Problems of communication to hikey via network

Products Support HiKey
#1

Hello

Why to talk to hikey via network
is so critical for me? That is because so far I have tested three types of
UART-USB adapters (based on CP2101, PL2303HX, PL2303HXD ).
All work in some unstable manner at best.
So, now I am waiting for officially recommended one:

Good network experience:

  1. The use of the kernel and debian images from
    http://builds.96boards.org/releases/hikey/linaro/debian/latest/
    (i.e. of version 20153011-387)
    flashed onto SD or EMMC
    results in normal communication to HiKey via network if
    a) I use USB-Ethernet adapters of two types which I typically use
    for my Linux debian systems.
    b) I configure the /etc/network/interfaces e.g. like

    auto eth0
    iface eth0 inet static
    address 10.2.9.60
    netmask 255.255.255.0

    (to be scrupulous)

    The network communications work!

Bad network experience:
2) The use of kernel/debian EMMC images from
https://builds.96boards.org/releases/reference-platform/debian/hikey/16.03/
for EMMC’s HiKey flashing with subsequent
usage of mentioned above USB-Ethernet adapters (a) and network configuration (b)
does not allow to get a pingable HiKey.
I.e. HiKey is not communicable via network.
(By the way, I do not see blue leds blinking)

  1. The use of kernel/debian EMMC images from
    https://builds.96boards.org/releases/reference-platform/debian/hikey/16.06/
    flashed onto EMMC or SD (the image for SD is present on the page) with subsequent
    usage of mentioned above USB-Ethernet adapters (a) and network configuration (b)
    does not allow to ping HiKey.
    I.e. HiKey is not communicable via network.
    (Now I see blue leds blinking)

It would be very nice to get an advice how to fix images from
https://builds.96boards.org/releases/reference-platform/debian/hikey/16.03/
https://builds.96boards.org/releases/reference-platform/debian/hikey/16.06/
to make them to provide network communications via USB-Ethernet adapter
as that is provided by the images from:
http://builds.96boards.org/releases/hikey/linaro/debian/latest/
(i.e. of version 20153011-387)

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

#2

Hello,

Eventually I have bypassed the problems of networking via
usb-ethernet adapter.
Hopefully, my experience will help others to talk to the machine
via network for
https://builds.96boards.org/releases/reference-platform/debian/hikey/16.03/
https://builds.96boards.org/releases/reference-platform/debian/hikey/16.06/

That is the summary:

At the stage of /etc/rc.local:

  1. Network modules and usb-net modules are typically
    not running.
    To get that running there are two options:
    - to do insmod for mii, network, dm9601(e.g.)
    - to sleep for a few seconds.
    (after sleeping a proper usb-net module is started
    – that seemingly means the udev works good in this way)

  2. Ethernet interface is not brought up.
    (not surprising as modules may not run by that time)
    So I brought it up through ifup.

  3. For (2) to be successful I had also to
    provide proper content of the
    /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules
    (this file is not generated automatically as /lib/udev/write_net_rules is not present).
    Maybe that is sufficient just to add write_net_rules
    to provide creating the 70-persistent-net.rules (I did not check that).

My feeling about all this is that at the system start the
network interface fails to be brought up as

- modules are not inserted (by that time)
- no net rules file is present
(I understand that there is an attempt to bring the eth0 up as
configured in the /etc/init/network-interface.conf)