Connect 2 TB peripherals to MacBook Air?

[tlongacre]

Hello,

At the moment, I need to connect via Ethernet to my work network. Also, I would like to connect an external display to my MacBook Air (I'm in Finance and Excel would be so much easier to work with on a bigger screen).

Problem -- I have the Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter and the Thunderbolt to VGA adapter and only one Thunderbolt port to share. There must be a way to do this -- some kind of hub or splitter or something like you can do with USB devices? I read somewhere that you should "daisy chain" Thunderbolt devices, but that won't work as neither of these adapters has TB out plug.

 

[Bear]

You choices are:

• An Apple Thunderbolt Display which has an ethernet port.
• A Thunderbolt hub which has an ethernet port and 2 Thunderbolt ports so you can attach a display adapter as well.
• A Thunderbolt hub with ethernet and hdmi connectors.

 

[skorpien]

Another, probably cheaper, solution would be to get a USB to Ethernet adapter. I'm assuming you don't need high networks speeds, so that would free up your TB port to be used for display.

 

[paulrbeers]

Problem -- I have the Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter and the Thunderbolt to VGA adapter and only one Thunderbolt port to share. There must be a way to do this -- some kind of hub or splitter or something like you can do with USB devices?

There will never be a splitter/thunderbolt hub. That isn't how Thunderbolt is designed. As already stated, the cheapest option would be to go with a USB to Ethernet dongle and as long as you have a 2012 or 2013 AIR you will still get gigabit Ethernet. If you are unlucky and have the 2011 as I did, then your best bet is to go with something like the Cal Digit Thunderbolt Station. That will give you Ethernet and USB 3.0 as well as HDMI or a second Thunderbolt port for the VGA adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/CalDigit-Thun...7314547&sr=8-7&keywords=Cal+digit+thunderbolt