Firestick not seeing Ethernet with Atolla USB Ethernet Hub and GL-A1300 Slate Plus running VPN

Weird problem here.

I am trying to connect Firestick via Ethernet (instead of WiFi). I have an Atolla USB Ethernet Hub, connected to the GL-A1300 running NordVPN. The Firestick does not see the internet connected. The GL-A1300 Slate Plus is connected by ethernet to the Magenta (T-Mobile) router.

Looking at them independently, all elements work. The T-Mobile router works, and the GL-A1300 Slate Plus works. If I connect the same ethernet cable to my laptop instead of the USB Hub the internet works. If I connect the USB Hub directly to the Magenta router the Firestick recognizes the internet connection. If I connect the USB Hub to my PC I also get internet. I tried all possible combinations, including changing LAN ports, ethernet cables, etc. Everything always works, except the one combination: Magenta Router to GL-A1300 to USB Hub to Firestick.

I am wondering if someone what the problem here is and how to make it work.

Hi

May we know the status of each of these network combinations?

  1. Magenta - GL-A1300 - Atolla USB Ethernet Hub - PC: Does this setup work correctly?
  2. Magenta - Atolla USB Ethernet Hub - Firestick: Does this setup work correctly?
  3. Magenta - GL-A1300 - Atolla USB Ethernet Hub - Firestick: This is the combination that you mentioned does not work.
  4. Magenta - GL-A1300 - Firestick: Does this setup work correctly (when the Ethernet hub is bypassed)?

When you experience the issue with the Firestick, please specify which of the following symptoms you are observing:

  • The indicator light near the Ethernet port on the hub or Firestick does not illuminate.
  • The Firestick OS shows the network port as unconnected.
  • The OS shows the network port as connected, but it fails to obtain an IP address.
  • The OS has obtained an IP address, but the Firestick cannot access the internet.

Hi there,

Thanks for the quick response. Here the status of the different scenarios:

  1. Magenta - GL-A1300 - Atolla USB Ethernet Hub - PC: No internet. But a USB drive connected to the Atolla hub does show up.

  2. Magenta - Atolla USB Ethernet Hub - Firestick: Internet works. A USB drive connected to the Atolla hub also shows.

  3. Magenta - GL-A1300 - Atolla USB Ethernet Hub - Firestick: This is the combination that you mentioned does not work. - does not work, re-checked it again.

  4. Magenta - GL-A1300 - Firestick: Does this setup work correctly (when the Ethernet hub is bypassed)? - Since Firestick does not have an Ethernet port I cannot test this (that’s why I got the Atolla USB-Ethernet Hub). WiFi access works.

I also tested another scheme: Magenta - Atolla USB Ethernet Hub - PC (bypassing the GL-A1300). In this case the internet worked, and the USB drive connected to the Atolla Hub also showed.

When you experience the issue with the Firestick, please specify which of the following symptoms you are observing:

  • The indicator light near the Ethernet port on the hub or Firestick does not illuminate - A: Firestick does not have indicator lights, but the indicator lights on the Atolla Hub are always working (solid green and yellow flickering).

  • The Firestick OS shows the network port as unconnected. -A: If the connection runs through the Atolla USB Ethernet Hub, the Firestick shows SSID, IP address, Gateway, Subnet Mask and DNS all as “not connected”

  • The OS shows the network port as connected, but it fails to obtain an IP address. -A: no, see above

  • The OS has obtained an IP address, but the Firestick cannot access the internet. -A: no, see above

As stated before, my purpose is to run have the Firestick connecting to the GL-A1300 running NordVPN and for bandwidth purposes have this connection via Ethernet as opposed to WiFi.

I checked if it makes a difference if I turn NordVPN on the GL-A1300 off, but it doesn’t make any difference at all.

Is it possible that the Atolla USB Ethernet Hub is simply incompatible with the GL-A1300 ???

Please confirm that you are using the original power supply or another power adapter that meets the 5V/3A specifications for A1300.
Additionally, does the Atolla USB Ethernet Hub have a port for an external power supply?

Please also try connecting U-disk to the router and see if the router can detect it or use the phone to tether for checking whether the USB port of A1300 works or not.

If the power supply is confirmed to be sufficient and USB port works, it's possible there is a compatibility issue between the A1300 and the Atolla USB Ethernet Hub.

Do you happen to have another USB-to-Ethernet adapter available to test if the issue persists?

Hello,

To answer your questions:

Please confirm that you are using the original power supply or another power adapter that meets the 5V/3A specifications for A1300. -A: I tried the original power supply as well as another power adapter (rated 5V/3.6A)

Additionally, does the Atolla USB Ethernet Hub have a port for an external power supply? -A: No, it does not

Please also try connecting U-disk to the router and see if the router can detect it or use the phone to tether for checking whether the USB port of A1300 works or not. -A: Tried the USB stick on the A1300, the router does recognize it

If the power supply is confirmed to be sufficient and USB port works, it's possible there is a compatibility issue between the A1300 and the Atolla USB Ethernet Hub. -A: Do you know any USB Ethernet Hubs (with at least 1 USB port plus Gigabit Ethernet) that is proven to work with the A1300 ??

Do you happen to have another USB-to-Ethernet adapter available to test if the issue persists? -A: unfortunately not

Now to make sure there is no misunderstanding about the cabling:

Magenta A1300 Atolla Hub Firestick or PC

As previously mentioned, I can connect to the A1300 via WiFi (from Firestick as well as from PC).

Please advise.

Thanks,


Oh, I see—I did misunderstand the wiring earlier.
So the Atolla Hub’s USB port is connected to the Firestick, and its Ethernet port goes to the A1300, correct?

In that case, this still looks like a compatibility issue.
If you have another unmanaged (“dumb”) switch available, please try placing it between the A1300 and the Atolla Hub to see if that helps.

We haven’t officially tested this specific setup, so we can’t recommend any particular models. However, the ones using Realtek chipsets generally work well.