Hello!
This is regarding the USB to Ethernet hub called USB3200SPT in macOS but I guess it’s relevant for all similar proucts.
I noticed in a previous installation (macOS 12, Monterey) that it required three reboots which is quite a lot.
So now I’m a bit hesitating to install this on macOS 14, Somona. Why do I need a driver for a USB-to-Ethernet adapter in the first place? Most adapters I’ve learned nowdays does not require drivers. What kind of functionality gets added with these low level drivers that I wouldn’t get in a “driverless” adapter?
The web page for the usb32000spt notes that it has several hardware offload features. I would assume these are not handled by the class driver.
“Three reboots” does seem excessive. You shouldn’t need any. At most, you should need to reload the driver or unplug and replug the device. (Having said that, the commercial OS vendors don’t package things well. 
)
Hello @Oortone
Thank you for posting on our StarTech.com Community forum!
Whether the driver is required for macOS 14 will depend on what revision of the USB32000SPT you have. The original revision of this adapter used the ASIX AX88179 chipset, whereas revision 2 uses the newer ASIX AX88179A chipset. The driver install is required for the original revision of the adapter simply because there is no compatible driver built into the OS for this chipset, whereas there is for the newer AX88179A and would allow it to be plug and play in macOS 14. This would be the case for any USB to ethernet adapter. Whether it will require a driver install will depend whether a compatible driver is built into the OS or not.
To confirm which revision of the USB32000SPT you have you can check the adapter itself and/or the packaging it came in to see if it has any revision markings or if it has a “Lot code” sticker. The Lot code sticker will have a bar code accompanied by a 10 digit number. The 5th and 6th digits of this lot code number would signify the revision. (Ex. xxxx02xxxx which would indicate rev. 2).
If you do have the original revision, the install steps for the driver do suggest 2 reboots during the installation process.
Adam S.
Thanks, however I have a 11-digit number: 14478308897, so 5th and 6th number is 83…? It also says: U3-C25-LN10-11-02361
Is the driver a kernel extension (kext) or something else?
Linux has had support for usb:0b95:1790 since Linux 3.9 (April 28, 2013). From reading ASIX’s own driver, it looks like the difference between the AX88179 and AX88179A, as seen by the driver, is in the version number. Apparently at least part of the difference between the two is that the original is USB 3.0 and the -A version is USB 3.2 gen 1. There is apparently an AX88179B as well.
Apparently FreeBSD has supported the AX88179 since version 9.3 (July 16, 2014). This is about the time of macOS X 10.10 (though I can’t say when the driver actually got added).
It turns out I am actually using an AX88179A on one of my computers, using the standard ax88179_178a driver. (not a startech product 
) The device actually uses the “Vendor Specific Class”. Thus, you do actually need a device specific driver, and not a class driver.
One question: is it USB3200SPT or USB32000SPT?
It’s “USB32000SPT”, so three zeros, seems like I misspelled. That was a tricky one…
Yes, the product ID is USB32000SPT.
@Oortone that number may be a different number, perhaps a serial number. The Lot code number would be on a white sticker. If this is not present at all, then it is most likely you would have one of the original revision models. You should also be able to confirm which you have by checking its entry in the System Report which should show which specific chipset it reports there.
The driver is actually an application which enables a system extension.
Adam S.
It looks like an original sticker and there is no other with similar numbers. There’s one with product name and two with each mac-address.
Anyway, I could not fin the word “chipset”, neither under Ethernet nor USB although I find the device there. I do find (slightly translated to English):
USB 3.0 Hub
| Produkt-ID: | 0x8110 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer-ID: | 0x2109 (VIA Labs, Inc.) |
| Version: | 90.84 |
| Speed: | Up to 5 Gbit/s |
| Manufacturer: | VIA Labs, Inc. |
AX88179:
Product-ID: 0x1790
Manufacturer-ID: 0x0b95 (ASIX Electronics Corporation)
Version: 1.00
Serial: 00000000000001
Speed: Upp till 5 Gbit/s
Manufacturer: ASIX Elec. Corp.
That entry does indeed show it to be the original revision using the AX88179 chipset. So this would require the most recent driver install to function in macOS 14.
OK, thanks. Good to know.