This is the most common complaint regarding the RTL8188CU, usually caused by operating system power management settings. : Open Device Manager →right arrow expand Network Adapters →right arrow right-click your Realtek adapter →right arrow select Properties →right arrow go to the Power Management tab →right arrow
The RTL8188CU chip is supported by several in-kernel and third-party drivers. The primary native driver for this chipset is the rtl8xxxu driver, which is included in the mainline Linux kernel. For older distributions, the rtl8192cu driver may be used.
The RTL8188CU is widely known for its mature driver support across various operating systems:
In a Reddit discussion, users reported that, despite these limitations, the adapter offered a stable connection and was more reliable than some competing chipsets like the Ralink RT5370 when used with a long extension cable.