PICO4 TEST | Ethernet Adapter | Connecting To WIRED LAN

[@AllThingsPico]

If you liked the video, please hit the Like button, and subscribe to my channel! Check out other Accessory reviews here: kzbin.info/aero/PLpm-XOHsIxBXuu0YMoP4pgJlYoUFGVLa6

[@thedave7760]

If you want to tidy things up and keep all the adapters together I would recommend you get some self vulcanizing tape. It's like rubber that will cure and sticks to it'self. Really good stuff.

[@AllThingsPico]

@@thedave7760 Thanks for the suggestion! I actually do care about cable management, but didn't show it in this video because it was long enough already. Right now I'm using some very sticky, minimalistic, and stylish velcro tape, but also have one rubber clamp for the head strap. They are a must if you constantly have one or more cables attached to your Pico.

[@thedave7760]

@@AllThingsPico I just thought it would be good to join the pieces for a more permanent set up not really for attaching wires to headset. It is really good stuff and I try to find more uses for it.

[@broker231061]

Thank you for your info! Works fine even with virtual Desktop!

[@AllThingsPico]

Thanks for confirming! I will soon make a video where I show it works with Pico's Streaming Assistant too. Stay tuned to the channel :)

[@dr.dolphin765]

This actually works! Its pretty janky because I havent bought a usb c cable yet so I have a ethernet adaptor dangling off my head

[@AllThingsPico]

Sure it's working just fine! And with esthetics we can deal later :) There are pretty neat solutions out there that you can use.

[@ajgunn3277]

so i've got mine getting to the INTERNET by plugging it in to the router..... but..... i can't get VD to channel it's connection to Pico through my router, only dealing with it via wifi. Have you got PCVR working nicely on this, with this configuration? Cos I'm at a loss about what to do next. ADB works finely, but I could use the extra 30ms gigabit adaptor should afford me. If you can help lmk!

[@AllThingsPico]

@@ajgunn3277 Sadly I don't have a PCVR-ready computer, and also haven't purchased VD, so can't check that out. I made this video only to test if the USB Ethernet adapter would work on the Pico, and if you could connect to the internet that way. But, it should definitely be possible to use VD and SA with such configuration (as others are showing in their KZbin videos too). I had plans to make a video and at least test the latency via SA, but got distracted covering other subjects in the mean time :( I hope I will cover that too one day :)

[@ajgunn3277]

Thanks mate! And good luck! Nicely done with the Pico-Router goodness!

[@pixelsafoison]

The cable management thing is giving me ideas. Once the exams are over i'm going to have some fun on Fusion360 and design and print a few things. Because the whole issue with tethering on a USB type C port like this is that if you rip it off ... Either you are lucky and the PCB survived meaning an hour of nerve-wracking soldering, or unlucky and you'll have to create a custom solution (that will probably look like S) to charge the headset (if the BMS even allows it). So making sure that it cannot be torn either by you or someone else by pure accident is a must. I was wondering if it would accept an ethernet dongle, you have provided the internet with an answer and we are grateful for that :)

[@AllThingsPico]

Thanks! Yeah, you're right. I once tore apart my USB-C port when I accidentally got tangled up in the cables.. And it was a mess to fix it! I had to replace my USB-C port, and solder a new one. And since it's the only port for wired connectivity (not counting the 3.5mm jack), we must take good care of it :) A 90-degree USB adapter and at least some velcro are a must for anything connected to USB-C. I really do care about cable management for all of my devices. It's tidy, looks cool, and protects from accidental damage. Happy printing, and good luck with your exams! :)

[@pixelsafoison]

