Connecting to WiFi in Kali Linux VirtualBox

As a professional IT expert, I've spent over 14 years working in various roles such as support, installation, and networking. Despite my extensive experience, I still face challenges when trying to connect to WiFi using Kali Linux on VirtualBox. In this article, I'll share my experiences and the solutions I've found to help others who may be facing similar issues.

After setting up my Kali Linux virtual machine in VirtualBox, I noticed that it couldn't detect my WiFi adapter. I tried various methods to troubleshoot the issue, including checking the VirtualBox settings and ensuring that the WiFi adapter was enabled. However, nothing seemed to work until I checked the output of my terminal after running Kali.

The output showed that the machine could see the WiFi adapter as a device plugged into the USB port on my host machine, but it couldn't recognize it as an actual adapter. This led me to suspect that the issue might be related to a missing driver within Kali Linux.

After researching online, I discovered that the Realtek 8812BU Wireless Lan 802.11.ac USB NIC is not supported by default in Kali Linux. To resolve this issue, I needed to install a driver for the WiFi adapter. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this.

One method involves using the apt-get package manager to install the necessary drivers. To do this, you'll need to open the terminal and run the following command: `sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install realtek-8812bu-dkms`. Once the installation is complete, reboot your virtual machine and try connecting to WiFi again.

Another method involves manually installing the driver using the VirtualBox Guest Additions. To do this, you'll need to open the VirtualBox settings for your Kali Linux virtual machine and navigate to the 'Devices' tab. From there, click on 'Install Guest Additions' and follow the prompts to install the necessary drivers.

After trying both methods, I was able to successfully connect to WiFi using my Kali Linux virtual machine in VirtualBox. The key takeaway from this experience is that sometimes, resolving connectivity issues requires a combination of troubleshooting and research. By understanding the output of your terminal and researching possible solutions online, you can overcome even the most challenging technical hurdles.

Connect wifi kali linux virtualbox