The Definitive Guide to Wireless Connectivity for Your Raspberry Pi 3

Find out if your Raspberry Pi 3 has built-in WiFi or needs an external adapter and how to set it up. …


Updated September 5, 2023

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Find out if your Raspberry Pi 3 has built-in WiFi or needs an external adapter and how to set it up. The Raspberry Pi 3 is a versatile, low-cost computer that can be used for various applications. One of the most popular uses is as a home server or media center. To make this possible, you need to connect your Raspberry Pi to the internet via WiFi. But does the Raspberry Pi 3 have built-in WiFi? The answer is yes and no.

Built-in WiFi on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

The original Raspberry Pi 3 Model B has a built-in wireless LAN (WiFi) module that supports the 802.11 b/g/n standards. This means it can connect to wireless networks and communicate with other devices over WiFi. However, this feature is disabled by default, so you need to enable it before using it.

Enabling WiFi on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

To enable the built-in WiFi module, follow these steps:

  1. Open a terminal window and run the following command to check if your WiFi device is recognized by the system:
sudo iwconfig

You should see an output like this:

wlan0     IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=off   
          Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on
  1. Create a new file named wpa_supplicant.conf in the /etc/wpa_supplicant/ directory to store your WiFi network’s settings:
sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
  1. Add the following content to the file and replace your_network_name and your_password with your own values:
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1
country=US

network={
    ssid="your_network_name"
    psk="your_password"
}

Save the file and exit nano by pressing Ctrl + X, then Y to confirm, and finally Enter. 4. Edit the /etc/dhcpcd.conf file to enable WiFi at startup:

sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf

Add the following line at the end of the file:

interface wlan0
static ip_address=192.168.1.10/24
static routers=192.168.1.1
static domain_name_servers=192.168.1.1

Save the file and exit nano as before. 5. Restart the WiFi daemon:

sudo systemctl restart dhcpcd

Your Raspberry Pi 3 should now be connected to your wireless network. Verify this by running ifconfig in a terminal window:

ifconfig wlan0

You should see an output like this, with the IP address assigned by your router:

wlan0: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.1.10  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.1.255

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ and WiFi Adapters

The newer Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ does not have built-in WiFi, so you need to use an external WiFi adapter to connect your device to the internet. There are several options available in the market, ranging from USB dongles to PCIe cards. Here is a list of some popular choices:

  1. Edimax EW-78111Un: This is one of the most affordable and reliable USB WiFi adapters for Raspberry Pi 3. It supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, as well as dual-band concurrent operation for faster speeds.
  2. TP-Link Archer T9E: This PCIe card is a bit more expensive than the Edimax option but offers even better performance with MU-MIMO technology. It supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands as well as dual-band concurrent operation.
  3. NETGEAR WN3010RP: Another popular choice, this USB dongle is compatible with Raspberry Pi 3 and provides a stable connection at an affordable price. It supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands as well.

Setting Up WiFi Adapter on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+

Setting up an external WiFi adapter is similar to the process for the built-in WiFi module, but with some additional steps:

  1. Connect your chosen WiFi adapter to a USB port or PCIe slot, depending on the type you purchased.
  2. Install the necessary drivers and packages for your adapter using apt:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git build-essential
git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtl8192eu_linux_driver.git
cd rtl8192eu_linux_driver
make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe 8192eu

Replace rtl8192eu with the appropriate driver for your adapter if needed (e.g., r8188eu for some NETGEAR adapters). 3. Follow steps 2-5 from the previous section to enable and configure WiFi on your Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ using a WiFi adapter.

Conclusion

The Raspberry Pi 3 has built-in WiFi support, but only in certain models (Model B) and it needs to be enabled manually. If you have a newer model without built-in WiFi (Model B+), you’ll need an external adapter and follow additional steps to set it up. Once configured, your Raspberry Pi will be able to connect to wireless networks and communicate with other devices over WiFi.