scan on
pair <MAC>
Expected output: Wi-Fi activated; Pairing successful for your BT device.
Monitor mode
sudo airmon-ng start wlan0
sudo aireplay-ng --test wlan0mon
Expected output: wlan0mon + injection 30/30: 100%.
Compatibility
| Platform | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kali Linux | ✅ | In-kernel (5.18+) |
| Ubuntu | ✅ | 22.04+ (kernel 5.18+) |
| NetHunter / Android | ✅ | In-kernel, newer kernel required |
| Windows | ✅ | Official driver, WiFi + BT |
| Raspberry Pi / Jetson (JetPack 6) | ✅ | In-kernel |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Not detected on Ubuntu 20.04 | Kernel < 5.18 | Upgrade OS / kernel |
No wlan0 but device seen | Firmware missing | sudo apt install linux-firmware; re-plug |
| Bluetooth absent | btusb not loaded | sudo modprobe btusb |
| Injection 0/30 | Empty channel | sudo iw wlan0mon set channel 6 |
Related resources
- MT7921AUN driver page
- AWUS036AXML — the Wi-Fi 6E, USB-C sibling
- AWUS036AX — cheaper AX1800 alternative
- Ubuntu setup guide / Kali setup guide
- Adapter comparison