USB to 2.5Gbe adapter on AX88U

[KT_doyle487]

Total noob to CLI and non windows networking configuration (and I struggle with that).

I was hoping to install USB to 2.5Gbe adapter to be able to take full advantage of the onboard 2.5Gbe of my PC with the already configured WAN aggregation on my AX88U.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08979LXJK/?tag=snbforums-20

Is it even possible to get the router to recognize this device?

How would I need to proceed, considering my lack of CLI/scripting ability?

If this is not possible does anyone have a fairly inexpensive solution to be able to take full advantage of 2.5Gbe?

Thank you for your time.
KT

 

[Vinmar]

Total noob to CLI and non windows networking configuration (and I struggle with that).

I was hoping to install USB to 2.5Gbe adapter to be able to take full advantage of the onboard 2.5Gbe of my PC with the already configured WAN aggregation on my AX88U.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08979LXJK/?tag=snbforums-20

Is it even possible to get the router to recognize this device?

How would I need to proceed, considering my lack of CLI/scripting ability?

If this is not possible does anyone have a fairly inexpensive solution to be able to take full advantage of 2.5Gbe?

Thank you for your time.
KT

I know this is an old post but yes it works on the rear usb next to the WAN port only. It shows up as a modem in the config. All I did was unhook my cable modem, went to "WAN" tab then "Dual Wan" tab changed "Primary WAN" to USB and let the router do it's thing. Rebooted my cable modem plugged it into the adapter and then plugged it into the USB port. My internet runs at over 1 gig speeds now. Not sure I understand what you are trying to do but my Motorola cable modem wil run at over 1 gig (I have 1.2Gig Service) and it now shows it in speed test. I don't see how you would plug a PC into it and connect to the LAN though... doesn't seem possible. What you need is just to add fast wifi to your PC.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

Wait what?

You figured out a way to add a 2.5gb WAN port and then use the existing 2.5gb port for the LAN?

Which USB adapter did you use?

 

[Vinmar]

Wait what?

You figured out a way to add a 2.5gb WAN port and then use the existing 2.5gb port for the LAN?

Which USB adapter did you use?

No but almost... There is no 2.5gb WAN port on the rt-ax88u which is a shortcoming if you have over 1 gig internet. So to get past that I am using a Motorola MB8611 cable modem plugged into a Sabrent NT-SS5G Ethernet to USB adapter and instead of the rj45 WAN port I'm using the USB port next to it on the back of the router for the WAN. I set the primary WAN port to USB under the Dual Wan tab and it automatically showed up as a modem port when I plugged it in, thinks it's an LTE Modem or Phone. I can now get over 1 gig internet speeds. My PC has an ac 9560 wireless adapter on board and connects at 1.7 gig so I can run speed test from there and get over 1.2 gig download speeds, I have 1.2 Gig service from Xfinity. The WAN port is no longer used unless I wanted to set it up for failover I guess. I just plugged things in to try it and it worked, did nothing special. It's been stable I've had no issues or slow downs I've noticed and now have a full speed internet connection.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

Thanks for getting back to me.

My ISP and modem are the same as yours, 8611 and my ISP runs more than 1 gbs, not more than 1.5 but more than 1gb.

You're using a 5gb adapter....but its showing up as 2.5?

Looking now to see which chipset.

The 5gb is the Aquantia AQC111U chipset.

I've been seeing the Realtek 2.5gb drivers might already be built in to the 88/86 firmware. Not sure. I've asked.

I played with two 1gb adapters I have that are Realtek based. I saw the modem options. For me those required setup. Nothing was plug and play so of course didn't work.

I'll look at your screen shots and see if I didn't do something correctly.

Yours working with an Aquantia AQC111U chipset is quite interesting. It looks to me the drivers for it are in the firmware which is why its recognized. Nice find though!

Edit: I'm ordering the same adapter and it will be here tomorrow. Its on sale on Amazon. Can't argue with success. I'll have the Asus Realtek chipset based 2.5gb adapter to try Tuesday.

