[REVIEW] Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter - Nexus 10 Accessories

This is a review of the Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter (ASIX AX88178 Chipset) with a Nexus 10.
Purpose: To reliably stream to a Nexus 10 HD (720p, 1080i and 1080p) videos from a gigabit connected LAN server with no playback stutter.
Issue: The bed room location is unreliable for WiFi video streaming even with low bit rate transcoded videos. The signal strength fluctuates day-to-day and hour-to-hour. A WiFi repeater could help with low bit rate transcoded videos but not with HD content. This issue is not specific to the Nexus 10 but is consistent for various laptops and other WiFi enabled devices connecting to various WiFi routers.
Solution: Gigabit connected NAS-->ASUS RT-N16 Gigabit router--> D-Link PowerLine AV DHP-501AV Adapters-->Plugable Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter-->microUSB OTG cable-->Nexus 10.
Note: 128-bit AES Data Encryption is performed between the two PowerLine adapters
Product Plus:
1) The Plugable Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter provides consistent throughput 446.5% faster than a single band 2.4GHz WiFi router connection.
2) The Ethernet adapter worked out-of-the-box with Stock JB (4.2.2). The manufacturer claims that compatible drivers have been included with Android kernel 3.3.x and higher. I have no reason to doubt that claim.
3) All NAS videos HD 720p (5,380 Kbps), 1080i (9,643 Kbps), 1080p (11.2 Mbps) and transcoded 640x360 (1,173 Kbps) videos played back without any stutter or audio sync problems. Players used were MXPlayer Pro with Arm v7 with Neon Support, DTS codec set to HW+ and the Feb 19th build of XBMC 13.0-ALPHA1 with ARM7 HW acceleration.
Product Minus:
1) The adapter is slightly bulky (see Pictures)
2) 3% more battery drain than WiFi over an hour with the Nexus 10 idle and screen off (see Pictures)
NOTE: Mobility is not considered a minus in this evaluation given the nature of wired technology.
Test descriptions:
Throughput:
Average throughput was measured by downloading five consecutive times, over http, a 363.4MB file and averaging the download times. Then the average throughput was calculated.
NOTE: This is a USB 2.0 adapter that has a threshold of 480Mbps so the throughput results can never reach Gigabit speeds.
NOTE2: If I could get native CIFS shares working I would have done network share throughput testing as well. Still working on that.
The download and time capture was performed via the terminal commandline:
> date && wget "http://192.168.0.102/testmedia.mkv" && date && rm testmedia.mkv
E.g. test run:
Tue Apr 16 11:10:47 EDT 2013
Connecting to 192.168.0.102 (192.168.0.102:80)
testvideo.mkv 100% |*************************************************| 346M 0:00:00 ETA
Tue Apr 16 11:11:41 EDT 2013
Throughput test results:
1) WiFi with Nexus 10 only 10 feet from the ASUS RT-N16 router. Settings displayed a WiFi 117Kbps connection:
363,432,085 byte file / 167 secs average for 5 test runs = 2,176,240 bytes/sec or 2.08 MB/s
2) Plugable Gigabit Ethernet Adapter connected directly to the ASUS RT-N16 router
363,432,085 byte file / 37.4 secs average for 5 test runs = 9,717,435 bytes/sec or 9.27 MB/s
3) WiFi Vs USB 2.0 Gigabyte Ethernet Adapter connected directly to the ASUS RT-N16 router
9717435.427807487 * 100 / 2176240.02994012 = Ethernet was 446.5% faster
4) Plugable Gigabit Ethernet Adapter connected to the PowerLine Adapter:
363,432,085 byte file / 51 secs average for 5 test runs = 7,126,119 bytes/sec or 6.80 MB/s
5) WiFi Vs USB 2.0 Gigabyte Ethernet Adapter over PowerLine Adapters:
7126119.31372549 * 100 / 2176240.02994012 = Ethernet was 327.5% faster
6) Distance from the router, power adapter inefficiencies and the 128bit encryption overhead between the power adapters results in an 26.6% decrease in throughput Vs a direct router connection:
100 − 6.80 × 100 / 9.27 = 26.6%
Battery consumption:
Battery consumption is an important measurement due to the current inability to charge at the same time that the microUSB port is used for the OTG connection. This is true even when a pogo plug was connected. The notification bar showed that the Nexus 10 was charging but that is a false indicator. Currently even a microUSB OTG Y cable needs a custom ROM to enable concurrent charging and OTG functionality. At the time this review was written no Nexus 10 custom ROM has this capability.
Tested with Tasker650 TX34/Trinity Ten (Performance Control: Ondemand/sio which is the default settings):
1) One hour with no network connectivity (WiFi turned off) to use as a base line. Results: 0% drain
2) One hour with WiFi turned on. Results: 1% drain (see screen shot)
3) One hour with WiFi turned off but the Ethernet Adapter/cable connected to network. Results: 3% drain (see screen shot)
NOTE: The screen was off during these tests
Observations:
To make sure the adapter was functioning it was first tested with a dual boot laptop running Ubuntu 12.10 which worked immediately while Win8 required drivers to be installed. Both had no issues with HD video playback. In fact it seemed no different than using the laptop's native Gigabit Ethernet connection.
Next the Nexus 10 with custom SentinelROM 4.10 with KTManta was tried. The adapter's LEDs never turned on. No attempts could get the Ethernet adapter to work.
A TWRP restore of a rooted stock 4.2.2 backup was performed. After a reboot, with WiFi still enabled, the adapter's green LED turned on but nothing showed in notifications. After turning off WiFi still nothing showed in either notifications or Settings but the adapter's yellow LED flashed and a DHCP IP address was acquired.
Notifications still showed "No Internet Connection" but that was false. Nothing needed to be done to the Nexus 10 or router to acquire a DHCP IP address, it just worked. YouTube (720p) played perfectly but it had done so with just a WiFi connection. Using ES File Explorer CIFS network shares could be access. All videos played back stutter free, this included HD 720p, 1080i and 1080p videos using MXPlayer Pro with the custom DTS codec installed and HW+ decoding set.
Using TWRP a new custom ROM, Tasker650 TX34 and the Trinity Ten kernel, was flashed for the first time. During the subsequent system reboot the Ethernet Adapter was left connected. After reboot and during initial device setup, the WiFi network selection was skipped and the warning message was ignored. The gmail account entry panel was displayed which indicated that a network connection via Ethernet had been established.
The rest of the dialogue continued as if a WiFi connection was available. When the Nexus 10's Google account was being synced the automatic app downloads literally blasted the Nexus 10. It was very cool to watch apps download and install so quickly. All testing was as successful as it was with the Stock ROM. Over time the Ethernet adapter did get warm but never hot.
It seems that not all custom ROM/Kernels have included the necessary drivers to support this Ethernet adapter.
Resources:
Downloads including the latest Windows drivers and Android driver source. The Android driver source seems to be actively maintained with a most recent update of "v4.6.0 2012-05-18".
Relevant FAQs:
Q0004: How can I install AX88178 Linux driver on my Android tablet PC?
A0004: Driverless operation with all Chromebooks, some Android Tablets (including ASUS Transformer Prime / Infinity tablets), and Linux 3.3+ is currently provided, but end user installs can not be done. To install the AX88178 Linux driver on your Android tablet PC, you have to recompile AX88178 Linux driver source on your target Android tablet platform and then you can install the compiled AX88178 Linux driver on your Android platform. It can only be done by the manufacturer of your Android tablet PC. Please contact the support guys of the manufacturer for further support if necessary.
Q: What do the green and amber LEDs on the Plugable Ethernet adapter indicate?
A: The green link LED is an indication that the Ethernet cable plugged into the adapter is live and it stays steady as long as the live cable is plugged in. The blinking amber activity LED is an indication that data is transferring through the adapter.
A: Both of these LEDs will not light up when:
1) The adapter is not receiving enough power because it is plugged into a port that does not provide the required 500mA of power
2) The drivers for the adapter have not installed properly or is corrupted
3) The Ethernet Cable plugged in is not live or is faulty
4) The adapter has failed
Q: I cannot use DHCP so how can I specify a static IP address, netmask and gateway?
A: In a terminal session or in a shell script:
> ifconfig eth0 <IP address> netmask <IP mask>
> route add default gw <gateway address> eth0
E.g.
> ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.103 netmask 255.255.255.0
> route add default gw 192.168.0.1 eth0
Q: How do I toggle the Ethernet connection from a command line:
A: In a terminal session or a shell script:
> ifconfig eth0 up
OR
> ifconfig eth0 down
Q: How do I find the Ethernet adapter's IP address
A: In a terminal session:
> ifconfig eth0
Pictures:

