ETHERNET ADAPTER for early 2015 MacBook Air 13"

[madrich]

I just got my Macbook Air 13" early 2015. My old Time Machine cables are for an ethernet cable connection between the computer and TM.

1. Can any one recommend an adapter?
2. Is it better to connect via ThunderBolt 2 or or USB 3?
3. Do I have to buy an Apple adapter (expensive!)

Thank you.

 

[AZhappyjack]

I just got my Macbook Air 13" early 2015. My old Time Machine cables are for an ethernet cable connection between the computer and TM.

1. Can any one recommend an adapter?
2. Is it better to connect via ThunderBolt 2 or or USB 3?
3. Do I have to buy an Apple adapter (expensive!)

Thank you.

I've used Monoprice adapters without issue for years... they have USB-C and USB 3.0 for $12-15

 

[madrich]

I've used Monoprice adapters without issue for years... they have USB-C and USB 3.0 for $12-15

Is USB-C the same as ThunderBolt??.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Is USB-C the same as ThunderBolt??.

No... two different beasts.

 

[ZapNZs]

Do you use 2.4 GHz wireless? If so, you may want to go for either the ThunderBolt or a USB 2.0 adapter.

 

[madrich]

Do you use 2.4 GHz wireless? If so, you may want to go for either the ThunderBolt or a USB 2.0 adapter.

Wow. I only use my Time Machine (2009 version) for a once a year backup. With my new MacBook Air early 2015, I got confused how to link it to my new computer. I went back to my old computer with Snow Leopard and changed the vitals of the TM and AirPort Utility wireless to recognize my new ATT internet service and I was able to see it on my MacBook Air and I updated the AirPort TM firmware to 7.6.8. I also was able to extend my ATT internet network. Later I will do a MacBook Air backup. I guess I getting old, but I am glad that my old TM 2009 is still useful with my new MacBook Air 13" (loving it).

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"I only use my Time Machine (2009 version) for a once a year backup."

I suggest you start doing more frequent backups than that.
Once a week, not once a year.

Actually, what every laptop user should have is a bootable cloned backup, made either with CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.

If you have a laptop with an SSD drive, if it fails it may "give no advance warning" (as platter-based hard drives may do). It will just "not be there" any more.

When that happens, there's also a good chance that data recovery software won't be able to work, as data recovery is more complicated and sometimes all-but impossible on SSDs, particularly where TRIM is used.

In a case like that, there is NOTHING that can save the day as can a bootable cloned backup. A Time Machine backup won't help, you can't "boot it to the finder".
A clone will just plug in and boot up and look exactly like your internal drive did (up to the point you last backed up...).