First off, if there is a better place or forum to ask this, I will take suggestions. I haven’t gone to any Linux forums because most of the ones I looked at did not want to support anything specifically Windows related, and this is primarily an issue in Windows.
I am using a GPD Win Max 2, a handheld laptop, with a docking station + external graphics card setup. The GPD has 2 USB C ports, one 3.2 and one 4.0. The 4.0 is used by the external graphics card, while the 3.2 is used by the dock. The dock has a 1Gb ethernet port on it, but it does not work in Windows 10 under normal use. All the other ports on the dock are recognized, but the ethernet port never shows up in device manager. But if I boot into Linux and then restart back into Windows, the ethernet port will work then. I don’t even have to have the USB dock connected while running Linux. After a hard power cycle and plugging the dock within 5-10 minutes of starting, the ethernet port will be working in Windows.
Other observations and information: -I have a 100Mb USB A ethernet adapter that works in Windows when connected to the dock. I have also tested a 1Gb USB A adapter, and that did not work. It seems 1Gb or higher does not get recognized without going through Linux first. -The ethernet port does work if I use the dock on the 4.0 port instead, but this isn’t viable in my use case. I would have assumed it was a limitation of USB C 3.2 until… -I was distro hopping when I discovered this; I had originally written off the ethernet port until I started trying out Linux. This behavior has happened in Pop OS, Garuda, and Fedora. I have not tested to see if this issue exists in Windows 11, nor do I care to. -I already tried contacting GPD’s support email about it. They were less than helpful. Left it at “compatibility issue” and would not explain further. I highly recommend not buying any GPD products. This is not the first time I have had hardware issues that went unresolved with them.
Frankly, I would love just to hear an explanation for why this workaround works. I think I would have been a lot less frustrated if it really was just a “compatibility issue” and there was nothing to do besides buy new hardware. The fact that it runs without issue in Linux gives me hope that its something that can be resolved in Windows.
If I understand correctly:
If this is true,I think the problem is with the Kensington dock, not with the laptop.
The Kensington dock has a Realtek 8156 chip, this is the most important part, you have to search for this.
Here a reviewer got a defect dongle, Realtek replaced for him: https://www.cnx-software.com/2022/02/20/fixing-performance-issues-with-realtek-rtl8156b-2-5gbe-usb-dongle-in-ubuntu/
Here they have problems with this dongle and power management messing it up. I would take a look if some windows power settings messes it up: https://community.frame.work/t/solved-getting-the-rtl8156-2-5gb-adapter-on-ubuntu-22-04-solution-blacklist-tlp-from-device/23857
The Falwedi still has the issue with the 3.2 port on the WM2 where I have to boot Linux first to get the ethernet port working in Windows. Otherwise, yes, it works everywhere.
The Kensington issue is likely not related to this ethernet problem. The ethernet port and the dock overall works as expected on the TB3 of the WM1. The ethernet port of the Kensington Dock does not work on the 3.2 port of the WM2 without booting into Linux first. The Kensington dock does not work at all on the USB4 of the WM2 or the 3.0 of the WM1.
And should clarify that I do not have to do anything in Linux to get the Ethernet port working. It functions plug-n-play with no performance issues. The ethernet issue only comes up if I boot into Windows first, without involving Linux.