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Comment by pdonis | Hacker News Reader

> All of the meaningful I/O in a server setup goes through one USB 2.1 hub.

Even Ethernet and 802.11 wifi packets?

RPI's Ethernet adapter is internally connected through USB (you may also see another hub connected to the motherboard hub here).

  pi@raspberrypi:~ $ lsusb
  Bus 001 Device 005: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
  Bus 001 Device 004: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
  Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp. SMSC9512/9514 Fast Ethernet Adapter
  Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9512 Standard Microsystems Corp. LAN9500 Ethernet 10/100 Adapter / SMSC9512/9514 Hub
  Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

I see. Does anyone know what the rationale for that design decision was? I'm comparing to, for example, the Dragino, which is in the same general price range but does not have this, um, "feature".

Possibly because there was nowhere else to hang the port off with that Broadcom SoC. See also the myriad SoCs and devices that use a USB->SATA converter where I really just want SATA (e.g. a little known, obscure device called the Playstation 3).

> Possibly because there was nowhere else to hang the port off with that Broadcom SoC.

Ah. Dragino uses an Atheros SoC. Not the first time I've seen a Broadcom chip have an...interesting feature.

Ethernet does, but wifi does not.

https://www.element14.com/community/servlet/JiveServlet/show...

Ethernet certainly does.

https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/46076/soc-cp...

Yes, RPi uses USB-Eth adapter on board.

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