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Does the Microsoft RTL8153B GigE [Surface Ethernet Adapter] work on Linux?

Driver available. Kernel ID match for r8152 — Linux 6.3+. The driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check which files your device requires.

Technical details

Device category	Ethernet adapter
Bus	USB
Device IDs	`045e:0927`
Kernel driver	r8152
In kernel since	Linux 6.3+

Firmware requirement

The driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check which files your device requires. This is a driver-family list, not a per-device requirement. Optional features and other chips may use different files. Presence is checked against linux-firmware WHENCE File and Link records, including patterns.

Firmware	Manifest check
`rtl_nic/rtl8153a-2.fw`	Listed in WHENCE
`rtl_nic/rtl8153a-3.fw`	Listed in WHENCE
`rtl_nic/rtl8153a-4.fw`	Listed in WHENCE
`rtl_nic/rtl8153b-2.fw`	Listed in WHENCE
`rtl_nic/rtl8153c-1.fw`	Listed in WHENCE
`rtl_nic/rtl8156a-2.fw`	Listed in WHENCE
`rtl_nic/rtl8156b-2.fw`	Listed in WHENCE
`rtl_nic/rtl8157-1.fw`	Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed
`rtl_nic/rtl8159-1.fw`	Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed

Firmware packaging varies by distribution; consult Debian firmware guidance or Arch network setup guidance. A missing manifest entry does not mean the device is unsupported.

Which distros work?

Distro	Kernel	Requirements
Arch Linux	✅ 7.2	Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
Fedora 44	✅ 7.2	Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
Fedora 43	✅ 7.2	Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
openSUSE Tumbleweed	✅ 7.2	Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS	✅ 7.0	Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS	✅ 6.8	Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS	5.15 (driver in 6.3; 6.8 available)	Needs Linux 6.3; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
Debian 13	✅ 6.12	Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements
Debian 12	6.1 (driver in 6.3; 6.12 available)	Needs Linux 6.3; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements

Default kernels as of 2026-10-07; distributions may backport drivers. This table compares kernel ID-table support, not tested connectivity or firmware package availability.

Is this my device?

Run lsusb and look for 045e:0927. Paste IDs into the home lookup.

Sources

drivers/net/usb/r8152.c

Listed ID matches are not hands-on tests of speed, Bluetooth version, or every device feature. See how this works and more Ethernet adapters.