Nice review! Maybe I missed it, but did you test the maximum speed the adapter will provide without any of the additional hops (e.g., wi-fi or ac-power lan)? Like the N10 via adapter directly into a wired switch or directly into a computer? My 10/100 adapter does a full 100 Mb/s (12.5 MB/s) connected to my N10. The fastest test speed I saw in your message was 9.27 MB/s for a direct connect to your ASUS RT-N16 router.
Just trying to decide if there's any benefit to my getting the 10/100/1000 adapter to replace my current 10/100 adapter.

tvBilly said:
... Maybe I missed it, but did you test the maximum speed the adapter will provide without any of the additional hops (e.g., wi-fi or ac-power lan)? ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The most direct connection, that I tested, was an gigabit wired Ethernet NAS-->router-->N10. Top speed of 9.27 MB/s. When you got your "full 100 Mb/s (12.5 MB/s) " how was the throughout measured?
My transport method was http, using another method such as a NFS or CIFS share would likely change those results. Which is why I mention how I derived the statistics and used percentages which are more comparison friendly. I could have done the data transfer using CIFS shares via ES File Explorer and manually time the transfer speeds but when you are measuring seconds that becomes inaccurate.
In any case it has been a whole week or so using the Gigabit Ethernet adapter and it has eliminated the issues that possessed me to buy it in the first place. For my use of the Nexus 10 this was money well spent.

