Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by znpy 36 days ago
hey Nirav, dumb question: would it be possible to have usb-c ethernet adapters using intel chips in order to have vPro features on framework laptops (along with vpro-enabled intel chips) ?

That's probably the missing cherry on top, as having vpro once the framework motherboard gets reused as a home server it gives some manageability features.
1 comments
aaronmdjones 36 days ago
vPro requires the NIC to be connected directly to the PCH (over PCIe/CNV). This is going over USB, which won't cut it.

An Intel WLAN card in an M.2 slot on the mainboard might work (given your givens; a vPro enabled chipset).

link
znpy 35 days ago
> vPro requires the NIC to be connected directly to the PCH (over PCIe/CNV). This is going over USB, which won't cut it.

i see, i did not know about this.

however, let me use your knowledge and ask you another question: vpro-enabled thinkpads without an ethernet port do have a dongle that should allow vpro-usage.

is that some kind of vpro-specific dongle? i mean, iirc that dongle also has to be connected to a very specific port

link
aaronmdjones 34 days ago
I'm afraid I don't know anything about ThinkPads.

Hazarding a guess I'd say it's using Thunderbolt (hence the specific port requirement) which allows you to tunnel PCIe over it.

Though it is odd that they wouldn't just go with the WiFi on the motherboard option.

link