Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter

So There is now no onboard Gig Ethernet on the new MacBook Pros but Apple will produce a Thunderbolt adapter.
The question is how well will it perform? Will it be fast, support jumbo frames etc?
I must admit I am skepical over the performance for such a small device. Surely if you try and put the performance of a card such as an Intel Pro1000 based unit into such a small device it will get hot? On the other hand, maybe some of the Ethernet capabilities are built into the MBP motherboard and the adapter (given that it's so cheap) merely acts as a connector.
I guess we will find out if it uses some motherboard based technology when it ships and somebody tries to use it on a Mac Mini or earlier Thunderbolt equipped MacBook Pro.

It is a TB-to-Ethernet adapter, not an Ethernet-to-TB adapter. There are protocol issues, too. A TB-to-Ethernet adapter takes Ethernet frames in/out and passes them to your Mac's TB bridge (you can see it in System Preferences -> Network). The Ethernet port/driver cannot convert ethernet frames into TB packets.
Why not directly plug (and also daisy chain) TB devices directly with the TB port on your computer, if it already has one?

Similar Messages

Thunderbolt Gigabit Ethernet Adapter doesn't work

Just plugged in a Thunderbolt Gigabit Ethernet Adapter into MacBook Pro 15" 2.7GHz i7, OS 10.7.4
It is recognized correctly by System Profiler, but not in System Preferences - the Adapter just isn't shown in Network.
What is still needed?
Thanks for Answers!
DoktorMac®, Bern, Switzerland

Got this update:
All Thunderbolt-equipped Mac computers support this adapter. This adapter requires OS X Lion v10.7.4 or later. Thunderbolt-equipped Macs released prior to June, 2012, require the installation of Thunderbolt Software Update 1.2.1 to use this adapter.

Can I connect my old mac to my new mac using the thunderbolt to ethernet adapter

I've got a lot of data to transfer from one mac to another, one with thunderbolt and one without. I was wondering if by using the thunderbolt to ethernet adapter I could connect the two macs in a target mode kinda way.
I know people will answer with a lot of other options in how to do this, but I am specifically interested in whether or not this option is possible.
Thanks!

you can use the adapter with any Thunderbolt-equipped Mac running OS X Lion 10.7.4 or later, but you'll want to install the Thunderbolt Software Update 1.2.1 after having the 10.7.4 upgrade
10.7.4
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1524

HT5299 what is the power consumption of the thunderbolt to ethernet adapter?

I noticed my thunderbolt to ethernet adapter heats up when connected, thankfull if someone can inform of the power consumption of the device

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3559

Setup Thunderbolt Gigabit Ethernet adapter

How do I set up the Thunderbolt Gigabilt Ethernet adapter to work with my time capsule? I connect the cable from my Macbook Air to the time capsule port but nothing happens. It seems that it does not detect the connection.

If the Time Capsule hardware recognizes the connection you should see a tiny green light next to that Ethernet port on the Time Capsule.
Does Network Utility show you anything? Have you tried several Time Capsule ports?

Thunderbolt Gigabit ethernet adapter is recognized - but no internet connection

Hello.
I just got a new macbook air. I need to connect it to the internet via ethernet cable - thus i purchased the Thunderbolt gigabit ethernet adapter, plugged it in - and nothing happened.
The cable is being recognized, in the networks section it shows the IP-address etc. and the little dot next to "ethernet thunderbolt" is green. but when I open safari, there is no internet connection.
Why is this? I have updated all available software. I also tried downloading the Thunderbolt Firmware Update (1.2.1) but I'm told it is not supported (i.e. it isn't installed).
Who can help me? I'm quite puzzled and don't seem to be able to find this same problem anywhere on the net.
Thanks for your help
enel

Is that quite lousy and am I a fool? ;-) I have turned it off. It didn't do the trick, I had already tried that numerous times.
BUT this time I also switched off the DSLmodem (an idea I hadn't had up until now, strangely enough - I had it only now while actually counting to 15) and then I ran the assistant again and the network was then finally being recognized for the first time.
Then I had to once more turn the router off and finally all the little status buttons turned green.
Yeah!
Thanks a lot for your help and your readiness to help! I really appreciate it.

How to change the mac address of thunderbolt to ethernet adapter?

