FAQ

Who is this solution designed for?

Belcarra USB networking solutions target OEM and enterprise engineering teams building hardware products that require stable networking-over-USB support.

What host platforms are currently prioritized?

Current focus is Windows 11 on amd64 and arm64. Windows 10 is supported on amd64 (there is no ARM64 support for Windows 10).

Which USB networking protocols are supported?

USBLAN supports CDC-NCM, CDC-EEM, CDC-ECM, and RNDIS.

Can this be used with composite USB devices?

Yes. Composite support is based on matching the relevant network interface (MI), with stable interface numbering recommended for predictable host binding.

How are IP addresses handled on USB links?

Deployments can use DHCP or static addressing. USBLAN configurations can include built-in DHCP behavior for point-to-point USB networking scenarios where appropriate.

What should be included in a support request?

• Windows build/version and architecture
• Driver package version
• Device firmware version and protocol mode
• Clear reproduction steps and observed behavior
• Relevant host/device logs

What are USB Vendor IDs (VID) and Product IDs (PID)?

Every USB hardware device reports a 16-bit Vendor ID (VID) and a 16-bit Product ID (PID) during USB bus enumeration (for example, VID_15A2&PID_0054):

• Vendor Identification Number (VID): Assigned exclusively by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF at USB.org) to uniquely identify the hardware company or OEM.
• Product Identification Number (PID): Assigned internally by the OEM to identify the specific product model, firmware revision, or hardware variant (supporting up to 65,536 distinct product numbers per VID).

On Windows hosts, the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem uses the combined Hardware ID (USB\VID_xxxx&PID_xxxx, plus interface numbers &MI_xx for composite devices) to match and load the customized Belcarra USBLAN driver.

How do OEMs obtain a Vendor ID (VID) from USB.org?

To release commercial USB hardware without identifier conflicts, OEMs must obtain an official 16-bit Vendor ID directly from the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF):

1. Visit the USB-IF Vendor ID Portal: Navigate to USB.org Getting a Vendor ID.
2. Choose Registration Track:
   • USB-IF Membership: Annual membership includes an assigned Vendor ID, access to technical working groups, compliance workshops, and eligibility to license the USB logo trademark.
   • Non-Member Vendor ID Purchase: Companies that only require a permanent Vendor ID without ongoing membership can purchase a standalone VID directly from USB-IF.
3. Execute Agreement & Remit Fee: Submit the USB-IF Vendor ID form and fee directly to the USB-IF administration.
4. Allocate Product IDs (PID): Once USB-IF issues your official VID, your organization has exclusive authority to allocate all 65,536 Product IDs (0x0000 to 0xFFFF) across your commercial device portfolio.

How does Belcarra use our VID and PID for custom driver packages?

When licensing Belcarra USBLAN, Belcarra customizes the driver INF package with your organization's USB-IF assigned VID and allocated PID(s). This guarantees seamless Plug-and-Play driver installation on Windows 11 (AMD64 and ARM64) and Windows 10, branded with your company and product names, preventing driver collisions with other USB networking peripherals.

Can our engineering team evaluate USBLAN on our hardware before licensing?

Yes. Belcarra provides 30-day OEM Evaluation Kits for qualified engineering teams. Evaluation kits include driver binaries for Windows 11 (AMD64 & ARM64), sample INF files, diagnostic tools, and direct technical consultation to assist with your prototype bring-up.

How does Belcarra's OEM licensing work?

Belcarra offers flexible commercial licensing models tailored to your product volume and business model, ranging from per-device volume production licenses to enterprise and site licenses. Every license includes turnkey driver packaging branded with your company name and USB.org VID/PID, along with ongoing driver maintenance across Windows OS updates.

Why should our team license Belcarra instead of developing in-house Windows drivers?

Developing custom Windows kernel-mode drivers requires specialized NDIS/WDM engineering expertise, complex Microsoft driver signing submission workflows, and continuous maintenance across every Windows 11 update and ARM64 chipset release. Belcarra delivers a mature, field-proven solution powering millions of devices worldwide—reducing development timelines from months to days at a fraction of the cost.