USB AND ETHERNET CONTROLLER COMBINATION DEVICE

A USB-to-Ethernet controller with a USB hub may be integrated into a single integrated circuit (IC) USB-Ethernet Combination (UEC) device. The UEC may provide the end user with an Ethernet port, multiple downstream USB ports, and an upstream USB port for connecting to a USB host controller. One or more of the USB hub ports may be brought off the IC, enabling an end user to connect them to any arbitrary USB device(s). The third hub port may be an internal downstream port without a physical layer, and may be configured to connect to an Ethernet controller, which may comprise a USB device controller. The Ethernet controller may connect to the internal downstream port via a digital interface such as UTMI. The UEC device may appear to the host computer as two separate devices, an Ethernet controller and a USB hub. The Ethernet controller may appear as a permanently attached device on the internal downstream port.