Big Sur 11.3 Beta problems - Thunderbolt Bridge!!!

[Killerbob]

I use a Thunderbolt Bridge setup to direct-connect to my QNAP NAS. Obviously I have a unique IP setup for that connection, which is not conflicting with my Ethernet network.

The Thunderbolt Bridge setup allows me to almost treat my NAS like a DAS, and it is very very fast. Faster than even 10GbE...

When I updated from 11.2 to 11.3 Beta 3, and now Beta 4, the Thunderbolt Bridge stopped working entirely. Leaving the Network settings, and leaving the Thunderbolt cable plugged into a Thunderbolt port on my Mac Pro, the boot time increases to 4 minutes, and when in macOS, my HomePod stereo pair cannot be used as default sound for macOS anymore. The second I reboot without the Thunderbolt cable to my NAS plugged in, all is fine.

My other Thunderbolt devices work just fine, like my Sonnet external PCIe enclosure, my Lacie SSDs, my ATDs, and my Lexar Thunderbolt card reader.

Today I setup a completely fresh install of Big Sur 11.2.3 on an external SSD, and my Thunderbolt Bridge worked fine. The second I upgraded this fresh install to 11.3 Beta 4, the Thunderbolt stopped working again.

Fishy...

 

[Killerbob]

No one else is having this problem, or no one else is using Thunderbolt Bridge?

 

[cram13579]

Hello Killerbob,

Same problem here…it’s a bug from the beta. The TB bridge driver is not loaded, when you look into the system report.

External NVMe SSD disk connected via TB works well, my QNAP TVS-872xT is not visible at all - no connection in the bridge.

I reverted to the latest official Big Sur version - everything works well….I deactivated my subscription to the beta program for now - it will probably be fixed in the next release.

Have a good day.

 

[Killerbob]

I am so glad you confirmed that. I am using the Thunderbolt Bridge for a QNAP TVS-872XT as well I would go back to 11.2, but I like using my HomePods in stereo for macOS sound too much...

 

[Killerbob]

I talked to Apple, got connected to their senior tech., and they do not have this registered as a common issue with 11.3 Beta.

Please log this using Feedback Assistant, so it can get some traction at Apple... thx.

 

[Killerbob]

I can confirm this is still NOT sorted out in Beta 5. Thunderbolt Bridge still does NOT work.

 

[cram13579]

Sorry Killerbob - I was out of the forum since last week. Yep - same vision here.....Loaded Beta 5, and it is not fixed yet. Back to 11.2.....again.
I logged it in the Apple beta feedback - I will perhaps do the same with Qnap, even if there is no hope on that side I guess. They will probably object that this is a beta bug from Apple. I wish I had another TB ethernet bridge peripheral to connect, to make sure it is not QNAP-related (or even worse, TVS-872xT specific).

I will update if I find something out,

Best,

Marc

 

[cram13579]

Update : Am I stupid....:-( Of course I have another TB over ethernet device : my Macbook Pro.

So I just connected my MBP 13" 2019 to my Imac 2020 directly by a TB3 active cable.
(My MBP is still in 11.3 beta 4 - my Imac is .....back to 11.3 b5)

Surprise : The MBP detects the connexion, and takes a DHCP local address.....but the Imac 2020 remains red, on the other side of the cable (picture attached).

Anyway, and after testing the MBP in direct connexion with the TVS-872xT, it does not work either - behavior similar to the Imac.

That is something....

More to come - I hope,

Marc

 

[Killerbob]

I have been trying a million things also, and funny enough I have actually had the Thunderbolt Bridge working twice. I cannot say exactly what I did, but basically it was not working, and I disconnected cables, deleted the existing Bridge configuration in Network, and connected stuff again, and suddenly I saw the connection established on the QNAP, and I was able to create the Bridge in macOS. It worked for the remainder if the “session”, until I rebooted.

 

[cram13579]

Right… something must go wrong during boot apparently.
I am trying to find the right syntax to stop/start the service of TB detection manually in the terminal - but it seems quite complex.

I will let you know if I find something relevant.



Marc

 

[HDFan]

I am trying to find the right syntax to stop/start the service of TB detection manually in the terminal

You can't just deactivate/activate the Thunderbolt service in Network Preferences, or delete the Thunderbolt adapter and add it back again? Maybe a quick way to do this on the QNAP side is to switch Thunderbolt ports?

 

[Killerbob]

ALL tried.

I have:

- Removed ALL Thunderbolt devices (except screen)
- Deleted all Bridge settings in Network
- Changed Thunderbolt port (I usually use TB6)
- Changed cable and adapter (I use a TB3->TB2 adapter)
- Moved between the two ports on the QNAP

All of these things, with reboots and then trying the connection, and to no avail.

All of these combinations work on my MacBook Pro which is running macOS 11.2, as well as my nMP when running macOS 11.2, but NOT my nMP running macOS 11.3 Beta 3, 4 and 5.

So, it is not a Firmware issue on the nMP, as it works fine on macOS 11.2...

 

[Killerbob]

ALL tried.

I have:

- Removed ALL Thunderbolt devices (except screen)
- Deleted all Bridge settings in Network
- Changed Thunderbolt port (I usually use TB6)
- Changed cable and adapter (I use a TB3->TB2 adapter)
- Moved between the two ports on the QNAP

All of these things, with reboots and then trying the connection, and to no avail.

All of these combinations work on my MacBook Pro which is running macOS 11.2, as well as my nMP when running macOS 11.2, but NOT my nMP running macOS 11.3 Beta 3, 4 and 5.

So, it is not a Firmware issue on the nMP, as it works fine on macOS 11.2...