Hello everyone,
I am using Macbook pro retina display 2013 version. I have bought a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter in order to connect my Macbook to LAN. But in my area there is a shared line and I have to clone their mac address to my Macbolok. I could not change the mac address of my thunderbot to ethernet adapter. Can anyone please tell me how to change the mac address of thunderbot to ethernet adapter step by step??
Thanks in advance.

Open terminal and type the followings;
1) sudo ifconfig bridge0 ether xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx(it will be your new mac address)
2) Type your password to confirm
3) ifconfig bridge0 |grep ether (to see if change is successful)
PS: *This should with your thunderbolt adapter, but its not working usb to ethernet adapters without installing required drivers.
** You may need to do these steps every time you boot your mac.

Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter transfer speed

I am connecting mbp retina to the time capsule via Ethernet. What is the best cable to use, cat 5e or cat 6, would there be a noticeable difference? (I am using the thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter). What would be a normal transfer time for 100GB of data?

Although either cable will work fine with the speeds available today, you can future proof yourself a bit with a CAT6 cable.
Data normally moves over Ethernet to the Time Capsule at 25-30 GB per hour, so allow 3-4 hours for the transfer time.

How do I install my thunderbolt to ethernet adapter on OS X Yosemite?

I recently bought a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter for my Macbook Pro. I found that accessing the server is quicker when I have a hard connection. However, when I pull up my system preferences and network connections, my thunderbolt connection will come up but the settings do not properly connect and even when I try to manually connect it, I am unable to connect. Help! Does anyone have any ideas on how to address this issue/resolve it?
Please let me know, thanks!

Hello John,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
The article linked below provides information which should help you resolve the issue setting up your Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter on your MacBook Pro.
Apple USB or Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapters: First time setup - Apple Support
Ciao,
-Jason

Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter doesn't work with Retina MacBook Pro

I can't seem to connect to Ethernet with my Retina MacBook Pro. I bought an adapter and when I plugged it in, the network setup assistant showed that I was connected to the internet but my web browsers (Safari, Firefox and Chrome) couldn't connect, nor could any other programs (like Mail). The error message said that my computer was not connected to the internet, which did not match what Network Diagnositcs said. After a phone call with Apple Support, I had a replacement adapter mailed to me. With the new adapter, my computer now says that it is connected to the internet and I even have an IP address, but programs still can't connect and I get an error message saying the DNS lookup failed. This happens even when I manually enter the DNS server. I have already tried running the Thunderbolt software update 1.2.1 as well as the recent Thunderbolt firmware update, but the installer says they are not compatible with my computer. The problem occurs for both Thunderbolt ports. Is anyone else having this issue? I have no problem connecting to WiFi, so my temporary work around is using internet sharing on my old MacBook, which can connect to the ethernet connection in my apartment with no problems.

Hmm. Well I tried rebooting with wifi off but that didn't fix things for me. Would you mind sharing what your System Information says under Thunderbolt? This is what mine looks like:
MacBook Pro:
Vendor Name:          Apple, Inc.
Device Name:          Macintosh
UID:          0x0001000D1290C120
Firmware Version:          11.1
Port:
Status:          No devices connected
Link Status:          7
Link Controller Firmware Version:          0.11.4
Port:
Status:          Connected
Link Status:          2
Link Controller Firmware Version:          0.11.4
Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter:
Vendor Name:          Apple, Inc.
Device Name:          Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Vendor ID:          0x1
Device ID:          0x8003
Device Revision:          0x1
UID:          0x000100020059EBB0
Apple Serial Number:          DTN224606LWDWKHAX
Route String:          3
Firmware Version:          5.5
Port:
Status:          Connected
Link Status:          2
Port Micro Firmware Version:          0.0.8

Thunderbolt gig ethernet adapter

Hey all, I was hoping someone may have a possible solution for an issue I ran into this morning. We have some thunderbolt gig ethernet adapters to use with our MacBook Air's. When you plug this in as a standard user it will recognize the new interface, but will need an administrator to apply the change. This, however, is rather inconvenient. I can use networksetup to create a new service, but this will only work once the adapter is plugged in.
All MacBook Air's (mid 2013) on 10.8.5 with latest updates
Any idea's or suggestions?
Thanks

It is a TB-to-Ethernet adapter, not an Ethernet-to-TB adapter. There are protocol issues, too. A TB-to-Ethernet adapter takes Ethernet frames in/out and passes them to your Mac's TB bridge (you can see it in System Preferences -> Network). The Ethernet port/driver cannot convert ethernet frames into TB packets.
Why not directly plug (and also daisy chain) TB devices directly with the TB port on your computer, if it already has one?