 

[Vinmar]

Thanks for getting back to me.

My ISP and modem are the same as yours, 8611 and my ISP runs more than 1 gbs, not more than 1.5 but more than 1gb.

You're using a 5gb adapter....but its showing up as 2.5?

Looking now to see which chipset.

The 5gb is the Aquantia AQC111U chipset.

I've been seeing the Realtek 2.5gb drivers might already be built in to the 88/86 firmware. Not sure. I've asked.

I played with two 1gb adapters I have that are Realtek based. I saw the modem options. For me those required setup. Nothing was plug and play so of course didn't work.

I'll look at your screen shots and see if I didn't do something correctly.

Yours working with an Aquantia AQC111U chipset is quite interesting. It looks to me the drivers for it are in the firmware which is why its recognized. Nice find though!

Edit: I'm ordering the same adapter and it will be here tomorrow. Its on sale on Amazon. Can't argue with success. I'll have the Asus Realtek chipset based 2.5gb adapter to try Tuesday.

Funny thing was I had to configure nothing except change it from the wan port to USB port. Disconnect the modem, change the wan port setting, plug the modem into the adapter, reboot the modem, plug it into the USB port and done. The adapter may show as 2.5gb because the modem connects to it at that speed. I'm pretty sure because the 88u thinks it's an LTE USB adapter it must not need a driver like it would for ethernet, it expects a modem and can see it through the adapter. Made me real happy to be able to get full bandwidth into the router, it cost enough and has performed well. Most everything I own connects to the WiFi at well over 1G... we'll see if Xfinity throttles me.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

Yes it says 2.5gb because the port on the 8611 is 2.5……

I’m trying to do the same thing for the same reason. Why Asus did one 2.5gb port is difficult to understand.

We’re connecting wifi 2.1gbs with Intel 210AX’s and holding 1gb+ via speed test to those clients. Xfinity hasn’t throttled anything.

It needs a driver. The guy who added the driver and code before the latest updates to the kernel for the firmware used the USB adapter as a LAN port, not WAN. Plugged it in, hooked it up, 2.5gb port. BUT he added stuff to RMerlin’s code, scripts, compiling, etc.

Which makes me wonder about adding another adapter to your second USB port……

I’ll know more by Tuesday evening.

 

[Vinmar]

"Why Asus did one 2.5gb port is difficult to understand"

There is a 2.5gb port on the ax88u? I thought they were all 1gb including the WAN port...

 

[Tech9]

So to get past that I am using a Motorola MB8611 cable modem plugged into a Sabrent NT-SS5G Ethernet to USB adapter

Interesting discovery, by the way.

 

[Vinmar]

Interesting discovery, by the way.

It gave new life to my ax-88u... I wasn't going to replace it anyway but it is a real nice to know. I had Xfinity 800meg service but complained of speed issues at times (lots of 4k streaming) so they just turned it up. I thought I would see if I could get full bandwidth into the router somehow and after playing around ended up with this, surprised myself!

 

[jsmiddleton4]

"There is a 2.5gb port on the ax88u?"

On the AX86U. Sorry in my going back and forth looks like I left that out in this thread.

There are endless complaints across the web from people who have the AX86U and having only one 2.5gb port. You have to decide use it for the WAN or LAN. Obviously can't be both. Some folks dismiss it by saying the 2.5 is for the WAN and no way can you use 2.5 across the LAN so its enough to have just one port. Hook up to the WAN as fast as you can and with clients sharing the bandwidth across the LAN, that's all you need.

Well okay, but why are we doing AX Wifi6 and Wifi6e then? Same principle would apply. They can't use the higher speed either even with a faster WAN port. I don't see anyone dismissing Wifi6/6e wireless clients because the logistics of the technology make them pointless.

If I can do and am paying for faster ISP access I want to have wired clients at least have a chance to take advantage as well. And 2.5gbe clients are growing in availability.

