FYI: Thunderbold to gigabit ethernet adapter

S

s0rce

Limp Gawd
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Jan 17, 2011
Messages
495
I have a 2011 MBA and I've been waiting since I got it for a Thunderbolt->gigabit ethernet adapter so I can connect to my network.

It was finally released and I ordered it but the software update which provides drivers was causing kernel panics so it was pulled and now there is no support for the device.

I called apple and they said they dont have an ETA for support could be hours, days or weeks.

I expect apple stuff to "just work". How hard is it to make support for an ethernet adapter.

Anyways, just wanted to let people know if you bought one that it won't work.

There is no official notice to this effect on the website: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD463ZM/A
 
The driver was pulled because it's jacked up on older (pre-Thunderbolt) Macs. If you have a Thunderbolt Macbook Air, it's safe to install the update. Back up your Ethernet driver/kext (/System/Library/Extensions) before attempting if you are worried about kernel panics.

I'd expect a fixed driver form Apple by Monday.
 
@CEpeep, where can I get the driver? Its pulled from the system updates.
 
CEpeep said:
The driver was pulled because it's jacked up on older (pre-Thunderbolt) Macs.
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I'm confused by this... The thunderbolt driver was messed up on macs without thunderbolt? Was it just kind of installed globally without checking to see if it was needed first or something?
 
Thanks for the update, good to know.
Hopefully a fix will be available soon.
 
Got my adapter yesterday....can't find a driver for it. Was hoping someone would mirror it.
 
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TeeJayHoward said:
I'm confused by this... The thunderbolt driver was messed up on macs without thunderbolt? Was it just kind of installed globally without checking to see if it was needed first or something?
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Yes, drivers are always installed on all Macs regardless of the hardware, but then they are dynamically loaded depending on the hardware.

This way, if you take a hard-drive from one Mac (hardware A) and put it into another Mac (hardware B) it will work.

Just like Linux.
 
shurcooL said:
Yes, drivers are always installed on all Macs regardless of the hardware, but then they are dynamically loaded depending on the hardware.

This way, if you take a hard-drive from one Mac (hardware A) and put it into another Mac (hardware B) it will work.

Just like Linux.
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When did Linux get THAT ability? Monolithic concepts like that are contrary to everything Linux stands for. I can understand it on OSX, since there's that whole "target disk mode" thing, but on Linux?

*scratches head*
 
Wait.... I'm confused. I thought the drive to less ports was part of our Glorious Company move to better interaction with computers. Are you suggesting this is not happening, I shall tell Glorious Company of your disrespectful question and comments.

I guess they retired the 'just works' concept with the mothballing of their pursuit of the professional market.
 
Bacillus said:
Wait.... I'm confused. I thought the drive to less ports was part of our Glorious Company move to better interaction with computers. Are you suggesting this is not happening, I shall tell Glorious Company of your disrespectful question and comments.

I guess they retired the 'just works' concept with the mothballing of their pursuit of the professional market.
Click to expand...

/sigh

Yes, the ultraportable MBA's and the "for-all-intents-an-ultraportable" MacBook Pro Retina are all about mothballing the "professional market". Apple doesn't make another line of laptops that are every bit as fast, but still include gigabit ethernet and even an ODD!

It's about choice.

In a nutshell. If you need gigabit ethernet so badly, get a unibody MBP instead of the MBA or MBPRetina.

Or, if you really want the Retina screen, you could wait until Apple finishes fixing the driver glitch ('cause those NEVER happen on windows!), and use an external.

Remember though, because of the way a Retina screen works, you'll usually** have the "working area" of a 1440x900 screen, and might be better off with the high-res screen on the unibody MBP.



**This is a changable setting to a point, but your not going to get the full 2880x1800 'true res' of the Retina screen. Doesn't work that way.
 
NetJunkie said:
Sure you can. Hacks already out to get the true 2880x1800 res.
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Sadly, they are hacks. I'd much rather have Apple just give us a resolution option like we had in the earlier OS X releases, or even just a "Scaled" option like you have on current releases. Something with numbers, not pictures. Without hacks, you can get up to 1920x1200, which is nice, but still not the 2880x1800 I want!
 
The Thunderbolt firmware is released again.

And even though the hacks are hacks, 2880x1800 is SWEET. Got my rMBP this morning.
 
Quick iperf test:

[ 4] local 192.168.200.125 port 5001 connected with 192.168.200.146 port 61739
[ 4] 0.0-10.0 sec 1.09 GBytes 934 Mbits/sec
 
It's good that the Thunderbolt adapter offers decent speed. I thought it wouldn't.
 
Any decently priced solution for when you want to use the Displayport (TB) to an external monitor and the thunderbolt ethernet adapter at the same time? Some kind of dedicated daisy chaning box for when it's missing from the device itself?
 
idmud said:
Any decently priced solution for when you want to use the Displayport (TB) to an external monitor and the thunderbolt ethernet adapter at the same time? Some kind of dedicated daisy chaning box for when it's missing from the device itself?
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The thunderbolt monitor has a ethernet port in the back, if I recall correctly. The 15" MBP also has two thunderbolt connectors, so you could use one monitor and 1 gigabit adapter. (I'm set up that way on my rMBP)
 
TeeJayHoward said:
The thunderbolt monitor has a ethernet port in the back, if I recall correctly. The 15" MBP also has two thunderbolt connectors, so you could use one monitor and 1 gigabit adapter. (I'm set up that way on my rMBP)
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I haven't found any either. I have a 2011 MBA hooked up to a 27" Samsung monitor via DP, which forces me to either use wifi or 100mbit ethernet. Both has its flaws :(
 
idmud said:
I haven't found any either. I have a 2011 MBA hooked up to a 27" Samsung monitor via DP, which forces me to either use wifi or 100mbit ethernet. Both has its flaws :(
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I know it's not decently priced, but Belkin DOES have a Thunderbolt dock for about $400:

F4U055_back_HiRes.jpg
 
Zumino Zufeilon said:
Or, if you really want the Retina screen, you could wait until Apple finishes fixing the driver glitch ('cause those NEVER happen on windows!), and use an external.

.
Click to expand...

yes because windows makes and decides all the hardware it runs on..... :rolleyes:.. nice try though.
 
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