Thank you very much for doing this. I was following this in the other thread and am happy to see your results so thoroughly laid out.

Some additional comments
I finally have CIFS network shares working so did additional testing:
Plugable Gigabit Ethernet Adapter connected directly to the ASUS RT-N16 router using CIFS instead of HTTP for file transfer
363,432,085 byte file / 25.6 secs average for 5 test runs = 14,196,565 bytes/sec or 13.54 MB/sec
I purchased an OTG microUSB Y-Cable and a 7 port powered USB hub to see if I could offset the Ethernet adapter's power requirements.
Base line from previous tests one hour, no charging, no other activity and screen off:
1) N10 supplying all power:
> 2% battery drain per hour with WiFi
> 3% battery drain per hour with Ethernet Adapter
2) micoUSB OTG Y-Cable (USB->Etherent adapter and microUSB female connector->N10 charging cable->n10 charger->wall socket)
> 2% battery drain per hour
3) microUSB OTG Y-Cable (USB->7 Port powered USB hub->Ethernet Adapter and microUSB female connector->NOT USED)
> 2% battery drain per hour
In both #2 and #3 the Ethernet adapter's power requirements were not services by the N10. Hopfully one day a custom ROM will be developed which will allow the Pogo cable to charge the N10 while an OTG device is used.
The 7 port USB hub concurrently allowed access to 2 USB SD cards, a powered USB HDD and the Ethernet adapter. An extreme test but it worked very well. Adding a Microsoft wireless mouse worked but overwelmed the USB hub's ability to power all the devices. I did not do extensive testing as to the USB hub's power theshold.

Thanks for the detailed tests!
You say that plugging a Pogo cable while using an OTG USB cable does not charge the device. Are we talking about the "official" Pogo cable (web site pogocable)? That was my best bet: use the OTG USB RJ45 cable while connected with the Pogo cable to recharge the device. Even if the RJ45 adapter would take more power than the Pogo adapter can charge, it would at least let me use the RJ45 adapter a little bit longer.

CookingNapalm said:
... You say that plugging a Pogo cable while using an OTG USB cable does not charge the device. Are we talking about the "official" Pogo cable (web site pogocable)? That was my best bet: use the OTG USB RJ45 cable while connected with the Pogo cable to recharge the device. Even if the RJ45 adapter would take more power than the Pogo adapter can charge, it would at least let me use the RJ45 adapter a little bit longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the "official" Pogo plug sold online or on Amazon. The issue is not with the Pogo plug but is with stock and custom ROMs as once a microUSB OTG cable is connected all charging is stopped even if the microUSB OTG cable could charge (Y-Cable) or through the Pogo plug. This is a design error and I read that at least on the Nexus 7 people are working to patch the issue.
Of course you can get fooled as the N10 will show the charging icon but it is not actually charging. That had me living in blissfull ignorance for a while until testing proved the charging icon to be bogus. Right now I think a OTG Y-Cable or a powered USB hub is the only option to reduce the Ethernet adapters power drain on the N10.

