linux-drivers/
drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7615

MediaTek MT7615 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) chipsets

MediaTek's MT7615 is a 4x4 dual-band 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) chipset that has been used since the late 2010s in consumer and prosumer routers, access points, and mini-PCIe radio modules. Hardware built around it includes Ubiquiti UniFi nanoHD access points and Banana Pi's BPI-MT7615 module, and it remains a common choice in OpenWrt-supported devices.

keep conf=0.90 last_sold=2026 deploy=medium replacement=none subsystem=net category=networking-wireless
90%

recommendation

It should stay in the kernel because the hardware is still sold new in 2025, still deployed in OpenWrt-supported routers and access points, and the code is still receiving real bug fixes upstream — patch traffic on linux-wireless and linux-mediatek through 2024 and 2025 confirms active maintenance. There is also no successor driver these chips could migrate to, so removing it would orphan working hardware.

repository signals

27 files
12,687 source lines
224 commits, 5y
+1,899 / −2,697 lines added / removed, 5y
46 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 224 total · active in 48/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 24 commits · +237 −199 2021-05: 9 commits · +119 −58 2021-06: 15 commits · +195 −147 2021-07: 1 commit · +23 −22 2021-08: 4 commits · +32 −29 2021-09: 5 commits · +29 −10 2021-10: 10 commits · +89 −759 2021-11: 9 commits · +156 −45 2021-12: 25 commits · +206 −506 2022-01: 6 commits · +17 −22 2022-02: 9 commits · +124 −82 2022-03: 6 commits · +83 −18 2022-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-05: 6 commits · +14 −14 2022-06: 16 commits · +55 −273 2022-07: 8 commits · +73 −60 2022-08: 1 commit · +1 −1 2022-09: 1 commit · +3 −12 2022-10: 3 commits · +29 −5 2022-11: 5 commits · +23 −22 2022-12: 3 commits · +114 −96 2023-01: 1 commit · +1 −4 2023-02: 1 commit · +5 −3 2023-03: 3 commits · +33 −62 2023-04: 6 commits · +18 −57 2023-05: 2 commits · +43 −0 2023-06: 3 commits · +31 −36 2023-07: 1 commit · +1 −1 2023-08: 4 commits · +5 −8 2023-09: 1 commit · +1 −1 2023-10: 2 commits · +5 −5 2023-11: 2 commits · +3 −5 2023-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-01: 2 commits · +6 −1 2024-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-05: 1 commit · +4 −0 2024-06: 4 commits · +11 −9 2024-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-08: 3 commits · +17 −36 2024-09: 3 commits · +7 −4 2024-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-11: 1 commit · +1 −1 2024-12: 2 commits · +3 −11 2025-01: 6 commits · +28 −23 2025-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-04: 1 commit · +5 −5 2025-05: 2 commits · +5 −5 2025-06: 1 commit · +7 −4 2025-07: 1 commit · +2 −5 2025-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-09: 1 commit · +5 −4 2025-10: 1 commit · +25 −25 2025-11: 1 commit · +3 −1 2025-12: 1 commit · +1 −0 2026-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-02: 1 commit · +1 −1 2026-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. spinics.net

    A 2025 net patch series still touched mt7615 files (`mt7615/pci.c`, `mt7615/pci_mac.c`), indicating active upstream maintenance rather than retirement.

  2. lists.infradead.org

    A 2024 linux-mediatek patch fixed an mt7615 null-pointer issue, showing real bug-fix traffic on the driver.

  3. wiki.banana-pi.org

    Banana Pi documents a retail BPI-MT7615 mini-PCIe module, states Linux/OpenWrt support, and links purchase channels.

  4. forum.banana-pi.org

    A March 3, 2026 Banana Pi forum post says the user 'ordered a card via aliexpress', which is evidence that new MT7615 modules were still obtainable after 2025.

  5. techinfodepot.shoutwiki.com

    TechInfoDepot lists MT7615-based hardware such as the UniFi nanoHD as OpenWrt-supported with current supported version 24.10.5, suggesting continued real-world deployments.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Real driver directory: mt76/mt7615 contains entry-point code and substantial recent history. Upstream activity was checked via local shell (`git -c safe.directory=... log`) because `lei` was unavailable; the provided static metadata also shows substantive touches through 2025-11-24 with many authors, and web-found mailing-list pages confirm 2024-2025 mt7615 fix traffic. I found no removal/deprecation discussion in web searches of lore-related results, so active maintenance outweighs age. Deployment evidence came from web search results and opened pages: Banana Pi retail/module docs plus a 2026 forum purchase mention show new-stock availability; TechInfoDepot/OpenWrt-facing device pages show MT7615 remains deployed in supported routers/APs. There is no natural replacement driver for the same chips; newer MediaTek parts use other mt76 subdrivers, not a migration target for MT7615 hardware.