On a Broadcom BCM4360 (2013 MacBook Air), Flex showed "No Wi-Fi adapter found." lspci detected the chip, but dmesg showed brcmfmac: brcmf_fw_request_done: Firmware file brcm/brcmfmac4360-pcie.bin not found . Google does not allow adding firmware post-install. The machine was Ethernet-only.
Bottom Line Up Front: Chrome OS Flex resurrects old PCs brilliantly— if your Wi-Fi chip is supported. But unlike standard Chrome OS, Flex lacks a driver fallback mechanism. When Wi-Fi fails, it fails completely. For supported hardware (Intel, Atheros, most Realtek), performance is near-native. For Broadcom or legacy USB dongles, you will likely have no connectivity at all. The Core Issue (What Google Doesn’t Emphasize) Chrome OS Flex is not standard Chrome OS. It lacks the Android subsystem and, crucially, does not include proprietary or out-of-tree Wi-Fi drivers . It relies entirely on the mainline Linux kernel’s open-source drivers. If your chip requires a blob (e.g., many Broadcom, Mediatek, or older Ralink chips), Flex will boot to a "No network" screen. The Driver Support Breakdown | Chipset Family | Flex Driver Status | Performance | Typical Device Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Intel (7260, 8265, AX200/210/211) | ✅ Native (iwlwifi) | Excellent – 5/5 | Dell Latitude, ThinkPad, Intel NUC | | Qualcomm Atheros (AR93xx, QCA61x4A) | ✅ Native (ath10k) | Excellent – 5/5 | Older HP, Acer laptops | | Realtek (8821CE, 8822BE, 8723DE) | ⚠️ Partial (rtw88/rtl8xxxu) | Good – 4/5 (may drop signal) | Many low-end Asus, Lenovo IdeaPad | | Broadcom (BCM4313, BCM4360, BCM4352) | ❌ Missing (requires wl or brcmfmac firmware) | None – 0/5 | Older MacBooks, some Dell XPS | | Mediatek (MT76x2, MT7921) | ✅ Good (mt76) | Good – 4/5 | Newer budget Chromebook clones | | Realtek 8812AU/8821AU (USB) | ❌ Missing (out-of-tree) | None – 0/5 | Common Wi-Fi USB dongles | Real-World Test Observations The Good: On an Intel Wireless-AC 8265 (Lenovo ThinkPad T470), Flex connected to 5 GHz (80 MHz channel) at 866 Mbps instantly. Roaming between access points was seamless. Battery drain from Wi-Fi was ~5% lower than Windows 10. The driver survived suspend/resume cycles without needing to re-enter the password.
On a Broadcom BCM4360 (2013 MacBook Air), Flex showed "No Wi-Fi adapter found." lspci detected the chip, but dmesg showed brcmfmac: brcmf_fw_request_done: Firmware file brcm/brcmfmac4360-pcie.bin not found . Google does not allow adding firmware post-install. The machine was Ethernet-only.
Bottom Line Up Front: Chrome OS Flex resurrects old PCs brilliantly— if your Wi-Fi chip is supported. But unlike standard Chrome OS, Flex lacks a driver fallback mechanism. When Wi-Fi fails, it fails completely. For supported hardware (Intel, Atheros, most Realtek), performance is near-native. For Broadcom or legacy USB dongles, you will likely have no connectivity at all. The Core Issue (What Google Doesn’t Emphasize) Chrome OS Flex is not standard Chrome OS. It lacks the Android subsystem and, crucially, does not include proprietary or out-of-tree Wi-Fi drivers . It relies entirely on the mainline Linux kernel’s open-source drivers. If your chip requires a blob (e.g., many Broadcom, Mediatek, or older Ralink chips), Flex will boot to a "No network" screen. The Driver Support Breakdown | Chipset Family | Flex Driver Status | Performance | Typical Device Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Intel (7260, 8265, AX200/210/211) | ✅ Native (iwlwifi) | Excellent – 5/5 | Dell Latitude, ThinkPad, Intel NUC | | Qualcomm Atheros (AR93xx, QCA61x4A) | ✅ Native (ath10k) | Excellent – 5/5 | Older HP, Acer laptops | | Realtek (8821CE, 8822BE, 8723DE) | ⚠️ Partial (rtw88/rtl8xxxu) | Good – 4/5 (may drop signal) | Many low-end Asus, Lenovo IdeaPad | | Broadcom (BCM4313, BCM4360, BCM4352) | ❌ Missing (requires wl or brcmfmac firmware) | None – 0/5 | Older MacBooks, some Dell XPS | | Mediatek (MT76x2, MT7921) | ✅ Good (mt76) | Good – 4/5 | Newer budget Chromebook clones | | Realtek 8812AU/8821AU (USB) | ❌ Missing (out-of-tree) | None – 0/5 | Common Wi-Fi USB dongles | Real-World Test Observations The Good: On an Intel Wireless-AC 8265 (Lenovo ThinkPad T470), Flex connected to 5 GHz (80 MHz channel) at 866 Mbps instantly. Roaming between access points was seamless. Battery drain from Wi-Fi was ~5% lower than Windows 10. The driver survived suspend/resume cycles without needing to re-enter the password. Wifi Driver For Chrome Os Flex