Related

Wired Ethernet Adapter

I just tried an experiment, and much to my surprise and delight, it worked.
I hooked up an Apple USB to Ethernet adapter (which I use with my original MacBook Air) to the N10 via a micro USB to OTG USB adapter, turned off the N10's WiFi, and the N10 connected just fine via the adapter to my wired Ethernet.
There is no extra software or driver needed on the N10. There are no N10 settings whatsoever for wired Ethernet that I could find, and my DHCP server on the wired Ethernet just gave the N10 its IP and gateway and DNS automatically. Turn off the N10 WiFi and connect the wired Ethernet, and it works just as expected. Unplug the wired connection and turn on the N10 WiFi, and the WiFi connection works just as expected.
No interference at all with StickMountPro which I have installed, (though StickMount isn't working reliably for me at all on the N10).
For those of you who don't happen to have an extra Apple USB to Ethernet adapter hanging around, there is a MUCH MUCH cheaper adapter available from BobjGear which is reported to work great with the Nexus10 (and many other Android tablets as well). The BobjGear store on Amazon has it here for about $17. The main BobjGear web site mentions that it works with the N10, as does a message BobJ left on another forum, even though the Amazon ad doesn't appear to be updated to reflect that it works with the N10 yet. If you don't already have a micro USB to OTG adapter, BobjGear sells them too, also cheaply, along with hdmi adapters, and you can get them for a buck off if you buy at the same time as the Ethernet adapter. Note that not only am I not a BobjGear shill, I haven't even purchased any BobjGear stuff since I already had everything I needed, but $17 is less than (Apple's) $29...
Wow very cool find, definitely a niche use case but something I would certainly throw in my bag of tricks.
I see what you did.... Edit: cool to have when places don't have WiFi.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda premium
leyvatron said:
I see what you did.... Edit: cool to have when places don't have WiFi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what I did , but that's exactly when I plan on using it (and why I was investigating it in the first place). I have a need to run a shell terminal into a device that's on the LAN, but the LAN isn't available wirelessly. Not sure I can think of any other time I'm going to need it, but as was mentioned by punzada, it's nice to have in your bag of tricks. (And since I already had the Apple adapter and OTG adapter, it didn't cost me a dime).
I have yet to check out how well things go when I set my Galaxy Nexus phone to wireless tether and connect to it from the N10. I expect to use this mode way more than direct Ethernet connect. My GN has been providing me 35Mb/s downloads via NYC Verizon LTE, and I expect it to work the same for my N10 as it does for my AirBook. The N10 has much better WiFi than the AirBook.
Next I need to figure out why my NFC doesn't seem to work properly...
Has anyone tried using the Startech usb -> ethernet adapter with their N10?
http://ca.startech.com/Networking-I...gabit-Ethernet-NIC-Network-Adapter~USB21000S2
I'm using SentinelRom 4.00 (CyanogenMod 10.1, 4.2.2 base ) and well, I get nothing, no network connection at all.
I've tested the adapter on an actual computer ( both Mac & Win ) so I know it's not the adapter itself that isn't working.
What I don't understand is why some brands of this type of adapter would work over the others - I would think that they'd be more or less identical.
However, I know this post is from half a year ago practically so I'm not sure if it's the OS itself that has changed or if it's something with the particular custom ROM I'm using.
Astriaal,
If you have access to the router logs, I would check if that device is even seeing your N 10.
Possiblities to investigate:
1) The router may have MAC filtering turned on where it will only issue an IP through DHCP for devices on a list. In most cases a device has different MAC values for WiFi versus their Ethernet connection.
2) Your N10/Router may not have compatible DHCP settings so you are not getting an IP address from the router
3) You forgot to turn off the N10 WiFi before trying to connect through the Ethernet adapter as described in the first post.
4) You require an OTG microUSB to USB cable rather than a regular microUSB to USB cable. OTG cables have circuitry in their connection plugs. Your N10 charging cable does not have the OTG circuitry. See this quote "Works with all tablets and docking stations having a full-sized USB port. Also works with Micro-USB-OTG and Mini-USB-OTG by adding BobjGear OTG Adapter cable. Also Ultrabooks, Macbook, Windows, Linux, Mac, ChromeOS." From a compatible Android Ethernet adapter: http://www.amazon.com/BobjGear-Ethernet-Ultrabooks-ChromeOS-Included/dp/B007RTACDM
Good Luck
tvBilly said:
There is no extra software or driver needed on the N10. There are no N10 settings whatsoever for wired Ethernet that I could find
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What ROM are you running? This is extremely interesting if you are completely stock/locked, slightly less helpful (in my case) if unlocked, rooted and custom ROM...
Couldn't see this info mentioned...
Stock ROM. Unlocked and rooted.
chaosdefinesorder said:
What ROM are you running? This is extremely interesting if you are completely stock/locked, slightly less helpful (in my case) if unlocked, rooted and custom ROM...
Couldn't see this info mentioned...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used this function on my stock/locked Xoom. I would expect the same from my N10. It seems not all adapters work though. I was using an old Netgear USB adapter.
just found this thread via search
nice to hear that usb -> ethernet adapteres seem to work on the n10.
do you guys have any experience with battery usage with those adapters.
or is there any (custom made) solution for charging and using an adapter at the same time? This would be awesome as some kind of dock.
could using a powered usb hub work? i guess not since usb hubs do not power the host.
edit:
little more searching lead to this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009YPYORM/?tag=stackoverfl08-20
people in the comments say that custom kernel with enabled otg charging mode has to be used ? are there any experiences ?
jmueck said:
