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Ethernet Adapter Solution?

S

shabaz6

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 26, 2014
3
0
Hey. I have a 2014 Macbook Air, and i'm looking for an Ethernet adapter.

I realize there are both USB and Thunderbolt adapters. However, after reading many of the reviews of both on Apple's website, many people have been complaining that either they stop working or have driver issues.

Are there any pro's and con's to the different available adapters?

I'm looking for the easiest, most efficient solution for my Macbook.

To put this simply, I just need something that *will* work.

Also, i'm not opposed to 3rd party adapters.

Thanks
 
If you need it to really work and since you didn't mention a price barrier, why not just get the Apple branded one? Spare yourself the search and possible frustration.
 
Some of the reviewers on the Apple website complained that the adapter would not work out of the box. There solution was to find 3rd party drivers. Furthermore, many other reviewers claimed the product died within a month..

If need be, I can also purchase the Apple branded model. However, if anyone has had a better experience with a 3rd party adapter i'd rather take that route.

I suppose I came here to see if someone had already figured out a working solution as a whole. Specifically, a combination of drivers and adapter.

Moreover, I was hoping someone could confirm/refute some of the negative claims made by reviewers on the Apple website.
 
i have the thunderbolt to ethernet and i have absolutly no problem. But i suggest this only if you have very fast internet
 
I have been using the Apple Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter on my MBA for over 2 years, almost daily. There was absolutely zero problem.
 
Just go for the official Apple Thunderbolt one. Know of people using them at work all day every day with no issues.
 
I would just go with the Apple branded adapter. I have found that 99% of the time the "official" components work very well.

If for some reason you purchase a dud, take it back to Apple and politely speak to them about it. Anytime I have an issue with any of my Apple products they have been more than happy to accommodate me.
 
I have used both of Apple's ethernet adapters without issue.

The USB adapter has the advantage of leaving the lone Thunderbolt port available for other uses. That can be especially helpful during presentations if you need to connect to an HDTV and display live content.
 
I have been very happy with the Inateck USB adapter. I get over 100 MB/s connecting to my Mac Mini running file sharing. Price is the same as the Apple Thunderbolt adapter but it doesn't hog the thunderbolt port and you even get 3 extra USB ports in the bargain. The Apple USB adapter is slow, it only uses USB 2.

See this thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1731986/
 
Several used

I have had no problems with the TB ethernet adapters, using several different Apple adapters in several different computers (Airs and rMBPs). The only problem, if any is that they take a little longer to establish the connection compared to those that are 'live' in the computer.

Using the Apple USB connector has little advantage over wireless in many situations as wireless can often match the speed. However, if there are many devices attached to the wireless hub, USB ethernet can still give better results.

HTH
 
I use an big external monitor extensively with my MBA. And, pretty much, the only time I would want ethernet is when the MBA is on my desk and connected to the monitor. Screen sharing is one of my uses for ethernet, and also something I want a big screen for.

So a thunderbolt adapter really isn't a good solution for me. But everyone has their own needs and usage patterns.
 
I have the USB adapter (Apple) and have used it with all the OSX versions starting with Snow Leopard and never had a issue with it. Not even with preview release Yosemite which is what I'm running now.
 
I purchased the Apple USB to Ethernet adapter, and I can confirm that I had no issues, nor did I need to install any drivers on my 2014 Air.

Thanks
 
The only problem with the Apple USB adapter is that it is USB 2, and therefore cannot get anywhere near gigabit ethernet speeds. If you just use it to browse the internet, it should be fine. But it you are using it on a local network with servers to copy files or share screens, it will be a big limitation IMO.
 
I've deployed 8 MBA's with their included TB to Ethernet adapters this month, haven't had one problem. These models range from 2012-1014 manufacture dates.
 
I bought the thunderbolt to ethernet adapter straight from apple. I use it pretty frequently for work. It works flawlessly with my current 2013 MBA (which is nearly identical to the 2014 version) so I don't think you should have any problems.

I will say I did have serious issues using this same adapter with the 2012 MBA but I never figured out exactly what the issue was (gave the computer to my sister and she never uses an adapter).
 
Boyd01 said:
I use an big external monitor extensively with my MBA. And, pretty much, the only time I would want ethernet is when the MBA is on my desk and connected to the monitor. Screen sharing is one of my uses for ethernet, and also something I want a big screen for.
Click to expand...


For this, I ended up getting a Thunderbolt dock. Gives you ethernet, some USB3 ports, Firewire, and another thunderbolt port to connect an external monitor, all in one TB connection.
 
shabaz6 said:
Some of the reviewers on the Apple website complained that the adapter would not work out of the box. There solution was to find 3rd party drivers. Furthermore, many other reviewers claimed the product died within a month..

If need be, I can also purchase the Apple branded model. However, if anyone has had a better experience with a 3rd party adapter i'd rather take that route.

I suppose I came here to see if someone had already figured out a working solution as a whole. Specifically, a combination of drivers and adapter.

Moreover, I was hoping someone could confirm/refute some of the negative claims made by reviewers on the Apple website.
Click to expand...

The apple thunderbolt to ethernet adaptor works just fine.
 
I use the Apple USB ethernet adapter. I only use it at work and it's plugged into one of several USB ports on a Dell 23" UHM monitor. Works very well. I'm obviously using the thunderbolt port for the external monitor so USB is the only choice.
 
As an aside, there currently are USB-based ethernet adapters with a hub built in. That's useful because there are only two USB ports on the Air. Newegg has a bunch:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...008382 600454492&IsNodeId=1&name=USB/Ethernet
Especially the Diamond one, which I think, given the chipset, doesn't require drivers:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G15Y0209
34-978-246-Z01
 
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