USB Ethernet Adapter setup issues

keouchao

Hi,

I am building firewall using pfsense 2.4.0-BETA Dell E6330, with Microsoft USB Ethernet adapter. Even though it is not on the compatible HW list, I am able to bring it up as LAN interface, and the firewall works properly with multiples PCs on the LAN. However, the throughput was slow. The same USB Ethernet adapter was able to reach gigabit throughput under Debian 9.

Is there any driver configuration needed to properly setup this USB Ethernet device ? or there is a limitation in the current driver ?

Thanks for any directions.

DETAILS -

Using iperf3 to test the throughput over the USB Ethernet interface -

Download -

[ 5] local 192.168.60.1 port 37618 connected to 192.168.60.129 port 5201
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr Cwnd
[ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 11.0 MBytes 92.3 Mbits/sec 0 177 KBytes
[ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 11.0 MBytes 92.1 Mbits/sec 0 251 KBytes
[ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 11.0 MBytes 91.9 Mbits/sec 0 308 KBytes
[ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 10.9 MBytes 91.4 Mbits/sec 0 355 KBytes
[ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 10.9 MBytes 91.6 Mbits/sec 0 398 KBytes
[ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 10.9 MBytes 91.6 Mbits/sec 0 435 KBytes
[ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 10.9 MBytes 91.3 Mbits/sec 0 470 KBytes
[ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 10.9 MBytes 91.5 Mbits/sec 0 503 KBytes
[ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 10.9 MBytes 91.6 Mbits/sec 0 533 KBytes
[ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 10.9 MBytes 91.5 Mbits/sec 0 562 KBytes

[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 109 MBytes 91.7 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 109 MBytes 91.2 Mbits/sec receiver

Upload -

[ 4] local 192.168.60.129 port 38370 connected to 192.168.60.1 port 5201
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth Retr Cwnd
[ 4] 0.00-1.00 sec 5.63 MBytes 47.3 Mbits/sec 198 25.5 KBytes
[ 4] 1.00-2.00 sec 4.56 MBytes 38.2 Mbits/sec 161 33.9 KBytes
[ 4] 2.00-3.00 sec 5.20 MBytes 43.6 Mbits/sec 222 24.0 KBytes
[ 4] 3.00-4.00 sec 5.38 MBytes 45.1 Mbits/sec 191 29.7 KBytes
[ 4] 4.00-5.00 sec 4.37 MBytes 36.7 Mbits/sec 166 31.1 KBytes
[ 4] 5.00-6.00 sec 3.19 MBytes 26.8 Mbits/sec 147 25.5 KBytes
[ 4] 6.00-7.00 sec 5.38 MBytes 45.1 Mbits/sec 193 29.7 KBytes
[ 4] 7.00-8.00 sec 5.47 MBytes 45.9 Mbits/sec 200 26.9 KBytes
[ 4] 8.00-9.00 sec 5.47 MBytes 45.9 Mbits/sec 198 24.0 KBytes
[ 4] 9.00-10.00 sec 5.38 MBytes 45.1 Mbits/sec 197 31.1 KBytes

[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth Retr
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 50.0 MBytes 42.0 Mbits/sec 1873 sender
[ 4] 0.00-10.00 sec 49.9 MBytes 41.8 Mbits/sec receiver

Device Information from

usbconfig -d ugen0.4 dump_device_desc

ugen0.4: <ethernet adapter="" microsoft="">at usbus0, cfg=1 md=HOST spd=SUPER (5.0Gbps) pwr=ON (64mA)

bLength = 0x0012
bDescriptorType = 0x0001
bcdUSB = 0x0300
bDeviceClass = 0x0000 <probed by="" interface="" class="">bDeviceSubClass = 0x0000
bDeviceProtocol = 0x0000
bMaxPacketSize0 = 0x0009
idVendor = 0x045e
idProduct = 0x07c6
bcdDevice = 0x3000
iManufacturer = 0x0001 <microsoft>iProduct = 0x0002 <ethernet adapter="">iSerialNumber = 0x0006 <02BDFF000000>
bNumConfigurations = 0x0002

I bring up the ethernet interface via
usbconfig -d ugen0.4 set_config 1

The output from ifconfig

ue0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
ether 58:82:a8:8d:96:fc
hwaddr 58:82:a8:8d:96:fc
inet6 fe80::5a82:a8ff:fe8d:96fc%ue0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x7
inet 192.168.60.1 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.60.255
nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal></performnud,auto_linklocal></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast></ethernet></microsoft></probed></ethernet>

tirsojrp

USB network adapter is usually accompanied with the word issues, replace it or use vlans.

keouchao

Thanks for the suggestion. However In my case, I have Fios Gigabit service, and would like to get to the full gigabit speed for both WAN / LAN interface.

I got another USB Ethernet adapter with AX88179 Chip (its on FreeBSD supported devices list), the throughput is about the same as the original 'Microsoft USB Ethernet adapter'.

I also setup the same pc to dual boot with Debian 9, with the same test approaches, I was able to get to full gigabit speed with no retr.

I would like to get any suggestions regarding the USB Ethernet setup; thanks in advanced.

stephenw10

Unfortunately I'm not going to tell you anything different here. USB Ethernet is bad and will always be bad even if you can get better than what you're seeing currently.

You check for other configs. I could believe it's running in usb 1.0 mode with throughput that low.

But you will see far better throughput with VLANs and a switch.

Steve

jahonix

@keouchao:

…would like to get to the full gigabit speed for both WAN / LAN interface.

Then your best bet are Intel NICs. Just forget that USB-Ethernet adapters exist. They are useless in your case and will never get anything near Gbps speed.

VAMike

@keouchao:

Thanks for the suggestion. However In my case, I have Fios Gigabit service, and would like to get to the full gigabit speed for both WAN / LAN interface.

I got another USB Ethernet adapter with AX88179 Chip (its on FreeBSD supported devices list), the throughput is about the same as the original 'Microsoft USB Ethernet adapter'.

I also setup the same pc to dual boot with Debian 9, with the same test approaches, I was able to get to full gigabit speed with no retr.

I would like to get any suggestions regarding the USB Ethernet setup; thanks in advanced.

You can either buy different hardware, or use something other than pfsense as your firewall.

Guest

USB Ethernet adapters are bad, don't use them. If you must: get a supported one but don't expect high reliability or speed. Desktop users often don't notice problems because the way they use it often doesn't show much problems. Firewalls/gateways have a different usage pattern and different needs, so the same hardware might not work as well as you think. On top of that, the drivers are often lacking and have firmwares missing (which is what you currently might be experiencing – the chip [ not made by microsoft ] probable is functioning in a basic 100Mbit mode because the driver in FreeBSD can't or won't load the chip firmware via USB into the adapter to enable the extra functions).