Thunderbolt Display + TB <-> Ethernet adapter

[maratus]

Hi,

I want to setup 2x1Gb link aggregate to speed up NAS connection. I haven't seen any Thunderbolt <-> Dual Ethernet adapters on the market, not even in docks. Apple thunderbolt display, however, does have the second TB port on the back as well as 1Gb Ethernet.

Can I use Apple TB <-> Ethernet adapter plugged into Display's thunderbolt port? Will my laptop see it as a separate (and independent) network interface?

And to be more specific, did someone check if you can use both port to setup link aggregate? Technically, it should work but I'm ready for all kind of surprises here.

 

[justperry]

Buy a gigabit switch, problem solved, might be even cheaper than 2 TB to Ethernet Cables.

 

[Vidivici]

Aggregation only works when your router and nas supports it too.
So check that first

 

[chambord]

Hi,

I want to setup 2x1Gb link aggregate to speed up NAS connection. I haven't seen any Thunderbolt <-> Dual Ethernet adapters on the market, not even in docks. Apple thunderbolt display, however, does have the second TB port on the back as well as 1Gb Ethernet.

Can I use Apple TB <-> Ethernet adapter plugged into Display's thunderbolt port? Will my laptop see it as a separate (and independent) network interface?

And to be more specific, did someone check if you can use both port to setup link aggregate? Technically, it should work but I'm ready for all kind of surprises here.

I successfully link aggregate two gigabit connections. One is the gigabit connection on my Mac mini, and the other is off a thunderbolt adapter at the end of a bunch of hard drives. It works just fine.

 

[maratus]

Aggregation only works when your router and nas supports it too.
So check that first

Yes, they both support aggregation

I successfully link aggregate two gigabit connections. One is the gigabit connection on my Mac mini, and the other is off a thunderbolt adapter at the end of a bunch of hard drives. It works just fine.

Nice! The difference is that in your case both ports are native. I can do very similar setup with two thunderbolt-ethernet adapters, but I want to cheat and have one TB left for other purposes (and Air, for instance, doesn't even have a second TB port).

My main concern was whether Ethernet-Thunderbolt adapter will work when "daisy-chained" from Thunderbolt display (I hope that TB port at the back is there for a reason).

Buy a gigabit switch, problem solved, might be even cheaper than 2 TB to Ethernet Cables.

Uhm sorry, I didn't understand this...

 

[paulrbeers]

My main concern was whether Ethernet-Thunderbolt adapter will work when "daisy-chained" from Thunderbolt display (I hope that TB port at the back is there for a reason).

People have all sorts of thunderbolt peripherals hanging off their Thunderbolt port off the Thunderbolt display. I can't see why the thunderbolt to Ethernet dongle would be any different.

 

[maratus]

People have all sorts of thunderbolt peripherals hanging off their Thunderbolt port off the Thunderbolt display. I can't see why the thunderbolt to Ethernet dongle would be any different.

Yeah, it should work. But there's still a possibility for native TB devices and adapters to behave in a different way (i.e. that adapters can work in main ports only)

 

[a.coward]

Aggregation only works when your router and nas supports it too.
So check that first

Quick question, just out of curiosity. First, since this is presumably
a home network, I would assume that only an Ethernet switch is
necessary, and not a router. Second, assuming a switch, does
it have to specifically support link aggregation? Assuming that
the aggregation is done on the Mac and on the NAS, and that
the switch handles full rate between all ports, isn't this enough
to support LAG?

Thanks.

 

[maratus]

Quick question, just out of curiosity. First, since this is presumably
a home network, I would assume that only an Ethernet switch is
necessary, and not a router. Second, assuming a switch, does
it have to specifically support link aggregation? Assuming that
the aggregation is done on the Mac and on the NAS, and that
the switch handles full rate between all ports, isn't this enough
to support LAG?

Thanks.

Absolutely not