mark7 MARK VII - ethernet adapter detected but no interface created

[Equinox4930]

Hello, I have encountered an issue while attempting to use an MK7 device powered by a battery (in this case, through a power bank). The battery connection occupies one of the USB-C slots, and I'm trying to connect a TP-Link USB Ethernet adapter (UE200) to the USB-A port.

When I run the `lsusb` command, it shows that the device is connected and detected. However, I'm unable to see any interface when I use the `ip link show` or `ifconfig` command.

 

I have installed the necessary drivers from packages, but it didn't seem to resolve the issue. I was wondering if anyone has encountered similar problems while running somewhat similar scenarios? Any information or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[DramaKing]

I can't think of anything besides rebooting. I have a UE306 myself that works great. 

[dark_pyrro]

1 hour ago, Equinox4930 said:

However, I'm unable to see any interface when I use the `ip link show` or `ifconfig` command.

Can you see any new interface being added if you run the command below before and after you connect the adapter to the Pineapple?

cat /proc/net/dev

 

[Equinox4930]

23 hours ago, dark_pyrro said:

Can you see any new interface being added if you run the command below before and after you connect the adapter to the Pineapple?

cat /proc/net/dev

 

Sorry for slow response time - It seems that my posting capabilities are limited on this forum since I recently registered. However, even after connecting and disconnecting the adapter, the `/proc/net/dev` remains the same, showing only the standard adapters from the pineapple. I have tested the same usb adapter on Windows, Linux, and ARM devices, and it works perfectly fine on all of them except for the MK7.

 

On 5/11/2023 at 10:51 PM, DramaKing said:

I can't think of anything besides rebooting. I have a UE306 myself that works great. 

Unfortunately, rebooting the device does not result in any changes to its configuration. While the USB device itself is recognized, an `ethX` interface is not created.

 

I am curious if anyone has attempted to troubleshoot the driver issue at a lower level. It seems that while the USB adapter is recognized as a USB device, an `ethX` interface is not being created. Could it be that the architecture of the pineapple requires additional configuration that I am not yet aware of?

[dark_pyrro]

That adapter should use a chipset that is compatible "out of the box" with the Mark VII. Not sure why it's not showing.

[Equinox4930]

12 hours ago, dark_pyrro said:

That adapter should use a chipset that is compatible "out of the box" with the Mark VII. Not sure why it's not showing.

I am considering whether the issue could be related to the UE200 chipset, specifically the `RTL8152B` variant. According to the documentation for the pineapple, it supports the `RTL8152` chipset without the "B" variant out of the box. Although I am still unsure about the root cause of this problem, I have decided to purchase an adapter with the `AX88179` chipset, most likely the UE306, and move on from the issue. It is unfortunate that such a simple problem occurred in the field, and I have made a note for myself to test adapters with the pineapple before deploying them in the future. Thanks for general help :)

[dark_pyrro]

Yeah, that's the only "theory" that seems valid at the moment, i.e. that there is some major difference between the RTL8152 and RTL8152B variants. I have mainly used RTL8153 based adapters with the Mark VII, so no experience when it comes to RTL8152 based ones.