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  • external devices

USB Devices

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

ARROW devices support USB passthrough, allowing you to attach USB devices directly to your virtual machines for testing and operations. This is most commonly used for attaching wireless network adapters for penetration testing.

Supported USB Devices

Section titled “Supported USB Devices”

Wireless Network Adapters

Section titled “Wireless Network Adapters”

The most common use case is attaching ALFA wireless cards for wireless penetration testing:

  • ALFA AWUS036ACH
  • ALFA AWUS036ACHM
  • ALFA AWUS036ACM
  • Other compatible wireless adapters with monitor mode support

Other USB Devices

Section titled “Other USB Devices”

You can also attach:

  • USB Storage: External drives for data transfer
  • USB Security Keys: Hardware authentication devices
  • USB Dongles: Software license dongles and specialized hardware
  • USB Sensors: Specialized testing equipment

Attaching USB Devices to VMs

Section titled “Attaching USB Devices to VMs”

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

Before attaching a USB device:

  • Device must be deployed and accessible via Arrow Manager
  • Virtual machine must be created and running
  • USB device must be physically connected to the ARROW device

Attachment Process

Section titled “Attachment Process”
flowchart LR
    A[Connect USB Device] --> B[Open Arrow Manager]
    B --> C[Go to Proxmox Tab]
    C --> D[Find Your VM]
    D --> E[Click Attach]
    E --> F[VM Restarts]
    F --> G[Device Available in VM]

Step 1: Physically connect the USB device to your ARROW device.

Step 2: Access Arrow Manager dashboard for your device.

Step 3: Navigate to the Proxmox tab.

Step 4: Locate your running virtual machine.

Step 5: In the USB devices section, you’ll see connected USB devices listed with an Attach button.

Step 6: Click Attach next to the device you want to pass through.

Important Attaching a USB device will restart your virtual machine. Save any work in progress before proceeding.

Step 7: Wait for the VM to restart (approximately 30-60 seconds).

Verifying the USB Device

Section titled “Verifying the USB Device”

After your VM restarts, verify the USB device is recognized:

Step 1: Log into your virtual machine via SSH or NoVNC console.

Step 2: Run the following command to list USB devices:

Terminal window
lsusb

Step 3: Verify your device appears in the output. For example, an ALFA wireless card might appear as:

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:8812 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8812AU 802.11a/b/g/n/ac

Step 4: For wireless cards, verify the interface is available:

Terminal window
ip link show

Or check for wireless interfaces specifically:

Terminal window
iwconfig

Detaching USB Devices

Section titled “Detaching USB Devices”

When to Detach

Section titled “When to Detach”

Detach USB devices when:

  • You’re finished using the device
  • You need to attach it to a different VM
  • You’re preparing to return the ARROW device

Detachment Process

Section titled “Detachment Process”

Step 1: Access Arrow Manager dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to the Proxmox tab.

Step 3: Locate your virtual machine.

Step 4: Find the attached USB device and click Detach.

Note Detaching a USB device will also restart your virtual machine.

Step 5: Wait for the VM to restart.

The USB device is now available for use with another VM or can be safely removed from the ARROW device.

Common Use Cases

Section titled “Common Use Cases”

Wireless Penetration Testing

Section titled “Wireless Penetration Testing”

Attaching an ALFA wireless card enables:

  • Wireless Network Discovery: Scanning for nearby networks
  • Packet Capture: Capturing wireless traffic for analysis
  • Monitor Mode: Passive wireless monitoring
  • Wireless Security Testing: Conducting authorized penetration tests

Typical Setup:

  1. Attach ALFA card to your testing VM
  2. Put interface in monitor mode: airmon-ng start wlan0
  3. Use tools like airodump-ng, aircrack-ng, or similar

USB Storage Access

Section titled “USB Storage Access”

Attach USB storage for:

  • Data Transfer: Moving large files to/from your VM
  • Evidence Collection: Storing collected data externally
  • Backup Operations: Creating backups of VM data

Hardware Authentication

Section titled “Hardware Authentication”

Attach USB security keys for:

  • Multi-factor Authentication: Using hardware tokens
  • Cryptographic Operations: Hardware-based key storage

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

USB Device Not Appearing in Arrow Manager

Section titled “USB Device Not Appearing in Arrow Manager”

Symptom: Device doesn’t show in the USB devices list

Solutions:

  • Verify the USB device is firmly connected to the ARROW device
  • Try a different USB port on the device
  • Check that the USB device works (LEDs, power indicators)
  • Refresh the Arrow Manager dashboard
  • Restart Arrow Manager if needed

Device Attached but Not Visible in VM

Section titled “Device Attached but Not Visible in VM”

Symptom: Attachment succeeded but lsusb doesn’t show the device

Solutions:

  • Verify the VM actually restarted after attachment
  • Wait 30-60 seconds for the VM to fully boot
  • Check VM logs for USB-related errors
  • Try detaching and reattaching the device

Attachment Fails with Error

Section titled “Attachment Fails with Error”

Symptom: Error message when clicking Attach

Solutions:

  • Ensure the VM is running (not stopped or paused)
  • Verify the device isn’t already attached to another VM
  • Check that the LUKS encrypted storage is unlocked
  • Contact support if the error persists

Wireless Card Not Entering Monitor Mode

Section titled “Wireless Card Not Entering Monitor Mode”

Symptom: airmon-ng start wlan0 fails or interface doesn’t work

Solutions:

  • Verify the correct driver is loaded: lsmod | grep 88XXau
  • Check interface name may be different: iwconfig
  • Try killing interfering processes: airmon-ng check kill
  • Verify the card supports monitor mode (not all do)

USB Device Performance Issues

Section titled “USB Device Performance Issues”

Symptom: Slow data transfer or device disconnects

Solutions:

  • Avoid using USB hubs - connect directly to ARROW device
  • Check for USB cable issues (try a different cable)
  • For storage devices, verify the filesystem isn’t corrupted
  • Monitor system resources - high CPU can affect USB

Best Practices

Section titled “Best Practices”

Before Attaching

Section titled “Before Attaching”
  • Save your work: VM will restart
  • Verify device compatibility: Not all USB devices work with passthrough
  • Check physical connection: Ensure device is properly seated

During Testing

Section titled “During Testing”
  • Monitor device functionality: USB passthrough can sometimes be unstable
  • Keep track of attached devices: Know which devices are attached to which VMs
  • Document configurations: Note any special setup for future reference

After Testing

Section titled “After Testing”
  • Detach devices when done: Free them for other VMs or users
  • Safely remove storage devices: Unmount before detaching
  • Return devices with equipment: Don’t forget to include USB devices with returns
Section titled “Related Documentation”