---
name: "if_rtw89"
section: "4"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/if_rtw89"
---

# if\_rtw89(4)

Realtek IEEE 802.11ax wireless network driver

## NAME

**rtw89** – Realtek IEEE 802.11ax wireless network driver

## SYNOPSIS

The driver will auto-load without any user interaction using [devmatch(8)](/devmatch/8.md) if enabled in [rc.conf(5)](/rc.conf/5.md).

Only if auto-loading is explicitly disabled, place the following lines in [rc.conf(5)](/rc.conf/5.md) to manually load the driver as a module at boot time:

```
kld_list="${kld_list} if_rtw89"
```

It is not possible to load the driver from [loader(8)](/loader/8.md).

## DESCRIPTION

The **rtw89** driver is derived from Realtek's Linux rtw89 driver based on Linux version 7.0.

This driver requires firmware to be loaded before it will work. The package *wifi-firmware-rtw89-kmod* from the *ports/net/wifi-firmware-rtw89-kmod* port needs to be installed before the driver is loaded. Otherwise no [wlan(4)](/wlan/4.md) interface can be created using [ifconfig(8)](/ifconfig/8.md). One should use [fwget(8)](/fwget/8.md) to install the correct firmware package.

The driver uses the [linuxkpi\_wlan(4)](/linuxkpi_wlan/4.md) and [linuxkpi(4)](/linuxkpi/4.md) compat framework to bridge between the Linux and native FreeBSD driver code as well as to the native [net80211(4)](/net80211/4.md) wireless stack.

## HARDWARE

The **rtw89** driver supports PCIe devices with the following chipsets:

- Realtek 8851BE Wi-Fi 6  (RTL8851BE)

- Realtek 8852AE Wi-Fi 6  (RTL8852AE)

- Realtek 8852BE Wi-Fi 6  (RTL8852BE)

- Realtek 8852BTE Wi-Fi 6 (RTL8852BE-VT)

- Realtek 8852CE Wi-Fi 6E (RTL8852CE)

- Realtek 8922AE Wi-Fi 7  (RTL8922AE)

## LOADER TUNABLES

- *compat.linuxkpi.skb.mem\_limit*

  If you are running a 64bit system with more than 4GB of main memory you need to set this tunable to **1** in [loader.conf(5)](/loader.conf/5.md) and reboot once to make it effective. This tunable will work around a problem with DMA and limit allocations for network buffer memory to the lower 32bit of physical memory and make the driver work.

## SEE ALSO

[linuxkpi(4)](/linuxkpi/4.md), [linuxkpi\_wlan(4)](/linuxkpi_wlan/4.md), [wlan(4)](/wlan/4.md), [networking(7)](/networking/7.md), [fwget(8)](/fwget/8.md), [ifconfig(8)](/ifconfig/8.md), [wpa\_supplicant(8)](/wpa_supplicant/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **rtw89** driver first appeared in FreeBSD 14.2.

## BUGS

Certainly.

Does not seem to work (reliably) on machines with more than 4GB of main memory. See in the LOADER TUNABLES section above.

We observe various stability issues leading up to driver crashes and kernel panics with the current set of chipsets at least in combination with [linuxkpi\_wlan(4)](/linuxkpi_wlan/4.md).

While **rtw89** supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax modes, the compatibility code currently only supports 802.11a/b/g modes. Support for 802.11n/ac/ax is yet to come.