Ethernet

It’s World Wi-Fi Day, which highlights the ability of wireless internet access to bring people together. But I’d like everyone to instead consider the advantages of an earlier tech: wired networking via good old reliable Ethernet.

Ethernet is easy to overlook now that almost everything has gone wireless, but it still has a role to play: filling in a flaw in Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t build Ethernet ports into MacBooks, but adding one is easy and inexpensive.

iPhones are, by definition, wireless devices, but a connection via Ethernet adapter brings speed, security and reliability. Fortunately, adding a wired internet connection to your iPhone is very easy.

Here’s how.

The Plugable USBC-E5000 5 Gbps USB-C Ethernet Adapter is as good as having an Ethernet port on your MacBook. Connect it to your cable, plug it into your Mac, and you no longer need to worry about the vagaries of Wi-Fi — you have a solid and secure wired internet connection.

Even better, it supports very fast internet connections for those with hefty connectivity demands.

I tested the affordable USB-C to Ethernet adapter in my home office and on the road to be sure it’s worth the money.

The new Plugable USBC-E5000 5Gbps USB-C Ethernet Adapter lets you add a wired internet connection to your MacBook. Simply plug it into a USB-C port on your computer for data transfers at up to 5Gbps, or 5000Mbps.

The affordable adapter, which launched Tuesday, also works with iPad and even recent iPhone models.

Plugable AD-6IN1 is a six-port hub designed specifically for iMac that connects to the desktop’s stand so it doesn’t clutter up the user’s desk. It can even be used as a small shelf.

In addition, Plugable introduced a small USB-C Ethernet adapter that can also supply power to a notebook or tablet.

The Satechi USB-4 Multiport Adapter with 2.5G Ethernet brings a significant speed boost over typical 1Gbps networking connections.

And that’s just the start. The USB-C hub has a range of other ports, including HDMI, USB-A and more.

Anker’s new Apex Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station, available July 1, sports a familiar design but packs an usually high number of ports for the maker’s typical consumer wares — 12. They include a 90-watt power pass-through slot and legacy options.

Did you know it’s possible to merge multiple Ethernet ports into one on a Mac? The feature is simple to set up and can greatly increase speeds for those with super-speedy network connections.

We’ll show you how to set it up.

The Elegiant Wire Tracker looks unassuming, but it helped me solve a frustrating problem: identifying the Ethernet cables buried behind the walls of my house. The inexpensive kit consists of a little plastic probe about the size of a Polish sausage and an emitter about the size of an iPhone (only it’s an inch or so thick).

It’s made of blue plastic, so it doesn’t pack that heavyweight “pro” feel, but it seems fairly durable. And if you need to figure out which Ethernet cable goes where, it gets the job done.

Adding Ethernet to your MacBook or iPad Pro is as simple as attaching the Plugable USB-C to Ethernet Adapter. This cuts your dependence on WiFi, instead bringing the security, reliability and speed of a wired connection.

I tested this very affordable and portable accessory, and bring you the results in this hands-on review.

This USB-C hub post is presented by ADAM elements.

Have you switched to a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptop that only has USB-C ports? Then you probably want to either upgrade your connected hardware or get used to working with a hub. That’s where the CASA Hub 10E from ADAM elements comes in. Featuring two USB 3.1 ports, an HDMI port, a Thunderbolt 3 port and two USB-C ports, the expandable, modular hub brings plenty of versatility to your MacBook and the devices you need to connect to it.

Plugable on Tuesday launched four USB-C adapters for connecting Macs and iPad Pros to a range of monitor types, and Ethernet too. Unlike the many multiport adapters on the market, each of Plugable’s offerings handles a single job. But they are inexpensive and portable.

Plugable Technologies announced Tuesday the availability of its 2.5Gbps USB Ethernet Adapter, bring a significant boost in speed over other ubiquitous devices at 1Gbps.

This affordable plug-in accessory is compatible with Mac and works over Cat 5e and Cat 6 Ethernet cables.