@@AllThingsPico Thanks, today is a big one: fake patient, two complex techniques and the complete paperwork, 6 hours of stress and depending on who's supervising: hell. I really hope nursing is worth it because darn is it a mess to study in Belgium. So while my brain is booting, have you ever tried those magnetic disconnect USB c adapters ? (The gen3.X data ones) - They're quite expensive on Amazon (and not that much cheaper from china), some use pogo pins (sounds safe) others use some sort of thin connector/daughter board looking thing that probably dies whenever you yank it too hard. They sound like the perfect connector for VR headsets in addition to cable management. On the PC end, a safety loop (just like the ones you put on a patient when there's a catheter) or ... I'll drill the case and design a simple "you're now part of the PC case whenever I say so Mr cable, this is an HP motherboard, which means it's meant to break if you blow on it too hard" contraption. Depends on whether or not virtual desktop ends up supporting usb c tethering on the pico 4. Which I really hope they end up achieving (there's a way to "share" your connection with your PC using USB c but sounds like a really impractical way of doing things) Anyways, have a nice day ;)

[@AllThingsPico]

@@pixelsafoison Sounds like fun you're having :) I had my eye on these magnetic USB connectors when they first started selling, but they also seemed too pricey for me. They are still in my queue to this day. But yeah, it could be cool having one on the Pico. Btw, Streaming Assistant that got much better in the latest version, has USB-C cable support. They had it temporarily disabled in the betas between last two stable ones, but I think it's working again, haven't really tried it. Now that wireless streaming got a 150Mbit upgrade, they should be able to improve wired transfer to go 300Mbit at least.

[@starbuck2050]

Thanks for the video, very usefull .

[@TENGILL]

Great informative video!

[@superbueno4497]

very good , thanks!

[@Lumpy7629]

Hello, very useful

[@combineforce9596]

Do i also need to buy the oculus link usb cable to play pc vr or what? Because in the video you just show the adaptor and the ethernet cable with the type c to put it in the vr port. Answer me please :( !

[@AllThingsPico]

This video was just the test how to connect the Pico to the Internet using the Ethernet cable and the adapter I've shown (as the video title says). That was the point, and I proved it worked. At that time I didn't have a PCVR-capable rig, so I couldn't test whether streaming from the PC would work, but theoretically it should (as long as your PC is on the same network/router), and I think I actually saw other videos showing that is possible. Using the USB link cable would kill the point of this whole cable/adapter setup, but you can use it too for streaming. Just be aware that it won't work with Virtual Desktop, but just with the Pico Streaming Assistant. VD uses only WiFi for streaming.

[@leejeary1]

Does this then work with virtual desktop if so we would get great pcvr streaming. sorry hadn't finished watching but I am guessing it will

[@AllThingsPico]

I'm 99% sure it would work, and that the performance will be better than any form of Wi-Fi connection. But as I said in the video, I don't own Virtual Desktop (and frankly don't plan to), and my PC is not PCVR-ready (tho I was a hard-core PC gamer back in the days.. haha!), hence the 99% of certainty. Sure, Wi-Fi is easier to connect, and you don't have to mess with cables, but the LAN cable is literally hard-wired into your router and will provide a more stable connection with virtually no latency. Other videos I found on KZbin also prove that correct. Some games are especially sensitive to latency, so every millisecond counts. I plan to make a video on Streaming Assistant that also streams via SteamVR, so I'll try at least to show an empty scene, or some less-demanding "lobby" where you will see performance overlay and network metrics. The framerate won't be good (I'm having iGPU), but at least we'll see the network latency, and that it actually works. Stay tuned to the channel! :)

[@RobertoMandrile]

ok.. i've buy the adapter.. try but after few minute i'm disconnected.. if disconnect the eth cable nothing.. if disconnect the adapter and reconnect re-work for few minute. if i connect to try the adapter to the pc Work fine. Any tip?

[@AllThingsPico]

Maybe the Ethernet adapter needs more power, so it disconnects at random times, or when some power-saving mode kicks in? Just a wild guess. Try going into LAB Settings and enabling High Power OTG Mode. If it's a power issue, it should give the Ethernet adapter more juice to run properly. What adapter do you have? The one from the video description, or some other one?

