USB-C Ethernet unreliable

[white7561]

Sorry. You are correct! I copy pasted the wrong number string and used it throughout my post. I've adjusted it now. It's the RTL8153!

No worries!! Yes. My old RTL8153 was also the 1st revision (30.0) It uses so much power. But the thing is even when it's on gigabit, it doesn't ever max out my CPU. But my uplink is always capped when using it. Downlink does gigabit just fine but uplink is capped. The RTL8156 fixes all that though

 

[learjet]

Hi there,

even with the newest version of Realtek RTL8156B(S)G-based USB-C-adapters (utilizing the NCM driver), while using them with the newest macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 and a Macbook Air M3, I have the same problem as reported here:

The terminal command "netstat -di -I enX" (use the numbered interface corresponding to your USB-C-Ethernet adapter) shows a lot of "output errors", sometimes even dropped frames:

Name       Mtu   Network       Address            Ipkts Ierrs    Opkts Oerrs  Coll Drop
en5        1500  <Link#11>   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX   522253     0   207839 15369     0   0

Needless to say, Apple's official Thunderbolt-Gigabit-adapter shows zero output errors. Realtek 8153 based adapters using the ECM driver also show zero errors.

Is this something to take seriously? Is it a NCM driver bug? Is ist actually a problem?

Thanks,
learjet

 

[white7561]

Hi there,

even with the newest version of Realtek RTL8156B(S)G-based USB-C-adapters (utilizing the NCM driver), while using them with the newest macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 and a Macbook Air M3, I have the same problem as reported here:

The terminal command "netstat -di -I enX" (use the numbered interface corresponding to your USB-C-Ethernet adapter) shows a lot of "output errors", sometimes even dropped frames:

Name       Mtu   Network       Address            Ipkts Ierrs    Opkts Oerrs  Coll Drop
en5        1500  <Link#11>   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX   522253     0   207839 15369     0   0

Needless to say, Apple's official Thunderbolt-Gigabit-adapter shows zero output errors. Realtek 8153 based adapters using the ECM driver also show zero errors.

Is this something to take seriously? Is it a NCM driver bug? Is ist actually a problem?

Thanks,
learjet

Ya mine is the same on the 16 inch. But I tried pinging my router and I've never had any packet losses so it might be a bug.

 

[learjet]

Ya mine is the same on the 16 inch. But I tried pinging my router and I've never had any packet losses so it might be a bug.

Thank you! Have you checked that with your router over longer periods of time, whether these "output errors" result in packet loss or not? I, too, suspect that it's a driver bug. I've never heard of widespread packet loss or instability with 8156-based adapters until now.

 

[white7561]

Thank you! Have you checked that with your router over longer periods of time, whether these "output errors" result in packet loss or not? I, too, suspect that it's a driver bug. I've never heard of widespread packet loss or instability with 8156-based adapters until now.

I think I did test it back then on December when I got my adapter. But yeah I don't think there was any losses

 

[learjet]

I think I did test it back then on December when I got my adapter. But yeah I don't think there was any losses

So, just ignore it for now? 😉

 

[white7561]

So, just ignore it for now? 😉

just tested again and so far no losses

 

[learjet]

I don't know whether "output errors" can be translated to (TCP) packet loss, since TCP/IP does error correction. I think output errors may be related to the link layer?

 

[JoelBC]

Apologies for the naive post but I will testing the performance of a number of adapters and would to know how to produce the below information (i.e., it does all appear in System Report).

Thank you!

 

[chown33]

Apologies for the naive post but I will testing the performance of a number of adapters and would to know how to produce the below information (i.e., it does all appear in System Report).


View attachment 2370745

Thank you!

That looks like the output from system_profiler.

system_profiler -usage
system_profiler -listDataTypes
system_profiler SPNetworkDataType  >~/info-net.txt
system_profiler SPEthernetDataType  >~/info-ether.txt

 

[JoelBC]

That looks like the output from system_profiler.

system_profiler -usage
system_profiler -listDataTypes
system_profiler SPNetworkDataType  >~/info-net.txt
system_profiler SPEthernetDataType  >~/info-ether.txt

@chown33 appreciate the response!

While the system profiler profiler commands you shared does not produce the exact results (woudl still love to know how to get the exact results), it does get me the information that I wanted.

With apologies (as I am not conversant with line commands), I ran the command system_profiler SPEthernetDataType and got a response in the terminal window, which was great. What do you mean by ">~/info-ether.txt[/code]".

Much thanks.

 

[white7561]

@chown33 appreciate the response!

While the system profiler profiler commands you shared does not produce the exact results (woudl still love to know how to get the exact results), it does get me the information that I wanted.