Life on the road can be a hassle, even with an iPhone, but there’s a lot the RAVpower FileHub Travel Router can do to make it easier. It’s a battery, a hub with a USB port and SD card reader, and (naturally) a travel router.

I road tested every feature of this accessory. Read on to see if it deserves a place in your travel kit.

Ethernet? In 2018? Yes. Maybe you work in an office without Wi-Fi. Perhaps you need to connect your Mac and iPad together directly with a cable for super-fast file transfers. Or maybe you just want the most reliable network connection possible — when recording a podcast, for example.

Whatever the reason, Wi-Fi hasn’t completely ousted Ethernet yet. And using Ethernet on your iPad is easy. If you’re hooking up an old Lightning iPad, it’s pretty easy. If you’re connecting a new USB-C iPad Pro, it’s dead easy.

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’s plan to dominate the 4K TV streaming market is up against some tough competition from the top company in the game.

Fresh off its IPO, Roku revealed its brand new lineup of streaming dongles today and while they may not pack as much processing power as the new Apple TV 4K, they have one killer feature that will lure in tons of buyers: a cheap price tag.

You know how the Lightning cable that plugs into your iDevice has a USB plug on the other end? That’s because the Lightning port is a kind of fancy USB port itself. You already know that you can in plug a keyboard, or an audio interface, or a camera, using Apple’s Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. But did you know that you can plug in all of those at once? That’s right — by using a powered USB hub, you can hook up as many accessories as you like to your iPad at once. If you ever use your iPad to work at your desk, with a keyboard, then you can use this tip to build your own iPad docking station.

iPads are made to go online with Wi-Fi, but what happens when the wireless goes down and all you have is an Ethernet connection to the internet?

With a couple of Apple dongles and a powered USB hub, you can easily use Ethernet to get online with your iPad, no Wi-Fi required.

Here’s how.

Did your Mac’s Ethernet port mysteriously stop working recently? If so, you could have fallen afoul of a nasty bug that was introduced in a recent OS X security update. Here’s how to fix it.

So far this week, we’ve spent time hacking our Macs via the Terminal, the best darn behind-the-scenes app you can find in Mac OS X. We’ve talked about tweaking the Finder, the user interface, security and privacy, and the Dashboard.

Today, let’s look at a few of the newer features of the OS X world, and how to make them work on older, unsupported Macs using some Terminal magic.

Kanex’s new DualRole will be pretty much essential for hotel-hopping MacBook Air owners the world over. It’s a little pocket-sized box which hooks up to the MacBook’s USB 3.0 port and turns it into three ports plus an Ethernet jack.

Yes, it costs $70, but you can expense that, right?

A USB 2.0 Ethernet adapter is a pitiful thing, an ugly workaround only really useful when you find yourself in a Wi-Fi-free hotel room with only your MacBook Air for company.

A USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet adapter, on the other hand, is every bit as good as having a real 10/1000 network connector hole in the side of your machine.

Not to beat up on AirDrop or anything, but not all Macs can use the zero-configuration file sharing technology from Apple. In order to use AirDrop, you must have a a newer Mac, like a MacBook Pro from 2008 or later, a MacBook Air from 2010 or later, or a Mac Mini from mid 2010 or later (full list below)

Luckily, if you can connect your older Mac to an Ethernet cable and network, you can enable AirDrop on an older Mac. Here’s how.

You're in a hotel room, and you want to hook up to the in-room Wi-Fi. And guess what? It sucks, just like at every other hotel you ever stayed at. So Instead you dig out your MacBook and hook it up to the hotel's Ethernet cable, and use internet sharing to generate your own wireless network.

Wait… The newest MacBooks Air don't have Ethernet ports. But don't worry: you can pick up the $60 mySpot from Kanex, a little dongle which takes an Ethernet connector and turns its sweet network payload into a wireless cloud, ready for all your iDevices and your non-Ethernet MacBook Air.