Development to the customer: Now is finally Windows 8

This is the second product for USB3.0 SuperSpeed ​​to GBit LAN Ethernet that I ordered and tested and I was again very disappointed. What I describe here the example of the anchor Uspeed adapter meets 1: 1 on the Digitus DN-3023 adapter (Digitus DN-3023 Gigabit Ethernet USB 3.0 adapter) to which was more available and therefore ordered and tested by me first was exactly the same negative result.

Here, first the details of which should include here on Amazon in their own interest (prevention of returns) in her, with all due respect, inadequate descriptions the various retailers so you BEFORE you buy know which scrap as coming straight to the house: The two products apparently based on the reference implementation of ASIX and use the new ASIX 88179 controller chip (see Google search under keyword "ASIX ax88179"). On the hardware side, there are real and genuine USB3.0 unchecked 1000 Mbit / s Ethernet with no additional power supply. The controllers support jumbo frames (only) up to 4088 bytes, which just about ok but by no means spectacular or contemporary in terms of performance possible utilization of the theoretical bandwidth. The MAC vendor identifier (front 3 groups of the MAC address) of the anchor point to Asustek Uspeed know otherwise. Apparently for good reason shy away here to give this controller chip under a well-known brand in the market. Similar adapters based on the predecessor chips Asix 88178 are included with the notebook without LAN, this adapter work perfectly, but they are USB2.0 and 100Mbit / s.

Drivers are both Digitus and the anchor Uspeed on an accompanying CD-ROM and can be under Win7 / 8 install problems. In Windows 8, the armature Uspeed (not the Digitus) automatically detected and installed as ASIX-based device. Digitus offers on its side on all drivers to download. Anchor it tries offered RAR file can not unzip without error because apparently a CRC error is detected. In addition, clear scolding at this point to anchor, unnecessarily use a proprietary compression format, all other manufacturers use zip, 7zip or gzip. If you googled under the above keyword, you will also find there the original drivers for ASIX controller chip.

FAULT / PROBLEM: It comes in practice to interruptions in accessing Windows shares, when copying files or simple Internet browsing. For me, it failed even repeatedly been in the construction of network connections. The device registers without any problem on the DHCP server (router) and correctly identified the possible network speed. Finding another computer is already critical access when trying to mount shares directly fails in 99% of cases and if not, to listen at the latest when attempting directory contents.

Test environment:

Asus Zenbook UX32VD (Win8) with USB3.0 SuperSpeed ​​interface, and the here criticized adapter anchor Uspeed (or same results via Digitus DN-3023)
Cat6 cable, length 7.5 meters to the Switch
HP ProCurve Switch 1810 Managed
Cat6 cable, length 2 meters up to standard PC Tower
Standard PC Tower (Win7) with Intel Pro / 1000 Gigabit Ethernet controller on PCI Express 1x

The network environment existed previously and there were between various LAN controllers from Realtek, Intel, Broadcom, Atheros, etc. on various devices over the years never had problems, even running Jumbo frames up to an MTU of 7K and ran here always impeccable.

MEASUREMENT:

To get the strange behavior of the product on the track and release exclude legal problems, I have the free benchmark "NETIO" used to check the sending and receiving packets over a TCP connection. Actually, the program is intended for measuring the speed depending on various package sizes. Following anytime reproducible readings show where the shoe pinches:

Standard PC (Intel LAN) as the server, Zenbook (anchor Uspeed) as a client (measurement documented the client):

NETIO - Network Throughput Benchmark, Version 1.26
(C) 1997-2005 Kai Uwe Rommel

TCP connection established.
Packet size 1K bytes: 106407 Kbytes / s Tx, 40933 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 2k bytes: 109461 Kbytes / s Tx, 41662 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 4k bytes: 109975 Kbytes / s Tx, 43528 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 8k bytes: 110122 Kbytes / s Tx, 43406 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 16k bytes: 110345 Kbytes / s Tx, 43289 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 32k bytes: 111189 Kbytes / s Tx, 27579 KByte / s Rx.
Done.

