Magicsee N5 MAX - ethernet not working

Can you take a wider photo? This isn’t the component we’re talking about.

It seems three parts are missing.
The last one above the 8211 probably a missing resistor.
The second from the top on the right of the 8211 probably a missing capacitor.
The middle part below the 8211 is missing too.

The question is if those are missing by design or by mistake?

It doesn’t work at all so I guess it isn’t by design…

Edit:
It turned out it is by design. (Another box with semi-working LAN has the same missing parts)

I think all these boxes are just using the same configuration. They most likely just implement the same circuit depicted in the RTL8211F datasheet.
So a crap PCB design could still cause issues, due to the very high frequencies required by 1Gbit to work.
You probably have the same issue that the Beelink GT-King had/has.

Do you mean the one which could be solved by shortcut one resistor?
All in all everyone is assuming hw problem? Isn’t here a member with the same box?

Here it is, SamWillson had some N5 max…
Link
Maybe he has some photos in detail.

You can boot into Android and check if Ethernet is working correctly at 1Gbit there.

Last time I checked it was as bad as in CE.
BUT…
I did re-measure iperf in CE. Now with both directions, the result is surprising.

CoreELECx2:~ # ethtool eth0
Settings for eth0:
Supported ports: [ TP MII ]
Supported link modes:   10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
                        100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
                        1000baseT/Full 
Supported pause frame use: No
Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
Supported FEC modes: Not reported
Advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
                        100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
                        1000baseT/Full 
Advertised pause frame use: No
Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Advertised FEC modes: Not reported
Link partner advertised link modes:  10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 
                                     100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 
                                     1000baseT/Full 
Link partner advertised pause frame use: Symmetric
Link partner advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Link partner advertised FEC modes: Not reported
Speed: 1000Mb/s
Duplex: Full
Port: MII
PHYAD: 0
Transceiver: external
Auto-negotiation: on
Supports Wake-on: ug
Wake-on: d
Current message level: 0x0000003f (63)
       drv probe link timer ifdown ifup
Link detected: yes
CoreELECx2:~ # iperf3 -c 192.168.0.101
Connecting to host 192.168.0.101, port 5201
[  5] local 192.168.0.130 port 46146 connected to 192.168.0.101 port 5201
[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate         Retr  Cwnd
[  5]   0.00-1.00   sec  97.5 MBytes   818 Mbits/sec    0   1.27 MBytes       
[  5]   1.00-2.00   sec  92.5 MBytes   776 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   2.00-3.00   sec  93.8 MBytes   786 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   3.00-4.00   sec   100 MBytes   838 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   4.00-5.00   sec   101 MBytes   850 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   5.00-6.00   sec   102 MBytes   860 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   6.00-7.00   sec   100 MBytes   838 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   7.00-8.00   sec  98.8 MBytes   829 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   8.00-9.00   sec  96.2 MBytes   808 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
[  5]   9.00-10.00  sec  98.8 MBytes   828 Mbits/sec    0   3.36 MBytes       
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate         Retr
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec   981 MBytes   823 Mbits/sec    0             sender
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec   978 MBytes   820 Mbits/sec                  receiver

iperf Done.
CoreELECx2:~ # iperf3 -c 192.168.0.101 -R        Connecting to host 192.168.0.101, port 5201
Reverse mode, remote host 192.168.0.101 is sending
[  5] local 192.168.0.130 port 46162 connected to 192.168.0.101 port 5201
[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate
[  5]   0.00-1.00   sec   315 KBytes  2.58 Mbits/sec                  
[  5]   1.00-2.00   sec   427 KBytes  3.50 Mbits/sec                  
[  5]   2.00-3.00   sec   175 KBytes  1.44 Mbits/sec                  
[  5]   3.00-4.00   sec   342 KBytes  2.80 Mbits/sec                  
[  5]   4.00-5.00   sec   848 KBytes  6.95 Mbits/sec                  
[  5]   5.00-6.00   sec   574 KBytes  4.70 Mbits/sec                  
[  5]   6.00-7.00   sec   557 KBytes  4.56 Mbits/sec                  
[  5]   7.00-8.00   sec  4.24 KBytes  34.7 Kbits/sec                  
[  5]   8.00-9.00   sec  89.1 KBytes   730 Kbits/sec                  
[  5]   9.00-10.00  sec   448 KBytes  3.67 Mbits/sec                  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate         Retr
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec  3.75 MBytes  3.15 Mbits/sec  154             sender
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec  3.69 MBytes  3.10 Mbits/sec                  receiver

iperf Done.

Looks like a bad ethernet to me. Only good one way, but not the other. Good TX, bad RX, same as on some GTKs.

Please do NOT shortcircuit any unplaced components, you may kill the complete board.
The missing components are unplaced capacitors, which were designed in, but later during development found to be not needed. Common approach during development, saves 0,1ct. :wink:

Your problem looks like a bad contact on the Ethernet IC, therefore I recommend to check the pads of the QFN package for Shorts or open contacts.
grafik
grafik

Thanx. Let me translate. I should have to measure those marked legs next to each other if they shortcut or not?

Unless you know what you are doing, and have the tools for it, I wouldn’t bother trying anything.
These are extra tiny parts, so I wouldn’t try soldering them without a hot air station + good flux.

Yes, you can do an optical inspection on the IC pins, to check if there are shortcircuits between adjacent pins, or pins without proper contact to pcb.
If there are any faults found, repairing is a different story & needs special tools/skills, as TheCoolest mentioned.

I had this exact same issue with the GT-King with slow Ethernet performance and @TheCoolest had a similar issue where Gbit was totally unusable, only forcing 100M made the Ethernet work.

Solution was replacement by the manufacturer, the replacement had no such issues and worked perfectly.

Thx, I am forcing them.

Due to high postal cost I asked for partial refund and continue using the box with usb-ethernet adapter, which now works seamless.
Thanks for advices and the great sw!