Affordable USB 2.0 & USB 3.0 NICs That Work With Linux

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Affordable USB 2.0 & USB 3.0 NICs That Work With Linux

For anyone that may be in need of some USB wired network adapters, Plugable offers a few different options that are low-cost and work well with Linux -- in fact, Linux is mentioned on the product packaging...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTg2NDc

[Calinou]

Does this require proprietary firmware? ie. would it work if you ran the Linux-libre kernel?

[bernieplugable]

No firmware download to device required

No firmware download to device is required for any of the Plugable USB Ethernet adapters to function. We haven't tested the Linux-libre kernel, but wouldn't expect any problems. If anyone has any experience reports, we'd love to hear them. Thanks!

[Thue]

Benchmark

So how fast are they actually? Even some PCIe NICs have trouble reaching their rated spec, so it would be a natural thing to test the USB NICs to see if they can actually reliably reach 100Mbit and 1000Mbit respectively.

[Calinou]

No firmware download to device is required for any of the Plugable USB Ethernet adapters to function. We haven't tested the Linux-libre kernel, but wouldn't expect any problems. If anyone has any experience reports, we'd love to hear them. Thanks!

You read my question wrong; I was asking if proprietary firmware was required in order for it to work, not external firmware.

In short… “Does it work with free/libre software?”

[bernieplugable]

Some posts on performance

So how fast are they actually? Even some PCIe NICs have trouble reaching their rated spec, so it would be a natural thing to test the USB NICs to see if they can actually reliably reach 100Mbit and 1000Mbit respectively.

Here are a few posts with performance data for reference (mostly on OS X):
* http://plugable.com/2013/02/08/pluga...etwork-adapter
* http://plugable.com/2012/03/14/usb-g...ed-on-mac-os-x

[ChowYunCat]

You read my question wrong; I was asking if proprietary firmware was required in order for it to work, not external firmware.

In short? ?Does it work with free/libre software??

Your question was worded poorly. If the NIC doesn't require a firmware download, what would cause the NIC not to work?

[david_lynch]

You read my question wrong; I was asking if proprietary firmware was required in order for it to work, not external firmware.

In short? ?Does it work with free/libre software??

As he said: "We haven't tested the Linux-libre kernel, but wouldn't expect any problems. If anyone has any experience reports, we'd love to hear them. Thanks!"

[abraxxa]

We bought a Digitus DN-3023 at work for e.g. installing firewalls while being connected to the company LAN.
The linux module is provided directly from the usb-to-ethernet chip manufacturer Asix link

[DeepDayze]

As he said: "We haven't tested the Linux-libre kernel, but wouldn't expect any problems. If anyone has any experience reports, we'd love to hear them. Thanks!"

If these devices work out of the box that's great! I may pick up one of these for use on a netbook that does not have an ethernet port or to use for a backup port if the onboard NIC ever flakes out under some future kernel