With apologies (as I am not conversant with line commands), I ran the command system_profiler SPEthernetDataType and got a response in the terminal window, which was great. What do you mean by ">~/info-ether.txt[/code]".

Much thanks.

It exports the result of the command to the file called info-ether.txt at your home directory

 

[MrGunny94]

It's an absolute disaster with Dell enterprise grade docking stations with my Mac, but for some reason works great with the Intel chips. Any idea?

 

[JoelBC]

It exports the result of the command to the file called info-ether.txt at your home directory

Appreciate the response.

I checked my Home folder and there is no such file. In fact, I searched the entire drive and cannot find the file anywhere?

Is there anything that I need to do to create the file other than enter / run the command?

 

[white7561]

Appreciate the response.

I checked my Home folder and there is no such file. In fact, I searched the entire drive and cannot find the file anywhere?

Is there anything that I need to do to create the file other than enter / run the command?

You could cd to desktop for example. Then run the command

system_profiler SPNetworkDataType > info-net.txt

It'll output it to info-net.txt on your desktop. Just make sure to do "cd Desktop" first

 

[chown33]

While the system profiler profiler commands you shared does not produce the exact results (woudl still love to know how to get the exact results), it does get me the information that I wanted.

I don't know what OS version was used in either case. The output from commands may vary across different OS releases. If your screenshot came from System Info, then that could also differ from what system_profiler outputs.

Please post what you got, and describe how it differs from "the exact results" you were expecting.

With apologies (as I am not conversant with line commands), I ran the command system_profiler SPEthernetDataType and got a response in the terminal window, which was great. What do you mean by ">~/info-ether.txt[/code]".

If you pasted or typed the "[/code]" shown, then no file will produced. That's not part of the command; it's part of the formatting for the MacRumors post.

If you're inexperienced with Terminal, it's probably best to post a screenshot of the exact command you entered, exactly as it appears in the Terminal window.

 

[JoelBC]

@white7561 appreciated, huge thanks, that worked!

 

[JoelBC]

I don't know what OS version was used in either case. The output from commands may vary across different OS releases. If your screenshot came from System Info, then that could also differ from what system_profiler outputs.

Please post what you got, and describe how it differs from "the exact results" you were expecting.

I am at the office now but can post the exact output I am getting when I get home. That said, the information that is identical to that above other than the Version the Realtek chip which is not appearing (i.e., everything else is the same).

I have highlighted the information that I am not getting based on a previous post:

If you pasted or typed the "[/code]" shown, then no file will produced. That's not part of the command; it's part of the formatting for the MacRumors post.

If you're inexperienced with Terminal, it's probably best to post a screenshot of the exact command you entered, exactly as it appears in the Terminal window.

You (and @white7561 ) hit the nail on the head. I was mistakenly entering the [/code] portion which , once remove, all worked well.

You guy are great, very much appreciate the help and guidance. Now, if we can just get the Version to appear! Ideas?

 

[white7561]

Now, if we can just get the Version to appear! Ideas?

system_profiler SPUSBDataType

 

[JoelBC]

@white7561 appreciated and will try it when I get home late tonight. That said, it looks as though one need a combination the two as yore above image does not include the driver (i.e., com.apple.driver.usb.cdc.ncm ).

 

[white7561]

@white7561 appreciated and will try it when I get home late tonight. That said, it looks as though one need a combination the two as yore above image does not include the driver (i.e., com.apple.driver.usb.cdc.ncm ).

Ya I don't know the command that shows the thing exactly like yours. I usually just check it on the app since it's a one time thing usually

 

[JoelBC]

@white7561 appreciate the response noting that between the the two system profile commands I can get what I need so all good. Thank you!

Two quick follow ups:

1. What app are you referring to?

2. The image that I shared was from @CubeApril in post #118 to this thread.

 

[white7561]

@white7561 appreciate the response noting that between the the two system profile commands I can get what I need so all good. Thank you!

Two quick follow ups:

1. What app are you referring to?

2. The image that I shared was from @CubeApril in post #118 to this thread.

The System Information/System Profiler app. You can check the USB tab, ethernet tab etc there

 

[JoelBC]

Question: I am testing the performance of 4 different adapters i) connected directly to my M1 Max MBP and ii) connected to my ASD -> M1 Max MBP. The adapters are the Belkin 1G, D-Link 2.5 Gbps, Plugable 2.5 Gbps and the Green 2.5 Gbps. The key thing I am looking for is consistent his speeds without degradation when connected via the ASD -> M1 Max MBP. This is why I wanted to know how to identify the chip version and driver.

If people are interested I will post the spreadsheet of my test results.

 

[JoelBC]

The System Information/System Profiler app. You can check the USB tab, ethernet tab etc there

Noted. I have dug into that and it does not provide the driver which I now how to get, thank you.