-> No jumbo packets

C: \ Program Files (x86) \ NETIO \ bin> Win32 i386.exe -t 192.168.2.39

NETIO - Network Throughput Benchmark, Version 1.26
(C) 1997-2005 Kai Uwe Rommel

TCP connection established.
Packet size 1K bytes: 112066 Kbytes / s Tx, 45414 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 2k bytes: 113094 Kbytes / s Tx, 46468 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 4k bytes: 113435 Kbytes / s Tx, 47115 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 8k bytes: 114129 Kbytes / s Tx, 47335 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 16k bytes: 114871 Kbytes / s Tx, 47607 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 32k bytes: 115777 Kbytes / s Tx,

-> Jumbo packets 4088 bytes on both LAN adapters

Countermeasure
Zenbook (anchor Uspeed) as a server, standard PC (Intel LAN) as a client (measurement documented the client):

C: \ Program Files (x86) \ NETIO \ bin> Win32 i386.exe -t 192.168.2.35

NETIO - Network Throughput Benchmark, Version 1.26
(C) 1997-2005 Kai Uwe Rommel

TCP connection established.
Packet size 1K bytes: 403 KByte / s Tx, 89759 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 2k bytes: 580 KByte / s Tx, 89894 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 4k bytes: 1710 KByte / s Tx, recv (): error code 10060
216 bytes / s Rx.
Packet size 8k bytes: send (): error code 10054
send (): error code 10054
Done.

-> No jumbo packets (probably accidentally particularly bad result)

C: \ Program Files (x86) \ NETIO \ bin> Win32 i386.exe -t 192.168.2.35

NETIO - Network Throughput Benchmark, Version 1.26
(C) 1997-2005 Kai Uwe Rommel

TCP connection established.
Packet size 1K bytes: 45193 KB / s Tx, 111981 Kbytes / s Rx.
Packet size 2k bytes: 46575 KB / s Tx, 113528 Kbytes / s Rx.
Packet size 4k bytes: 46817 KB / s Tx, 113102 Kbytes / s Rx.
Packet size 8k bytes: 46967 KB / s Tx, 113 897 KByte / s Rx.
Packet size 16k bytes: 47707 KB / s Tx, 114642 Kbytes / s Rx.
Packet size 32k bytes: 6283 KByte / s Tx, recv (): error code 10060
1730 bytes / s Rx.
send (): error code 10054
Done.

-> Jumbo packets 4088 bytes on both LAN adapters

EVALUATION:

- There will be a glaring discrepancy between sent and received from the Anchor Uspeed packages. Sending is more than twice as fast as the receiving or vice versa at the other measurement, there are obviously problems with buffering and processing of incoming data at anchor Uspeed.
- It is independent of the use of jumbo frames at high load on the anchor-USB adapter to errors in the packet reception.
- Is measured by the Intel card (Intel as a client), transmission errors are documented and there is a crash. Conversely seems the ASIX controller / driver no error checking to offer and the connection is nirvana, data come in two variants from a packet size of 32K on only disturbed massively or not at all. This is the cause that can be transferred to all ASIX 88179-based products obviously.
- Declaration on the error codes provides Microsoft here: msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms740668%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

CONCLUSION:

The entire product is obviously in short supply. If you have similar problems, send this controller necessarily back! If other buyers indicate this product or even the identical product from Digitus be error-free, this was in all probability used only in the 100 Mbit / s mode, because a component in the call chain this required (eg Cat5 cables, routers with slow switch etc.) , Judging by the other customer opinions when Digitus, do not occur at reduced pace this error, but with increasing load. For 100 Mbit / s the Ultrabooks USB2 adapter are however at based on previous chips ASIX 88178. In my case, with a plastic cap from ASUS and this slow adapter also works exactly as it should. If that is enough, but does not have to invest here!

EPILOGUE:

Anchor applying a particularly good customer, I have not taken advantage of because of the experience with the Digitus adapter and the same problem scenario. Ultimately you will be here may also healing spells no defective series. It is also explicitly advertised aim is to publish reviews about the young brand anchor on Amazon, I have hereby done hopefully satisfactorily (evidence-based) fashion.

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########################### Changed on 24/07/2013 ################## #########
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The following driver version seems to work for Windows 8 finally:

Manufacturer: ASIX
Driver Date: 23/05/2013
Driver Version: 1.16.7.0
Microsoft certification available

Amendment was raised to 3 stars. Details Edit see detailed review under the same title at the Digitus DN-3023 adapter (Digitus DN-3023 Gigabit Ethernet USB 3.0 adapter).

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########################### Changed on 09/07/2013 ################## #########
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Driver update by Windows Update for Windows 8, the latest version 1.16.9.0 and runs with me stable since last Edit. Evaluation therefore raised to 5 star.