Boot Dell XPS 12 to USB to Network card

[Psycholiquid]

@george1421 Yeah I was coming to the first conclusion on my own after reading through a bit of this blog:

http://www.johnwillis.com/2014/03/pxe-booting-using-usb-to-ethernet-dongle.html

[george1421]

@Psycholiquid said:

@george1421 I think I understand what you are saying.

To say it another way: the key is the ipxe software doesn’t support my usb ethernet adapter. FOG uses ipxe to download the bzImage+inits (FOG Client OS) from the FOG server. Once the FOG kernels get to the target computer, the FOG OS does support that usb 2.0 ethernet adapter so it will function as designed.

[Psycholiquid]

@george1421 I’m gona run by my Walmart tonight and pick this up:

http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=USB21000S2&stores=2967,1510,2447,1961,2250

From what I am reading it may work for the Dell (Not to say it will work with all UEFI)

[Psycholiquid]

@george1421 At this stage of the game it is a point of pride that I will not let this beat me.

[george1421]

@Psycholiquid said:

@george1421 I’m gona run by my Walmart tonight and pick this up:

http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=USB21000S2&stores=2967,1510,2447,1961,2250

From what I am reading it may work for the Dell (Not to say it will work with all UEFI)

According to what I just posted this network adapter needs to be usb 3.0 and support the protocols I mentioned. IMO: This will not work, but I’ve been wrong before and will be again (soon).

[Psycholiquid]

@george1421 Well I the StarTech USB31000 sitting here and it hasn’t worked either, basically the updated version of what I am getting tonight. So I am thinking the USB 3.0 route might not be the route to go unless the FOG kernel supports USB 3.0 once that kernel takes over unless it supports it it will drop connection and not pick back up.

But this is all theory we will know after tomorrow.

[Psycholiquid]

@george1421 If this does work FOG needs to start selling USB flashdrive and USB to Ethernet packages for support money LOL.

[Wayne Workman]

@Psycholiquid said:

the USB 3.0 route might not be the route to go unless the FOG kernel supports USB 3.0

Well if it doesn’t work, it’s an easy fix. The @Tom-Elliott can easily compile a new kernel with this support if that is what it takes to get fog working on your device.

[Wayne Workman]

@Psycholiquid said:

@george1421 If this does work FOG needs to start selling USB flashdrive and USB to Ethernet packages for support money LOL.

Not a bad idea actually.

[Psycholiquid]

@Wayne-Workman So i read farther down in the comments and expanded the long lines of chats, I found this gem:

Kenneth Fortner1 year ago

1
Reply

+John Willis John, thanks for the great response. I currently have a XPS 12 that will PXE boot to undonly.kpxe using the LAn7500 and then attempts to use wimboot to kick off winpe. It fails for either the BCD or cannot find bootmgr.exe, but there is other weirdness going on that does not happen on embedded NICs. I will go read your post as well. I had also noticed on the iPXE forum that robinsmidsrod had asked for your solution as well. I will forward him to you post.
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Looks to me I am on the right track now

[george1421]

@Psycholiquid said:

@george1421 Well I the StarTech USB31000 sitting here and it hasn’t worked either, basically the updated version of what I am getting tonight. So I am thinking the USB 3.0 route might not be the route to go unless the FOG kernel supports USB 3.0 once that kernel takes over unless it supports it it will drop connection and not pick back up.

Remember we have two OS’ in play here. Since the built in efi bios doesn’t see that usb 3.0 device, we have the (hard way) ipxe boot flash drive. Does that support the usb 3.0 device? The second part is of you created the FOG Client Debug OS (I really need to come up with a better name). If you boot from the flash drive into the fog os kernel. You need both kits to work to have a happy fog deployment.

[Psycholiquid]

@george1421 Very true

[george1421]

@Wayne-Workman said:

@Psycholiquid said:

@george1421 If this does work FOG needs to start selling USB flashdrive and USB to Ethernet packages for support money LOL.

Not a bad idea actually.

Yeah it is a bad idea, then you’ll have to support other people’s crap as well as your own.

[Wayne Workman]

@Psycholiquid Very nice find.

[Wayne Workman]

@george1421 no implied warranty - for fund raising only. Sell it as a “key chain”… that just so happens to have your USB UEFI booting stuff on it lol

[Psycholiquid]

Well no NIC at Walmart as advertised, I have it on order. Will see if we can resume this next week.

[george1421]

@Psycholiquid FWIW, Matthieu in a different thread has booted HP X2 210 tablet via a usb 3.0 ethernet adapter. He posted “I found on a store near my office that had a ASIX AX88772C” I take it that he is probably in Europe since he is done by about 10a EST.

I’m not saying that this will work with your system, just adding a data point.

[Psycholiquid]

@george1421 I think the ASSIX is a very good chipset, just Dell and HP are being turds about what they are supporting. I think to HP Assix will be the route and Dell it will be SMH7500 (I think that is the right designation)

[Wayne Workman]

@Psycholiquid Feel free to mail me the ones that don’t work.

[Psycholiquid]

OK peeps I finally got one that works using the PXE boot method create by @george1421 , however it will not register the host. So we are getting closer I will make a video of the process here in a little while once I get caught up on morning work. But for now here is the NIC and chipset that is working, it also works on Surfaces.

StarTech USB 2.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Part# USB21000S2

http://www.startech.com/Networking-IO/usb-network-adapters/USB-2-to-Gigabit-Ethernet-NIC-Network-Adapter~USB21000S2

Chipset ID SMSC - LAN7500