USB to ethernet converter?

[ABA]

Has anyone ever used a laptop as a driver station with out an ethernet port, and instead a usb to ethernet converter? and if so how did it work on the feild? was it succesful? did it lag at all? any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Mark McLeod]

I've used USB-to-Ethernet converters to make the Driver Station/field connection before.
I'd recommend keeping it on one of the laptop USB ports and not on a Hub.

It works fine.
No lag or other issues to report.

[ABA]

ok thank you very much

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

I've used USB-to-Ethernet converters to make the Driver Station/field connection before.
I'd recommend keeping it on one of the laptop USB ports and not on a Hub.

It works fine.
No lag or other issues to report.

What model USB to Ethernet converter? We tried a Linksys and a Startech in 2010. The Linksys worked fine in practice, but never worked on the field. The Startech worked on the field, but would randomly stop working after awaking from sleep.

[Mark McLeod]

I'll have to check the make/model. It's sitting on my desk at home, but it's now an out-of-date model several years old, so I can't recommend a current model to purchase.

As a general rule, we never let our Driver Station go to sleep or hibernate in competition, so those kinds of issued wouldn't have manifest with the way we used the device.
USB communication and power re-negotiations on wakeup give indeterminated results - hubs, FIRST Touch, joysticks, or any USB device can go missing unless close attention is paid. You've seen it I know.