ax88179_178a spams "Link status is: 0" and doesn't work

[WGH <da-wgh@ya.ru>]

Hello.

I'm running Linux 6.17.7, and recently obtained a UGREEN 6 in 1 hub containing an AX88179B chip.

By default, it uses cdc_ncm driver, which mostly works, but has other issues (that would be another report).

I can switch the device to another mode with a udev rule so it would use the device-specific ax88179_178a driver:

ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0b95", ATTR{idProduct}=="1790", ATTR{bConfigurationValue}!="1", ATTR{bConfigurationValue}="1"

However, it doesn't work in this mode. The link never becomes up, and dmesg spams the following messages ad infinum:

Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: usb 4-1: new high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd
Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: usb 4-1: New USB device found, idVendor=05e3, idProduct=0610, bcdDevice=64.00
Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: usb 4-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: usb 4-1: Product: USB2.1 Hub
Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: usb 4-1: Manufacturer: GenesysLogic
Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: hub 4-1:1.0: USB hub found
Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: hub 4-1:1.0: 4 ports detected
Nov 13 22:15:49 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1: new SuperSpeed USB device number 8 using xhci_hcd
Nov 13 22:15:50 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1: New USB device found, idVendor=05e3, idProduct=0625, bcdDevice=64.00
Nov 13 22:15:50 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
Nov 13 22:15:50 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1: Product: USB3.2 Hub
Nov 13 22:15:50 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1: Manufacturer: GenesysLogic
Nov 13 22:15:50 sixty-four kernel: hub 5-1:1.0: USB hub found
Nov 13 22:15:50 sixty-four kernel: hub 5-1:1.0: 4 ports detected
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1.2: new SuperSpeed USB device number 9 using xhci_hcd
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0b95, idProduct=1790, bcdDevice= 2.00
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1.2: Product: AX88179B
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1.2: Manufacturer: ASIX
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: usb 5-1.2: SerialNumber: 0000000000BE7F
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: cdc_ncm 5-1.2:2.0: MAC-Address: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: cdc_ncm 5-1.2:2.0: setting rx_max = 16384
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: cdc_ncm 5-1.2:2.0: setting tx_max = 16384
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: cdc_ncm 5-1.2:2.0 eth0: register 'cdc_ncm' at usb-0000:06:00.4-1.2, CDC NCM (NO ZLP), XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
Nov 13 22:15:51 sixty-four kernel: cdc_ncm 5-1.2:2.0 eth0: unregister 'cdc_ncm' usb-0000:06:00.4-1.2, CDC NCM (NO ZLP)
Nov 13 22:15:52 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 (unnamed net_device) (uninitialized): Failed to read reg index 0x0040: -32
Nov 13 22:15:52 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 eth0: register 'ax88179_178a' at usb-0000:06:00.4-1.2, ASIX AX88179 USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet, XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
Nov 13 22:15:53 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: renamed from eth0
Nov 13 22:15:53 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: Failed to read reg index 0x0040: -32
Nov 13 22:15:56 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:57 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:58 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0
Nov 13 22:15:58 sixty-four kernel: ax88179_178a 5-1.2:1.0 enp6s0f4u1u2: ax88179 - Link status is: 0

Curiously, ethtool reports that the link is up, gives correct speed indication, some details about link partner, etc. ip link still says NO-CARRIER. ip link set dev down + up doesn't help.

There're some suggestions on the internet to either load cdc_mbim first, or add cdc_ncm prefer_mbim=Y option, but that doesn't help either.