Interesting thing: The two times it worked, the stereo pair of HomePods did not work - it seems that the functionality of using a stereo pair of HomePods is somehow related to the Thunderbolt Bridge issue...

 

[HDFan]

ALL tried.

Bummer. Thanks for the advance notice. Won't upgrade when released until know that it is fixed. Also have 872.

Please log this using Feedback Assistant, so it can get some traction at Apple... thx.

Those having the problem please do! Numbers matter.

 

[Killerbob]

It is certainly a weird one. I actually thought it was resolved when I "suddenly" had it up and running, but then upon next reboot it was just gone again - and I know instantly, because boot will literally take 5 minutes when the Thunderbolt cable is connected. Obviously the OS is trying to establish something, and it is taking forever, and screwing everything else up.

 

[Killerbob]

Damn... Still an issue after upgrading to Beta 6.

 

[cram13579]

Same here - no change....

Just got an automatic answer in the apple feedback tool - asking me "to reproduce the issue" (qui easy ), and to post a sysdiagnose....long way to go I think.

 

[cram13579]

Hey Guys,

I just posted a sysdiagnose and the following message on Apple's feedback site. Looking forward to their answer. Will keep U posted.

Best,

Marc
_________________________________________

Hello,

Please find attached a sysdiagnose as requested.

The issue is still there, currently on 11.3 beta 6. It has been introduced in the beta 3. Mascos Final 11.2.3 works perfectly.
I have exchanged with other users in a forum experiencing the same issue :

- Thunderbolt bridge over ethernet does not work (device not visible anymore). We are talking about TB peripherals connected directly (in my case - it is a QNAP TVS-872xT NAS/DAS system connected with a TB 3 active cable to my Imac)
- Direct Thunderbolt connection of an external disk (SSD NVMe external enclosure in my case) still works well
- When the TB bridge peripheral is connected during boot - it creates an error, and the boot takes up to 5 minutes. When peripheral is disconnected - bootup is normal, less than 30 seconds

I reproduced this on my MacBook Pro - it is not hardware related. Purely soft.

I feel that if you release this in 11.3 Final....you will have all the NAS/DAS users using thunderbolt 3 bridging over ethernet (Basically most of the video-editors, professional or not) with the same issue.

Thank you for your assistance,

Best Regards,

Marc

 

[joevt]

Hey Guys,

I just posted a sysdiagnose and the following message on Apple's feedback site. Looking forward to their answer. Will keep U posted.

Best,

Marc
_________________________________________

Hello,

Please find attached a sysdiagnose as requested.

The issue is still there, currently on 11.3 beta 6. It has been introduced in the beta 3. Mascos Final 11.2.3 works perfectly.
I have exchanged with other users in a forum experiencing the same issue :

- Thunderbolt bridge over ethernet does not work (device not visible anymore). We are talking about TB peripherals connected directly (in my case - it is a QNAP TVS-872xT NAS/DAS system connected with a TB 3 active cable to my Imac)
- Direct Thunderbolt connection of an external disk (SSD NVMe external enclosure in my case) still works well
- When the TB bridge peripheral is connected during boot - it creates an error, and the boot takes up to 5 minutes. When peripheral is disconnected - bootup is normal, less than 30 seconds

I reproduced this on my MacBook Pro - it is not hardware related. Purely soft.

I feel that if you release this in 11.3 Final....you will have all the NAS/DAS users using thunderbolt 3 bridging over ethernet (Basically most of the video-editors, professional or not) with the same issue.

Thank you for your assistance,

Best Regards,

Marc

I think you should emphasize that the problem exists between two Macs, as you found in #8

Thunderbolt IP networking is also supported by Linux and Windows. I wonder if connecting to them using 11.3 b6 would have the same problem. I guess the QNAP is running some kind of Linux?

 

[HDFan]

I guess the QNAP is running some kind of Linux?

Yes, QTS is based on Linux.

 

[Killerbob]

The Thunderbolt bridge still does not work in Beta 7 (11.3 Beta (20E5229a), and now I have given up.

I added a Solo10GbE PCIe card to my Sonnet Echo Express III expansion box, and direct connect to my NAS via that solution... shame on Apple to not even try to address this issues the last 6 weeks...

 

[cram13579]

Beta 8 installed today - still no change...No feedback from Apple.
I am surprised that so few people are complaining about this. Probably related to the fact that most of the Pro video editors, using Thunderbolt ethernet bridging functionalities, do not install the beta releases...Let see what happens when 11.3 final will be there.

 

[Killerbob]

This is FINALLY sorted out in macOS 11.4 Beta (20F5046g)...

I called Apple last week when the 11.3 RC came out, and this time they actually wanted to listen to what I had to say.

 

[jrm21]

Wish I would have found this thread 30 minutes ago. Just installed the 11.3 update... that was a mistake.

Thunderbolt Bridge is dead. If cable connecting to my QNAP server is connected, bootup takes >5minutes (iMac Pro). Prior to update everything was working fine and bootup took seconds.

This is the fourth system update in two years that has caused something important to break for me.

 

[Killerbob]

Wish I would have found this thread 30 minutes ago. Just installed the 11.3 update... that was a mistake.

Thunderbolt Bridge is dead. If cable connecting to my QNAP server is connected, bootup takes >5minutes (iMac Pro). Prior to update everything was working fine and bootup took seconds.

This is the fourth system update in two years that has caused something important to break for me.

When you contact Apple support about this, you should point out that this was a KNOWN issue for over one month. They were made aware of this, they asked for documentation, and they eventually fixed it, but not until 11.4.

Everyone upgrading to 11.3 will face this issue...