atheros ar9271 does not pick up home network on Windows but does on Ubuntu Studio

[sabresong]

I'm posting here because I haven't found an answer anywhere else.

I have an Atheros AR9271 wireless adapter that was left behind by a former roommate. He was using Kali. I'm using Ubuntu Studio 20.4.

When I connected the adapter to my Ubuntu machine, it picks up many networks, including our home network. But when it's connected to Windows it picks up all the same networks except our home network. I suspect the roommate changed something about the adapter.

Is there a way in Ubuntu to reset the adapter, or to force it to locate the home network?

I'm comfortable with using the CLI.

 

[Trml]

If it is a USB device, just leave it unplugged when you boot Linux. Both USB and PCIE wifi adapters usually don't have setting memory. They boot with defaults, the rest is set by the OS (Ubuntu) booting, and does not persist when powered off.

Perhaps the wifi channel is overlapping with other access-points and your Windows does not enumerate all, or a wrong passphrase is set, fails to automatically connect with Windows.
A very rare case would be your home network uses a very unusual channel that is not available world-wide. In Ubuntu it may be pre-set to the correct country, but Windows not.