Don’t be jealous of the 10Gbps Ethernet port in the iMac Pro. OWC introduced an adapter for your MacBook’s Thunderbolt 3 port to connect to networks at the same massive speeds.
Just be warned, the OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter isn’t an accessory for the casual user. It’ll set you back $187.99.
Apple stopped building Ethernet ports into its laptops years ago. The company expects you to use Wi-Fi instead. It’s more convenient.
But don’t give up on Ethernet. Apple’s MacBook Pro models made from 2016 on have Thunderbolt 3 ports, which is an adaptation — and improvement — of USB-C. These ports enable those who want to increased speed and security of a wired connection to use an Ethernet adapter.
The speed of these varies. Apple’s own Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter supports 10/100/1000BASE-T networks, and sells for $29.
OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter is much faster
Photo: OWC
Those who want to go 10 times faster than 1000BASE-T networks can invest in the OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter. Its designer says the product is for “content creators and post-production shared storage workgroups.” These are the places where a network that supports 10Gbps transfers are likely to be found anyway.
OWC’s adapter works with macOS 10.13.4 or later and Windows 10 (64-bit edition). No drivers are required, just plug-and-play.
It’s listed at OWC’s own MacSales.com, but won’t begin shipping for another month.
It’s nice to hear that the Thunderbolt 3 port in the 2018 MacBook Pro can do something cutting edge, especially after Apple hobbled its external monitor capabilities.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