... is there any (custom made) solution for charging and using an adapter at the same time? ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although my USB Ethernet adapter has not arrived yet, I intend to use my pogo plug charger and the OTG cable/Ethernet adapter at the same time. I have tested Pogo plug charging while using an OTG/SD card reader. Concurrent Pogo charging while accessing OTG attached storage was a non issue, so I do not expect the Ethernet adapter to be any differently.
I did take a chance on which USB Ethernet adapter to purchase, going with the only Gigabit Ethernet USB adapter I could find. The ones on Amazon are only "Fast" Ethernet (100 Mbit/s). Anpou USB 2.0 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
The one thing I've noticed is that removing an OTG connected device has caused the N10 to reboot. I attribute that issue to not unmounting the USB SD Card reader before detaching (Settings->Storage->Unmount USB. Scroll to the bottom for that setting). Although I have had one instance of a reboot just by attaching the USB SD card reader.
Considering I just received the OTG cable I am not ready to blame the custom ROM. I need to investigate further including asking questions in the ROM's thread. Right now I am using the custom ROM SentinelROM v4.10 and the KTManta kernel.
I suspect that all OTG ready ROM's can do what this one can. When my Ethernet adapter arrives I will post on how things worked out.
3DSammy said:
When my Ethernet adapter arrives I will post on how things worked out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks a lot. would be awesome if that works out. using usb tethering as a virtual network connection kind of sucks
1st round TKO
Well that was a bust. My Ethernet adapter arrived yesterday but they did not ship what was advertised. As in my post above I ordered a Gigabit USB adapter and I received a Fast Ethernet adapter. The invoice says one thing and the adapter and its packaging another. The SKU number on the invoice, their web site and the packaging all matched so it is likely they do not have a Gigabit Ethernet adapter. Obviously I have contacted the retailer asking for a full refund.
The adapter could be easily taken out of the packaging so I gave it a try and here is what I found (All tablet testing was performed with a proven OTG microUSB to USB connector):
1) It works as a 100Mbps Ethernet adapter with my laptop. Interesting that it was not recognized by Win8 but it would auto-connect under Ubuntu 13.04. Speeds were what you would expect. As I was only trying to prove that the adapter functioned, I did not try to install the MS-Windows software that came with the adapter (mini-CD).
2) When connected to my Nexus 10 the router's front panel light turned on for the port it was attached to but it did not flash in anyway which usually shows network traffic or obtaining a DHCP IP address. At no time did the router show the adapters MAC as a connected device or was there any related log activity to show a DHCP request. This was consistent for all test with all ROM combinations including stock. I obtained the MAC address during the initial laptop funtionality test.
3) I eventually tried three ROMS (rooted Stock, SentinelROM with KTManta and finally rasbeanjelly). Then after much goggling I found this comment on XDA: A Chinese device Model No:KY-RD9700 doesn't work, which of course is what I was shipped.
I have not given up on a USB Gigabit Ethernet Adapter:
1) I contacted the supplier about this order and ask for a refund based on false advertising. Results are pending
2) After checking around I found the main issue is that the stock kernel only supports Ethernet for specific chip sets. If you have an unsupported chip set you can try to add support to a custom ROM assuming your have the skills. This whole thread is interesting but this post is good for how someone added support for their unsupported adapter.
3) I found that the chip "ASIX AX88178 Controller" is supported out-of-the-box for "Driverless operation with all Chromebooks, some Android Tablets (including ASUS Transformer Prime / Infinity tablets), and Linux 3.3+". Of course JellyBean has a Linux 3.4.x Kernel.
There are two popular out of the box supported USB Ethernet adapters:
1) 10/100Mbps "BobjGear USB to RJ45 Compact Fast Ethernet Adapter made for Android Tablets". This products success has been mentioned by a number of people.
2) 10/100/1000Mbps "Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter (ASIX AX88178 Chipset)". This one was mainly mentioned as working by Asus Transformer users.
I just ordered #2 above.
Should arrive late next week and will write an update at that time.
One last piece of advise which may be of value:
"Make sure you plug everything into the adapter/OTG cable BEFORE plugging it into your N7. While using a mouse/keyboard/hub I noticed if you plug the OTG cable in first and then a peripheral, the N7 won't recognize it."
Outstanding detective work; it'll be interesting to see if any of the gigabit ethernet adapters will work, and if one does, what kind of data rates you get. I get 100Mb/s out of my Apple (10/100) adapter, but who knows how close to the USB 480Mb/s limit a gigabit adapter can get.
One thing I never figured out was how to manually set the N10's IP/Netmask/Gateway. A DHCP server on the LAN does the trick, but there's one place I work that doesn't have a DHCP server, and relies on manually set IP info. There's probably some Linux command or .conf file that can do it, but I don't know it...
3DSammy said:
Well that was a bust. My Ethernet adapter arrived yesterday but they did not ship what was advertised. As in my post above I ordered a Gigabit USB adapter and I received a Fast Ethernet adapter. The invoice says one thing and the adapter and its packaging another. The SKU number on the invoice, their web site and the packaging all matched so it is likely they do not have a Gigabit Ethernet adapter. Obviously I have contacted the retailer asking for a full refund.
The adapter could be easily taken out of the packaging so I gave it a try and here is what I found (All tablet testing was performed with a proven OTG microUSB to USB connector):
1) It works as a 100Mbps Ethernet adapter with my laptop. Interesting that it was not recognized by Win8 but it would auto-connect under Ubuntu 13.04. Speeds were what you would expect. As I was only trying to prove that the adapter functioned, I did not try to install the MS-Windows software that came with the adapter (mini-CD).
2) When connected to my Nexus 10 the router's front panel light turned on for the port it was attached to but it did not flash in anyway which usually shows network traffic or obtaining a DHCP IP address. At no time did the router show the adapters MAC as a connected device or was there any related log activity to show a DHCP request. This was consistent for all test with all ROM combinations including stock. I obtained the MAC address during the initial laptop funtionality test.
