usb ethernet adapter not working with Ubuntu 16.04

I have bought a USB 3.0 Ethernet Network Adapter (item code 20256, here is the exact model ) but I cannot make it work with Ubuntu 16.04 on my Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition. I have looked here USB to Ethernet in Dell XPS 13 with Ubuntu 16.04 but without success.

When I insert the USB adapter I first get a success pop-up message "You are now connected to 'Wired connection 1'" but shortly after another message "Disconnected Ethernet network"

I have tried installing Linux drivers from

but the make command fails with :

make -C /lib/modules/4.4.0-78-generic/build SUBDIRS=/home/vito/dev/ethernet ugreen adapter/AX88179_178A_LINUX_DRIVER_v1.18.0_SOURCE modules
make[1]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-78-generic'
arch/x86/Makefile:148: CONFIG_X86_X32 enabled but no binutils support
Makefile:693: Cannot use CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR_STRONG: -fstack-protector-strong not supported by compiler
make[1]: *** No rule to make target 'ugreen'. Stop.
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-78-generic'
Makefile:30: recipe for target 'default' failed
make: *** [default] Error 2

and running

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:qji/ax88179
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ax88179

as described in How to install (or troubleshoot) a USB 3.0 AX88179 Gigabit Ethernet adapter?

yields

E: Unable to locate package ax88179

Here is my lsusb output:

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0c45:670c Microdia
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0a2b Intel Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

A part of dmesg output:

[141344.691045] usb 2-1: new SuperSpeed USB device number 2 using xhci_hcd
[141344.718791] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0b95, idProduct=1790
[141344.718794] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[141344.718796] usb 2-1: Product: AX88179
[141344.718797] usb 2-1: Manufacturer: ASIX Elec. Corp.
[141344.718798] usb 2-1: SerialNumber: 00000000000062
[141346.086230] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 eth0: register 'ax88179_178a' at usb-0000:00:14.0-1, ASIX AX88179 USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet, 00:0e:c6:c2:13:fb
[141346.087635] usbcore: registered new interface driver ax88179_178a
[141346.095391] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: renamed from eth0
[141346.127776] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): enx000ec6c213fb: link is not ready
[141346.453080] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): enx000ec6c213fb: link is not ready
[141348.334700] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: ax88179 - Link status is: 1
[141348.341174] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): enx000ec6c213fb: link becomes ready
[141353.879023] usb 2-1: USB disconnect, device number 2
[141353.879307] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: unregister 'ax88179_178a' usb-0000:00:14.0-1, ASIX AX88179 USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet
[141353.879336] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: Failed to read reg index 0x0002: -19
[141353.879342] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: Failed to write reg index 0x0002: -19
[141353.906952] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb (unregistered): Failed to write reg index 0x0002: -19
[141353.906962] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb (unregistered): Failed to write reg index 0x0001: -19
[141353.906968] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb (unregistered): Failed to write reg index 0x0002: -19
[141354.150699] usb 2-1: Device not responding to setup address.
[141354.354505] usb 2-1: Device not responding to setup address.
[141354.554938] usb 2-1: device not accepting address 3, error -71
[141354.554962] xhci_hcd 0000:00:14.0: Cannot set link state.
[141354.554980] usb usb2-port1: cannot disable (err = -32)
[141354.723064] usb 2-1: new SuperSpeed USB device number 4 using xhci_hcd
[141354.745922] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0b95, idProduct=1790
[141354.745930] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[141354.745935] usb 2-1: Product: AX88179
[141354.745939] usb 2-1: Manufacturer: ASIX Elec. Corp.
[141354.745942] usb 2-1: SerialNumber: 00000000000062
[141355.068628] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 eth0: register 'ax88179_178a' at usb-0000:00:14.0-1, ASIX AX88179 USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet, 00:0e:c6:c2:13:fb
[141356.085896] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: renamed from eth0
[141359.573244] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): enx000ec6c213fb: link is not ready
[141359.892335] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): enx000ec6c213fb: link is not ready
[141359.982994] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: ax88179 - Link status is: 1
[141361.775038] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: ax88179 - Link status is: 1
[141361.782150] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): enx000ec6c213fb: link becomes ready
[141377.563329] usb 2-1: USB disconnect, device number 4
[141377.563637] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: unregister 'ax88179_178a' usb-0000:00:14.0-1, ASIX AX88179 USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet
[141377.563670] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: Failed to read reg index 0x0002: -19
[141377.563676] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb: Failed to write reg index 0x0002: -19
[141377.603221] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb (unregistered): Failed to write reg index 0x0002: -19
[141377.603225] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb (unregistered): Failed to write reg index 0x0001: -19
[141377.603228] ax88179_178a 2-1:1.0 enx000ec6c213fb (unregistered): Failed to write reg index 0x0002: -19
[141399.516121] wlp58s0: deauthenticating from 02:1a:11:fd:4d:c2 by local choice (Reason: 3=DEAUTH_LEAVING)
[141516.771923] usb 1-2: USB disconnect, device number 11

ifconfig output:

docker0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 02:42:9d:b9:7e:94 inet addr:172.17.0.1 Bcast:0.0.0.0 Mask:255.255.0.0 UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
enx000ec6c213fb Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0e:c6:c2:13:fb UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
lo Link encap:Local Loopback inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0 inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:65536 Metric:1 RX packets:1191 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:1191 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1 RX bytes:145957 (145.9 KB) TX bytes:145957 (145.9 KB)
wlp58s0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr e4:a4:71:1c:6c:09 inet addr:192.168.43.103 Bcast:192.168.43.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::d7ed:8502:d581:869/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:46483 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:20201 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:56977580 (56.9 MB) TX bytes:2929160 (2.9 MB)

1 Answer

I was in the same situation with Ubuntu 20.04 and "0b95:1790 ASIX AX88179 10/100/1000". Looking into nm-connection-editor (Network Manager) is possible to view more than one "cable connection". I've deleted all previous "usb cable connection" disconnect and reconnect the usb dongle ethernet and the problem is solved.

So, from this experience we can understand that the issue had originated from Network Manager and not from the kernel driver.