Running Linux Mint on my desktop, I've so far been forced to run an ethernet cable across the office because there is no built in wi-fi. Besides the ugliness of the blue cable across the room, it's also becoming a tripping hazard, so I'd had enough.

A while back I purchased a TP Link TL-WN823N, an inexpensive wi-fi usb adapter. Plugging it in to the desktop, it's immediately detected and wi-fi is available. It connects to the wi-fi network and runs well. However, after a short time the connection drops out and it tries to reconnect, but this takes a minute or two. I check all the obvious potential issues (the router is on, wi-fi is still running, no major interference from other networks, etc.) but everything seems fine. Eventually it reconnects and everything is back to normal - until it happens again a short time later.

Once it eventually reconnects again, I do some googling and find the chipset that my adapter uses is the Realtek RTL8192CU and that there are issues with it and Linux Mint. Thankfully, the Easy Linux Tips Project website has a great guide to fixing the problem. After following the instructions on the site and rebooting, my wi-fi now works perfectly and hasn't dropped out once.