3) I eventually tried three ROMS (rooted Stock, SentinelROM with KTManta and finally rasbeanjelly). Then after much goggling I found this comment on XDA: A Chinese device Model No:KY-RD9700 doesn't work, which of course is what I was shipped.
I have not given up on a USB Gigabit Ethernet Adapter:
1) I contacted the supplier about this order and ask for a refund based on false advertising. Results are pending
2) After checking around I found the main issue is that the stock kernel only supports Ethernet for specific chip sets. If you have an unsupported chip set you can try to add support to a custom ROM assuming your have the skills. This whole thread is interesting but this post is good for how someone added support for their unsupported adapter.
3) I found that the chip "ASIX AX88178 Controller" is supported out-of-the-box for "Driverless operation with all Chromebooks, some Android Tablets (including ASUS Transformer Prime / Infinity tablets), and Linux 3.3+". Of course JellyBean has a Linux 3.4.x Kernel.
There are two popular out of the box supported USB Ethernet adapters:
1) 10/100Mbps "BobjGear USB to RJ45 Compact Fast Ethernet Adapter made for Android Tablets". This products success has been mentioned by a number of people.
2) 10/100/1000Mbps "Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter (ASIX AX88178 Chipset)". This one was mainly mentioned as working by Asus Transformer users.
I just ordered #2 above.
Should arrive late next week and will write an update at that time.
One last piece of advise which may be of value:
"Make sure you plug everything into the adapter/OTG cable BEFORE plugging it into your N7. While using a mouse/keyboard/hub I noticed if you plug the OTG cable in first and then a peripheral, the N7 won't recognize it."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This post just got me to subscribe to a thread that I was otherwise just casually checking in on... Great job! Thanks for the legwork!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Manually setting static IP/netmask/gateway commands
tvBilly said:
... One thing I never figured out was how to manually set the N10's IP/Netmask/Gateway. ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well here is what I read during my investigations. You will need to be rooted and have busybox installed. Using Script Manager (no ads) paid version you can execute scripts from widgets without opening the console. I suspect there other other ways to get bash scripts run from the home screen without buying Script Manager.
Command lines all run in a terminal/console session.
Setting the IP/netmask/Gateway:
> ifconfig eth0 <IP address> netmask <IP mask>
> route add default gw <gateway address> eth0
These next two commands can also be done through the settings panel or at least in theory.
Turn Ethernet on:
> ifconfig eth0 up
Turn Ethernet off:
> ifconfig eth0 down
Check the Ethernet assigned IP:
> ifconfig eth0
List network devices:
> ls /sys/class/net
Note: wlan0 is WiFi just like on every Linux WiFi capable computer. During my failed attempts with the bad Ethernet adapter this command never listed a "eth0" no matter which ROM I used. Hopefully "eth0" auto-magically appears when a working OTG/Ethernet adapter is attached.
You may need to have previously set up your router with a static IP that is assigned to your Ethernet adapter's MAC value or know an unused IP for that network. Be aware that I have not tried this myself. I also do not know if you need to connect the OTG/Ethernet adapter before issuing any of the commands. I suspect that "eth0" is only available AFTER you make the physical connection.
One thing I did not mention in my last post was that when you see someone that found a working cheap Ethernet adapter from China, be cautious. The reason is that the manufacturers do not consistently use the same chip set in every production run. So a specific brand works for one person but not another. It can be a crap shoot.
The exception is the "BobjGear" adapter where that manufacturer guarantees that they use Android compliant chip sets in their Ethernet Adapters. Other than that you need to be able to verify which chip set is used against those that stock Android supports out-of-the-box OR have the talent to add the right drivers to a custom ROM. I have no idea just yet if JellyBean (4.2.2) custom ROM developers remove or alter the stock Ethernet adapter support for any reason.
I hope the commands work for you.
Thanks for the info, and the pointers to the Nexus 7 thread about it; I'll try the static commands out next week when I get to a LAN that doesn't have a DHCP server. I already have the paid script manager app.
Did you (or anyone) ever find out if the gigabit ethernet adapter here works? It uses the ASIX AX88178 Controller.
tvBilly said:
... Did you (or anyone) ever find out if the gigabit ethernet adapter here works? It uses the ASIX AX88178 Controller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the one I just ordered and have not received yet. Likely get it next Friday or so.
Finally a working Gigabit Ethernet USB Adapter
Just a quick note, my "Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter (ASIX AX88178 Chipset)" arrived two days early and it worked without issue with a rooted Stock v4.2.2. ROM. I do not think you even have to be rooted but I never tested that.
DHCP was automatic AFTER you turn off WiFi through the Settings panel. At no time was there any indication in either Notifications or the Settings panel that the Ethernet cable was even attached. But all the same it worked like a champ and resolved my CIFS share, HD video playback issues (720p, 1080i and 1080p).
The custom ROM I was using did not work at all, even the adapter lights did not turned on. I had to restore my rooted stock nanadroid backup to get it to work. I will write a more thorough commentary after a lot more testing but if you wanted a Gigabit Ethernet adapter for your Nexus 10 then at least it works for me.
Sounds like it's working exactly the same as my 10/100 adapter. I'm using a stock rooted (4.2.2) ROM as well, and have never tried a 3rd party ROM on my N10, just on my GN (running the current version of "Shiny"). I still haven't had a chance to try the linux commands to manually set the IP/MASK/GATEWAY yet (thanks again for the info).
Interested to hear what throughput you get. Hopefully it's closer to the USB 2.0 limit (480Mb/s) than the 100Mb/s I get from my current adapter.