[@RobertoMandrile]

@@AllThingsPico yes.. i've try the otg but nothing.. i've to.try with Pi Launcher for enter in android setting (in 5.3.2 Is more difficoult than 5.2.7) of don't work i sensi back the adapter.. but it's strange.. i've try to connect the adapter to the PC and work fine 🙁

[@AllThingsPico]

@@RobertoMandrile There are literally a ton of different USB Ethernet adapters out there, and they might be, understandably, of different quality, since there are ones for $5 only, and for a hefty $40. The one I mentioned in the video description is $20, so it's somewhere in the middle, and it should be a good one judging from the product reviews. It also works on a variety of Android smartphones and tablets, and it also says it's "driver free" aka. Plug'n'Play, meaning no driver is needed. And I think Pico/Android might be having a driver issue in your case, since as you say, it works on Windows without issue. Report back if you think of something and manage to get it working.

[@glaixber]

I had the same exact issue, where the dongle would periodically turn off and on at inconsistent intervals, (sometimes seconds, sometimes minutes apart) breaking the connection. I use the RUXELY USB C to ethernet with a PD passthrough port. I've used the original Pico4 charger and cable that connect to the dongle, and then a 5 meters link cable from the dongle to the headset (with a USB C female to female adaptor), and seems to be powered properly now, without random disconnecting. Before this I had the link cable (5 meters) plugged from the charger to the ethernet dongle on the headset, and I was getting those disconnects, probably due to the length of the cable, power was being lost and no longer powering the dongle consistently. Current setup: Ethernet to dongle > USB charging to dongle > dongle to Female/Female adaptor > USB C link cable (that carry both the ethernet signal and power from the dongle) to the headset. I suspect because the original Pico4 charging cable is so short, there's very little power loss to the dongle so it can work reliably.

[@RobertoMandrile]

@@glaixber i've try another eth adapter and work with no problem

[@radiumrusso9279]

why use all those cables when you could just buy a cheap 2nd hand docking station like a 90W "HP USB-C Dock G4 Docking Station" for less than 25£

[@radiumrusso9279]

Keeps it charged and connected directly to your pc or disconnected from pc and using the ethernet method over wifi

[@AllThingsPico]

The video is just a proof of concept that an Ethernet connection works on the Pico. There are certainly better ways to make this work, but I only used what I had at my disposal when the video was made. This HP dock seems like a fine gadget, but I think it would look bulky when attached to the head strap. However, there are a few more and even cheaper solutions out there specifically made for this use case. Regarding "why use all those cables".. It's just an adapter with a USB cable on one side, and a LAN cable on the other - the bare minimum you need for all this to work. I used an additional adapters only because I don't have USB-C to connect to Pico, but Ethernet adapters with such connector can easily be found these days. I got mine in 2017 :)

[@radiumrusso9279]

@@AllThingsPico Think your confused how a dock works, why would you need to have the dock itself mounted to your Head set? You simply have a 5 meter usb type -c cable going from the dock to your headset.

[@radiumrusso9279]

The docks a Hub with an external 90w mains AC power supply connected to everything you need

[@gregprouse1173]

How do you then connect the headset to the computer?

[@AllThingsPico]

Do you mean at the same time? Well, we only have one connector, right? :) You could ask the same if you were charging your Pico - how would you connect it then? You unplug one cable, and plug in another :) If it's something else you're asking, please explain it a bit more.. And btw, why do you need it to be connected to the computer? When you're connected like this over LAN, you can both play PCVR or share files over the network.

[@gregprouse1173]

@@AllThingsPico what I’m trying to do is have a wired connection rather than wireless as I hear it ilia’s better performance. I’m a little confused about how to set it up so my question may also be confusing.

[@AllThingsPico]

@@gregprouse1173 Oh.. I thought you asked how would you connect to the computer after you connect like this (and having USB-C occupied by the adapter). Sorry for the confusion. Actually, you don't connect your headset directly to a computer. Both your headset and computer should be connected to the same router, and it's the router that's doing the "magic". The only thing that's needed is for both of them to be visible to each other on the same network. In this video I was testing if you could get an internet connection via an Ethernet adapter, but being able to do that also means your headset can communicate with other devices (including your PC) which are on the same network.