I have the same issue with a new MBP that came preinstalled with Monterey. Neither my Thunderbolt nor USB Ethernet adapters work consistently. The CalDigit recommendation of turning off Energy Efficient Ethernet stopped the connection from breaking within a few minutes after a reboot, but it still breaks under load (streaming video, downloading a file, etc) until the Mac is rebooted. I don't have any option to disable AVB/EAB mode.
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macOS Monterey 12.1 Thunderbolt Ethernet problems
- Thread starter sirozha
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I personally haven't contacted CalDigit because I'm seeing the same behavior with an Anker USB-C ethernet adapter, so it doesn't seem like an issue that's specific to CalDigit, at least for me.
Same behaviour here with a Dynamode USB-C ethernet adapter (model C-TC-LAN1000). Started when I updated to Monterey 12.2.1
Just another basic thing that broke in Monterey. I made a mental list of all the things that didn't work in Monterey, and went back to Big Sur this afternoon. Wow is it ever nice using a mature OS.
FWIW, I use the Caldigit TS3+ dock’s Ethernet, and have had zero issues. Mac Mini 2018 running 12.2.1
Intel devices don’t seem to be affected by this “bug” for whatever reason. My 2019 MBP 16” works flawlessly with the same Ethernet adapters that won’t get DHCP IP addresses with my M1 Pro 2021 MBP 16. Not sure why that’s the case, but it seems to point to a software issue with the networking stack in Monterey. My M1 Mac Mini 2020 also has no issues with Ethernet connections or getting IPs. I don’t have access to an M1 Max to test, but I’d suspect that this is a M1 Pro and M1 Max specific issue.
Hopefully it’s fixed soon otherwise that nice 10GbE port on the Mac Studio might be useless too.
I am having the same problem after "upgrading" to 12.3 
**UPDATE** A restart did fix it.
**UPDATE** A restart did fix it.
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12.3 not fixed this issue. At least for me not. Actually, it is even not working when I manually set the ip.
I am using AX88179 usb ethernet adaptor on 12.3, it is working fine once installed official driver.
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I've had close to zero luck with my 14" M1 MBP and ethernet since 12.1. My issues mirror those of others here, such as delco24. Briefly had DHCP with manual address working, but as soon as I tried to speed test it it broke again.
My two test devices are the Caldigit TS4 (their help document around energy efficient settings didn't help) and the belkin usb c ethernet adapter. I ordered some other 2.5gb adapter to see if I can find a chipset that works. But so far I'm just on wifi. Very frustrating, hoping Apple will get this fixed.
I'm on 12.3.1, no improvement.
My two test devices are the Caldigit TS4 (their help document around energy efficient settings didn't help) and the belkin usb c ethernet adapter. I ordered some other 2.5gb adapter to see if I can find a chipset that works. But so far I'm just on wifi. Very frustrating, hoping Apple will get this fixed.
I'm on 12.3.1, no improvement.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
When you say disabled and then re-enabled DHCP, do you mean you used "Configure manual" mode to uncheck that box and then switched configure back to Automatic?
Not wanting to steer this thread off topic but I have a new Mac Studio and I've noticed wired Ethernet "blinking" off-then-on in spans of a few seconds. By blink I mean it is not connected for a few seconds then reconnects. I've been developing a suspicion of the underlying system rebooting every so often because that what it feels like.
Same cable, router, etc hooked to the Intel iMac this Studio replaced doesn't do that. I've ruled out the coincidental scenario of cable, router, etc going bad at the same time that I've changed my main Mac by doing some testing back and forth with the old Intel iMac running macOS version before BigSur. Everything (same) hooked to Intel: no ethernet blinks. Put the cable back in the Studio: inevitable blinks. Note: that iMac running earlier macOS has no AVB/EAV option.
A visible sign of these blinks is the Dropbox icon in the menu bar goes gray for a few seconds (meaning it has no internet connection) then back to normal. It can go HOURS of not "blinking" and then it might blink several times in a row over a few minutes.
A more visible sign of this happening is that my Synology NAS will have a "connection interrupted" notification pop up during the same blink and then disappear when this Studio reconnects to it.
I decided to open Airport Utility and just leave it open on screen to try to see if I could see what happens during these "blinks." The green dots verifying a connection would turn yellow for both router and modem during blinks (then back to green afterwards). At first this made me suspect outside internet connection issues but then I decided to try Intel Mac devices DURING a blink and they are loading web pages without interruption which then pointed me back to the new Studio or Monterey.
Blinks are brief events- maybe lasting as long as 10 seconds MAX. They are too frequent to be "normal" and I'm only happening to notice them now. Something definitely seems wrong.
So, in watching for others having Ethernet issues, I discovered this thread and found your post. While I'm NOT connected with a Thunderbolt dongle but the "hard wired" Apple Ethernet port built into the Studio, I wondered if maybe your discovery might solve MY problem. So I clicked off the AVB/EAV mode check box a few hours ago and- so far anyway- no more of these "blinks." After clicking that option off, I switched "configure" back to automatic and that AVB/EAV mode option remains unchecked.
basepi's post just before this one made me realize it might be good to try a speed test to "force" the issue. So, while I'm connected to Dropbox and transferring files from Synology, I ran a speed test. All went as expected. No "blink." I've since run a few more speed tests. Same positive result- no blinks.
It's not been long enough for me to proclaim full solution yet but it is certainly feeling like that relative to "just dealing with the blinks" for these last few weeks since Studio arrived. I'll be using the Studio hard for the next few days and will keep my eyes out for more "blinks." So far, so good.
What I'm hoping is that you found a GENERAL Ethernet connection solution vs. one that specifically applies only to Thunderbolt-Ethernet dongles. If so, THANKS for sharing your discovery.