Chromecast on wired connection

FYI, if you are using the Chromecast (wired) Ethernet adapter ($15 shipped from Play Store, appears to be a Realtek chip) or another supported wired USB-Ethernet adapter via OTA cable, you do NOT need to give Chromecast with your wireless network information.
You still need to run Chromecast setup, but if it has a wired connection all you set is name, guest access and usage reports. No country or wireless info required.
This is all that gets put into the config files by setup:
Code:
ctrl_interface=/data/wifi
update_config=1
country=US

Ethernet Adaptor for original and new Chromecasts - from Ugreen - what a difference!

I don't know whether any of you know, but UGreen have just bought out an Ethernet adaptor for the original and new Chromecasts, and what a difference it makes! Despite not being too far from my WiFi router, I was really having stuttering problems with my original Chromecast in my garden office; it really shouldn't have 'cos the signal was good, but I think I was getting interference from the laser cutter and 3D printer running at the same time. Electrical noise really doesn't help with streaming via WiFi.
Anyway, I've been looking for a way to improve it for a while, until I came across this new cable. You plug in the microUSB to the Chromecast as usual, and the other end to the power, and the third 'end' (!) has an ethernet port! Worked first time! I was expecting to have to reset the device so that it would use ethernet in preference, but nope, it defaulted to the Ethernet connection. Now streaming is flawless!
Thoroughly recommend this if you've got the same problem.
Google USB Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast
GeekyTim said:
I don't know whether any of you know, but UGreen have just bought out an Ethernet adaptor for the original and new Chromecasts, and what a difference it makes!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not use the original Google USB Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast (for $15, cable length: 2 meters, power supply inlcuded!)?
Which UGreen adapter do you use? Please post a link.
Edit: UGREEN Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast with Micro USB to RJ 45 Ethernet Adater for Chromecast with Power Supply (for $14.99, cable length: 1 meter, power supply NOT inlcuded!)
SGH-i200 said:
(for $14.99, cable length: 1 meter, power supply NOT inlcuded!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Power supply not included, but my guess is that you can power it up via the TV's usb port? Which actually is a selling point, if that works. I power my Chromecast with a usb connected to the TV, and feel that it's a bit "meh" having to plug it in to an actual power socket, when I have a perfectly good (less clunky) alternative.
Chromcast Ultra needs more power than the USB port on the TV can supply!
KaffeMyers said:
Power supply not included, but my guess is that you can power it up via the TV's usb port? Which actually is a selling point, if that works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it work? The Chromcast Ultra needs more power than the USB port of the Samsung LE32C679 TV can supply! https://www.amazon.de/review/R2XUTU...etail-glance&nodeID=340843031&store=computers
Chromecast with ethernet adapter powered by TV
KaffeMyers said:
I power my Chromecast with a usb connected to the TV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the Chromecast is not powered by the TV, it will not switch off with the TV!

How can I use USB ethernet adapter?