If an ISP access is maxed at 1gb or less, okay, I get it. Some of ours isn't. Some of us are able to get greater than 1gb via ISP. I especially like the logic that says "The average internet access world wide is some 200mbs so you don't need......" as if the average worldwide determines my access speed.

The average worldwide is slow. Does not mean ALL of our access is slow.

I bet next wave of routers will have at least 2 2.5gb ports.

 

[Vinmar]

I see your point but have to agree on how many wired clients (or any at all) are really ever going to pull full bandwidth from the internet anyway? Why not just use an inexpensive managed multi-gig switch that supports LACP and connect that to the router, I know you still have the same bottleneck (maybe worse with LAG) but what will you do with just 1 additional 2.5G port anyway? Netgear MS510TX maybe...

For me on the ax88 the shortcoming was not giving the WAN full bandwidth to share with all the clients, it wasn't like it didn't exist when the thing was designed but this was an easy fix. I can't see any of my individual clients ever pulling much bandwidth it's the total I'm going for.

 

[Tech9]

The issue here is the price of this adapter. I wouldn't spend $70 or more to speedtest 1Gbps vs 1.2Gbps. No difference in real life Internet use.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

The Realtek based 2.5gb adapter is less. Cost performance is way more reasonable. Realtek RTL8156B options. Will know tomorrow if those work.

All of the 5gb ones are higher priced no matter which chipset.

2.5gbe Realtek ones run between 26 and 34 bucks.

Your choice of course.

AX86U plus even the 5gb adapter to end up with 2 2.5gbe ports significantly cheaper than any router with 2 higher speed ports. The 89X is 500 bucks.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

"Why not just use an inexpensive managed multi-gig switch"

Aren't any. All of the reasonably priced ones at this point are unmanaged. Next wave likely to be managed but not yet. Link 2 ports from the AX86U to a managed 2.5gb switch and while no way get 2gb would get higher than 1. Hook 2.5gbe clients to the open ports on the now linked 2.5gb switch. Then use the router's built in 2.5gb port for WAN.

Would be more expensive than any adapter. But would be doable. All my managed switches that could do linking are 1gb.

Some of these first wave of "economical" switches don't communicate across all ports at the highest speeds. None of these issues are out of the norm for first wave of devices.

I've done a lot of digging to find a cost effective or value/price kind of thing to see if can add 2nd 2.5gb port. It is absolutely true the performance increase won't be huge. Can't justify a huge price for small performance increase. What you found with the USB adapter would be the holy grail......some performance boost at a reasonable price.

 

[Tech9]

AX86U plus even the 5gb adapter to end up with 2 2.5gbe ports significantly cheaper than any router with 2 higher speed ports.

RT-AX86U runs different firmware. What works on RT-AX88U may not work on RT-AX86U. Needs testing.

 

[L&LD]

The firmware is (at a guess) the same between the RT-AX88U and the RT-AX86U, however, the SDK for the onboard SoC's is newer on the better/later (RT-AX86U) router.

2x QNAP QSW-1105-5T 5-Port Unmanaged 2.5GbE switches ($300+) have been the cheapest way to get just my LAN onto 2.5GbE speeds.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

Something I learned and didn't expect to is USB-C has two sides. If you plug them in one way only get USB 2. Which is why the ASUS adapter specifically tells you to match the arrow with the USB symbol. I thought USB-C didn't matter which orientation used when plugging it in.

 

[L&LD]

I didn't know that either. It may be an Asus thing though?

 

[jsmiddleton4]

"may not work on RT-AX86U. Needs testing."

I am aware. Having read through the linked article in another thread it maybe the kernel however already is updated to support these USB devices. I'm still not clear on that point. And if like some of these devices their "drivers" are builtin to their chipset, the kernel only has to allow that builtin driver to be used. In other words this maynot be all that complicated or even cutting edge.

I have the one that works for Vinmar coming today. An RTL 8156B, asus actually, adapter coming tomorrow.