HT5219 Is there anyway to update a non-thunderbolt mac book air (please, don't say buying a new one) to work with a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter?

I have a late 2010 Macbook Air with Mountain Lion OS, and after buying a Thuderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter I realize that my Macbook doesn't have a Thunderbolt port!!!! (lame, isn't it??).
Is there anyway to update my Macbook Air so I can get to use the Thunderbolt-Ethernet Adapter???
Thank you in advance for any help anyone can provide!!!!!

From what you describe, this is normal (ie. correct) behaviour...
In a dark environment, you don't need the lighting to be as bright, because youre eyes are adjusted to the darkness, and there's less ambient light. In a lighter environment, you need more light from the keys and the screen to get the same effect.
The important thing isn't "how many bars of brightness is it set to" but "can I read the key caps and see the screen". If the answer to that question is "yes" than the automatic light adjustment is doing it's job - if it's too bright or too dim them just adjust it accordingly and then leave it on automatic.

Can i connect 2 external hdd using the thunderbolt to ethernet adapter

can i connect 2 external hdd using the thunderbolt to ethernet adapter

thanks its a wd my book world i just want to directly connect to it i dont want to use it as a network hdd anymote and if i do it will i still be able to use wifi to connect to the internet.
it shows up the the bonjour bookmarks when its connected through my router does that mean it will work?

Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter problem

Hi all
I have replaced my black 2008 mabcook with the new 13" retina MBP.
I bought the Thunderbolt Gigabit Ethernet Adapter to connect to my office network.
A access without any problem to Intranet content and file server, but when I use Internet, where I must connect via a proxy, I constantly get error messages like "the server unexpectably stopped the connection" or a Proxy error "The number of HTTP requests per minute exceeds the limit".
I got my black macbook back to my office to test and I have no problems with it.
At home, I also have no issue using the thunderbolt adapter.
Any suggestions?

It is always best to speak to the IT and see what they think.
I was just guessing in my post - they should give you the full answer even if they cannot alter the settings for you.
From your side you can try to work out what is generating big amount of http requests (applications you run on your MBPr while in the office?).
Also USB to Eth dongle may slow you down :-)
http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC704ZM/A/apple-usb-ethernet-adapter
but I understand that buying something worse than you already have is not really an acceptable solution.

Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter not connecting on MacBook Pro Retina

I recently purchased the Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter to connect to my 13in MacBook Pro Retina Late 2012 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2) to a hardwired internet connection for faster downloads. However, when I connect the ethernet cord to the adapter nothing happens and only the wifi connection is identified.
Ethernet or Thunderbolt Ethernet are not an option in the System Preference > Network. Also, either connection are options when trying to add a network interface ( System Preferences > Network > + > Interface).
I have tried several fixes like Resetting PRAM or Removing Network Preferences File. The NetworkInferences.plist and Preferences.plist files did get recreated after reboot, but only the WIFI interface shows up.
http://tearfulwolfstudios.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/reset-network-preferences-osx /
http://rohanradio.com/blog/2012/02/27/fixing-thunderbolt-ethernet-on-the-macbook -pro/
I am sure the Thunderbolt ports are functional since I am able to connect my display using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter
Could I have corrupted the Network Preference File or is could the Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter damaged?
Please help.

I had this problem, too, and an Apple Support call and Genius Bar visit later, I had the answer: if you're using Network Locations that preexist your Thunderbolt display, it doesn't seem to auto-add the possibility of "Display Ethernet" to your available network ports. To solve this, either:
Create a new Location in your Network system preferences. It will finally detect the "Display Ethernet" and use it. It'll slowly change from disconnected to No IP to green-is-for-go.
or
Fix an existing Location by clicking the + to add a port and choosing Display Ethernet. It'll slowly change from disconnected to No IP to green-is-for-go.

Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter

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