Hello,
I am using China Stable MIUI 9.
Is there any way to use a USB Ethernet Adapter with the Mi Max 2?
Is there any ROM that would support it?
To use the plugable adapter, I think it requires driver support for ASIX AX88179 chipset -- nobody in the Xiaomi forum could tell me whether it did, so I'd like to know. too. I'm also trying to find out whether the displaylink software enables connection to a displaylink equipped monitor, since it lacks MHL. There's definitely a software solution, or I wouldn't be able to get display out with usb screencasting apps (unfortunately, the only ones that work properly require a log in and monthly subscription -- I'd be glad to buy an app, not one I can't use without being online).
Yes, the kernel must definitely have the driver included for the USB ethernet adapter chipset.
Is there any ROM/kernel that supports it?
did you manage?
binser said:
Hello,
I am using China Stable MIUI 9.
Is there any way to use a USB Ethernet Adapter with the Mi Max 2?
Is there any ROM that would support it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, one and a half year after you, I'm facing the same problem. Did you find the solution?
No. My conclusion is that AFAIK there are none.
I'm not a Linux expert, but I think the kernel should have drivers for whatever Adapter (chipset) you use. I use TP-LINK USB to gigabit adapter with USB C OTG adapter and it works in MI Max 2. But my USB C to gigabit ethernet Belkin adapter doesn't work with MI Max 2. In the hw diagnostics menu the Belkin adapter gets detected as OTG, but looks like the chipset drivers are not there in the kernel.
Could you please help us by giving us links to the adapters that work with your Mi Max 2?
And please also give us the exact MIUI or alternate ROM version, Android version, and kernel version you got them running on?
You're right ~ the drivers are mainly in the kernel, but to keep the kernel lean, the manufacturers remove drivers they think are not needed.
I'm very frustrated with that, too.
Did you find the solution? Im also interested in ethernet connectivity on my Mi max 2
I haven't actually tried it yet, but from my research it could be the TP-Link UE300 adapter that is working. Even in its description it claims compatibility with Android (but you also need an adapter USB - A female to USB - C male).
Please let us know if you succeed.
I have found that all USB Ethernet GB adapters that are compatible with the Nintendo switch (f. e. several ugreen or baseus models) are working with Smartphones that contain a relatively modern Qualcomm SoC (at least 2 years, maybe even 3+ years old).
Reason is that these adapters are powered by an Asix chip, whereas the Realtek chips in many USB to Ethernet adapters do not have the driver in the Android / Linux kernel present by default.
Adapters with Asix chip are just plug and go. Do it in airplane mode and then after a minute you will have internet connectivity. You won't get an icon in the status bar like the Wi-Fi icon, it will just work unannounced. Much faster and more reliable internet connection than Wi-Fi and no radiation - just the same speed as if you plug an ethernet cable into a computer. Play store works like that too. Tested with Xiaomi Mi Max 2 & 3, RN9s, R5+ on standard global Roms and other models from different manufacturers.
Disadvantage: They use a good amount of battery juice, around 120-200mA. You also cannot extend the USB cable too much, maybe 30-40 cm is okay, otherwise the adapter will stop working.
please have a link of those adapters?
€ 12,68 36%OFF | Baseus USB Type C Ethernet Adapter USB-C to RJ45 Lan Adapter Network Card USB A 3.0 Converter for Windows 10 Macbook Pro Switch
https://a.aliexpress.com/_BOZKXN

Ethernet and hubs?

I'm looking to buy an Ethernet adapter for my s5e. Obviously it has to be USB-C.
I bought a BL10V hub with Ethernet, audio, video, SD, PD, and USB2&3 ports.
Everything works except the Ethernet! I am using LineageOS, but same on stock ROM. I have no other USB-C hosts to test it on. I've ordered a C to A adapter so I can try it on my laptop, but is that going to give reliable results, how backward compatable is it!?
Any idea how canI identify the ethernet chipset? Nothing in logcat (strange no even a mention of net) and "permission denied" for `lsusb`!! need root!? There was an App "USB Device Info" that I used to use on older OS but no updates and crashes now. I am using LineageOS, no Google.
For testing and to keep it simple I'd like to own a known working Ethernet only adapter, but cant find any known to be explicitly compatible with s5e or even really tablets, most is for Mac. Any suggestions?
I've got a RTL81?? USB micro Ethernet that I never managed to get working on another tablet. Why so difficult? :/ But that's another story!
That said, does it have to be USB-C? Might I be better off plugging a simple USB2.0 A Ethernet into the hub? I do need audio and video and PD etc at same time so I need some sort of hub. There doesnt seem to be many hubs with USB C inputs, am I better off keeping all my adapters as separate USB A devices and get a big C to A hub?
This is my first USB-C device and also no headphone audio jack! How do you lot manage all your inputs?
So which USB A devices would work? Is there a list of supported chipstes?
Thanks y'all
So my adapters arrived as well as another USB->Ethernet dongle. I've managed to find the USB device ID's but still none of them work on my tablets.
I have tablets:
* Samsung s5e (Official LineageOS - gts4lvwifi)
* Google Nexus 7 (Unofficial LineageOS - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-flo-deb-unofficial-lineageos-19-0-2022-01-07.3569067/)
And these are the adapters:
* ID 0fe6:9702 ICS Advent USB 2.0 10/100M Ethernet Adaptor
* ID 0fe6:9700 ICS Advent DM9601 Fast Ethernet Adapter
* ID 0bda:8152 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8152 Fast Ethernet Adapter

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