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Update (a few more hours later): no blinks at all. This may really be something for the Ethernet-connected beyond only dongles.
Update: Well over 24 hours now and not a "blink." This actually seemed to "fix" a nagging issue with wired ethernet connections for me. Thanks very much!
Update: Now 48 hours and no "blinks" on downloads. However, I just uploaded a big file to Synology and there was a flurry of "blinks" during the transfer. This doesn't happen when uploading from Intel Macs using the same Ethernet cable. So, unchecking AVB/EAV seemed to thoroughly help on downloads but there must be something else affecting uploads.
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I have an issue with my OMW Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter. When my computer sleeps it disconnects.
If I start a file transfer and walk away and come back the transfer fails.
The most annoying part is mounting all the shares every time.
Drives me crazy!
(sidenote: I only use the NIC with a direct connection to the server on a separate subnet but I doubt that matters)
I use the caldigit t3+ for my network on the same machine and that works fine, doesn't disconnect on sleep and is stable.
Running a m1 max 16" on macos 12.3.1
If I start a file transfer and walk away and come back the transfer fails.
The most annoying part is mounting all the shares every time.
Drives me crazy!
(sidenote: I only use the NIC with a direct connection to the server on a separate subnet but I doubt that matters)
I use the caldigit t3+ for my network on the same machine and that works fine, doesn't disconnect on sleep and is stable.
Running a m1 max 16" on macos 12.3.1
It’s not for dongles. It’s for non-USB based network adapters. I don’t use USB-based network adapters if I can help it. The Apple TB2-to-GigabitEthernet adapter is not a USB-based adapter. It’s a PCIe network adapter using a Broadcom Ethernet chip and connected to the CPU via the Thunderbolt bus. It’s the same exact adapter as the network adapter built in to the Apple 27” Thunderbolt Display.
Unfortunately, very few people understand the difference between USB-based network adapters and Thunderbolt-based network adapters. USB-based ones are not connected via the PCIe bus but use USB emulation and hence increased latency and overhead. It’s too bad that Apple decided not to release TB3-based network adapters, so it now takes two daisy-chained dongles to connect the Apple TB2 Network adapters to a TB3 / TB4 port.
Also, many Thunderbolt 3/4 docks use built-in USB-based network adapters because they are a lot cheaper than real network adapters connected to the computer CPU’s PCIe bus via Thunderbolt.
In your case, you have a real network adapter built in to the Mac Mini Studio and connected to the CPU via the internal PCIe bus.
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Thanks for the clarification. But still, now a few more hours has passed and your suggestion seems to have solved my own ethernet "blinks" problem. So thanks for that!
I was having serious issues with the wired ethernet on my CalDigit TB3 dock under Mac OS 12.2 and 12.3. Same symptoms, the ethernet interface was working until the my 2020 MBP went to sleep. Then when it woke up, the interface would disappear. Sometimes unplugging TB and plugging it in again would bring it back. Sometimes it wouldn't. Sometimes a reboot was required. After upgrading to Mac OS 12.3.1, the situation seems a little better. The problem still happens sometimes but it doesn't seem to happen as often to me. So to anyone out there having the problem, try to go to at least Mac OS 12.3.1 and see if that makes it better.
This issue has started to bite me on a couple of the ethernet adapters that I use. I haven't had any issues with the ethernet port on my CalDigit TS3+, but it's definitely causing headaches with my CalDigit Connect 10g (a 10GbE adapter that uses a Aquantia chipset instead of Intel.) Another long-standing bug in macOS also prevents me from using Airplay on that Connect 10g device as well.
Also seeing the issue on a Plugable 2.5Gb USB adapter that I have. That one uses a Realtek chipset.
Also seeing the issue on a Plugable 2.5Gb USB adapter that I have. That one uses a Realtek chipset.
Yep, my wired Ethernet is also jacked up with Monterey as well. My MBPro 15 inch mid 2015 had worked flawlessly on wired Ethernet prior to the OS upgrade. All of my work related MS Teams sessions, ROON music app, data transfers, etc. and no issues. Then the Monterey "upgrade"... The laptop is on 16 hrs every day. It is the center of my being! So this really does suck.
I use the Apple Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapters straight into the Mac. I have tried both of my adapters, swapped Ethernet cables, tried CAT 6 versus my normal CAT 8, rebooted router, switch, Verizon ONT, experimented with DNS servers, tried different MTU settings, etc. etc. etc. to no avail. Someone above suggested trying static IP, which seems to have helped reduce the frequency of the dropped connections but they still do occur.
Sometimes it corrects itself and re-establishes its connection without me doing anything. Sometimes it is 10 sec or so, sometimes 2-3 minutes or more... So variable. Unplugging then replugging in the ethernet adapter or cable, works sometimes, other times no. Yes, a reboot does resolve it, but mine takes forever and a day to reboot so PITA...
If anyone gets a solution, please let us know!
I use the Apple Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapters straight into the Mac. I have tried both of my adapters, swapped Ethernet cables, tried CAT 6 versus my normal CAT 8, rebooted router, switch, Verizon ONT, experimented with DNS servers, tried different MTU settings, etc. etc. etc. to no avail. Someone above suggested trying static IP, which seems to have helped reduce the frequency of the dropped connections but they still do occur.
Sometimes it corrects itself and re-establishes its connection without me doing anything. Sometimes it is 10 sec or so, sometimes 2-3 minutes or more... So variable. Unplugging then replugging in the ethernet adapter or cable, works sometimes, other times no. Yes, a reboot does resolve it, but mine takes forever and a day to reboot so PITA...
If anyone gets a solution, please let us know!
I have a solution, and I posted it above - see my post of February 23, 2022 in this thread.