Add a USB wired ethernet adapter

[DoctorWizard]

My 3D printer motherboard contains the component footprints, traces, etc. for wired ethernet/ Instead I'm limited to 2.4GHz WiFi and it's very unreliable, not to mention slow. The tiny SMD components to put the wired ethernet on the board is waaay beyond my soldering skills. The board does have an available USB header, so I was thinking of trying to add a USB wired ethernet adapter to it. I haven't tried any yet, but I'm assuming they did not include any such drivers so I guess I'll have to track down and download the appropriate drivers for whatever adapter I use and install them. I think that is (barely) within my Linux skill level.
Or is there more to it? Am I overlooking details? And any suggestions on what adapter or adapter-chipset I should look for?

Kernel version 4.4.94 on Ingenic x2000E 1.2GHz dual core processor

 

[Alexzee]

Soldering is a skill I don't have yet so sorry I can't help there.

You could try purchasing usb ethernet adapter however, you may have to blacklist the driver for onboard ethernet card.
There's a picture in the TP.

Our Moderator @Brickwizard may be able to assist you.

 

[osprey]

The board does have an available USB header, so I was thinking of trying to add a USB wired ethernet adapter to it. I haven't tried any yet, but I'm assuming they did not include any such drivers so I guess I'll have to track down and download the appropriate drivers for whatever adapter I use and install them. I think that is (barely) within my Linux skill level.
Or is there more to it? Am I overlooking details? And any suggestions on what adapter or adapter-chipset I should look for?

Kernel version 4.4.94 on Ingenic x2000E 1.2GHz dual core processor

With a usb to ethernet adapter, the kernel usually does have a driver to handle that hardware. It's the "usbnet" driver and one can see whether it's configured in the kernel with a command like:

[~]$ grep -i usbnet /boot/config-$(uname -r)
CONFIG_USB_USBNET=m

The output shows that the usbnet driver is in the kernel as a module. If the kernel doesn't load it automatically at boot when the adapter is connected, it can be loaded with the modprobe command.

The adapter will have a chipset inside it for which one will need a driver. The kernel usually has drivers for those and hopefully would load it automatically. Otherwise, one needs to identify the chipset and install a driver, but overall, it's likely to work. It's a while since using one here with a laptop, but it worked without issue at the time.

It's worth pointing out that the kernel mentioned in post #1 is rather old, so a more recent one would normally have more capability, unless there's some hardware specific factors necessitating an old kernel.

 

[Brickwizard]

The speed of a USB to Ethernet adaptor may be restricted by the speed of your USB port if the printer has USB2 within a cable run of 16 ft [5mt ] then you could just use a long cable [USB3 is only half this distances], using a hybrid system the Ethernet speed is reliant on the USB terminal by using USB2 the max through speed is just under half a GB.
Adaptors are usually plug and play.

 

[deb_user]

Nothing is going to be fast on hardware that old, and newer devices may not be supported, but any USB/ethernet dongle should work. They mostly come with USB-C connectors these days, but perhaps USB-A exist. USB-C female to USB-A male adapters are available for conversion.

 

[Brickwizard]

ut perhaps USB-A exist.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-1000-Gigabit-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B00M77HMU0?sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY

 

[DoctorWizard]

The speed of a USB to Ethernet adaptor may be restricted by the speed of your USB port if the printer has USB2 within a cable run of 16 ft [5mt ] then you could just use a long cable [USB3 is only half this distances], using a hybrid system the Ethernet speed is reliant on the USB terminal by using USB2 the max through speed is just under half a GB.
Adaptors are usually plug and play.

USB 2 is [supposedly] good to 480Mbps (less overhead) which is a far cry better than 802.11a/b/n which tops out at 300Mbps (less even more overhead) on a good day.
But the bigger issue is reliability. The board seems to have a crappy WiFi chip with a crappy antenna.
Concerned if the adapter really will be 'Plug-and-Play' on a minimal embedded system. Especially considering {as osprey pointed out} it's an old kernel. But I'll be buying a new modern adapter with likely a newish chipset.

 

[Brickwizard]

But I'll be buying a new modern adapter with likely a newish chipset.

If its embedded, I assume the Wi-Fi is hard-wired so you can't change it

 

[dos2unix]

I have about 5 of these laying around.. all from different vendors, some are old style USB, some are newer USB-cc. Never had a single problem with them. I buy the cheap ones, Tripp-Lite, Benfei, Insigian.. all work with most major Distro's.