Ok, I just made another test :

I've another laptop dell XPS with Windows 7 64bit installed. I installed dell driver for USB ethernet dongle adapter and connect it.

Result : same problem !!!!!!!! Cannot access to website like underscore.js or ebay.com

It seems to be a problem with the usb ethernet adapter :-(

Somewhat relatedly, I've found that the two residential ISPs I've used here in Austin, Texas, have, in my personal experience at home (and all the other usual disclaimers :P) have terrible DNS service. I switched to using Google Public DNS instead, which is much more reliable for me.

OK then I think it's worth trying an alternate adapter. I'll try to head out to the computer store ASAP!

Ok, could you please give us a feedback ?

I'll contact Dell support to see with them if they have had the problem and explain...

I have the same problem in Belgium.
If I try a wget from ebay.com or underscorejs.org
wget never comes back with the response.

rudy@rudy-Dell-Precision-M3800:~$ wget  http://underscorejs.org
--2014-06-13 17:42:27--  http://underscorejs.org/
Resolving underscorejs.org (underscorejs.org)... 207.97.227.245
Connecting to underscorejs.org (underscorejs.org)|207.97.227.245|:80...

If I do the same wget from the wifi then I get the response.
rudy@rudy-Dell-Precision-M3800:~$ wget  http://underscorejs.org
--2014-06-13 17:44:19--  http://underscorejs.org/
Resolving underscorejs.org (underscorejs.org)... 207.97.227.245
Connecting to underscorejs.org (underscorejs.org)|207.97.227.245|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 302 Found
Location: / [following]
--2014-06-13 17:44:19--  http://underscorejs.org/
Connecting to underscorejs.org (underscorejs.org)|207.97.227.245|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 302 Found
Location: / [following]
--2014-06-13 17:44:20--  http://underscorejs.org/
Connecting to underscorejs.org (underscorejs.org)|207.97.227.245|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 113237 (111K) [text/html]
Saving to: ‘index.html.4’

100%[======================================>] 113.237      284KB/s   in 0,4s   

2014-06-13 17:44:20 (284 KB/s) - ‘index.html.4’ saved [113237/113237]

If I use the same cable on another computer (a dell vostro) then everything works as expected. Both the ethernet cable and the wifi.

THIS IS TERRIBLE ! Can you imagine some websites cannot be opened using the ethernet on the m3800. I repeat TERRIBLE !!!

Hi,

I did 2 strace + wget  and I confirm that for ebay.com I cannot access the
website using the ethernet and the dongle.  No problem using the wifi.
I have also bought the superspeed usb 3.0 docking station.
Using the superspeed usb 3.0 and the ethernet cable I don't have this
problem.
The problem happens only using the ethernet dongle !
It is on ubtuntu 14.04.


Regards,

-Rudy-

What happens if you use the problematic Ethernet dongle on another computer?

It'd probably help if you could also capture some packets to see what's going on.

I'm going to see if we can find one of these dongles here and try reproducing.

As I mentionned before, I tried this USB Ethernet dongle on another laptop (my Dell XPS with Win7 64bit), and after installing the correct driver the problem was the same.

Cannot access some website like ebay.com.

I had a phone call with Dell Support yesterday about this problem, and they sent me a new Ethernet dongle. They never have issue like this, but sometimes speed problems.

I'll receive it on monday I think. So I'll give you a feedback about this new one.

Now I don't know if Matb33 has made a test with a new Ethernet dongle ? He write this last time on the forum :

OK then I think it's worth trying an alternate adapter. I'll try to head out to the computer store ASAP!

As I mentionned before, I tried this USB Ethernet dongle on another laptop (my Dell XPS with Win7 64bit), and after installing the correct driver the problem was the same.

Thanks. I scanned over your post and missed that.

I'm trying to research the problem so that we can hopefully get more resources involved. It looks like the has been a history of issues with the ax88179_178a and smsc75xx Linux drivers. I have an adapter using the ax88179_178a driver but not the one using the smsc75xx driver (what you have).

I look forward to your update on whether the new dongle addresses the issue you are experiencing.

Thanks,

Satish

I finally had a chance to buy a new ethernet dongle -- got the D-Link DUB-1312. Plugged it in, then installed the Linux drivers, rebooted and it's all working. I'm able to visit underscorejs.org without any issues. Everything appears to be working flawlessly. If something goes wrong I'll post a follow-up.

I would also buy an M3800 or XPS15 with Ubuntu loaded and supported if it would become available some day.
But until then, I have a suggestion for Dell: Why don't you provide at least a warranty on the purchased laptops for the hardware, so that people would be able to install any distro they want, without losing the warranty on their laptops?

Hi All,

I have now used the M3800 for a while, and I really like the machine. I dual boot win 8.1/Ubuntu due to my different tasks.

One thing I noticed in Ubuntu that is way worse than in Win is the power consumption. The laptop gets way hotter (you can't have it in your lap with Ubuntu), and the battery only lasts ½ as long. The machine is soo good otherwise.

Any ideas?

Cheers Michael

Hey Michael,

For the heat and the battery consumption it is probably the fact that you have always the discrete nvidia graphics card on. With Nvidia prime you can check which graphics card is used. If you use the intel one, then the consumption is more or less the same, and also there is low heat from the laptop.

Cheers,
Kostas

PS. I don't own a M3800, but this is what happens with my ubuntu laptop. I wish I would have an ubuntu M3800 though :D