• Overview
  • Tech Specs

Add Fast Gigabit Ethernet and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Connectivity to Your Computer With One Adapter

Do you need to connect high-speed USB 3.0 storage devices to your computer? What about getting connected to a wired network? Sonnet’s USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapter provides you a simple, economical way to connect one USB 3.0 device, and to add a Gigabit Ethernet interface to any Mac® with a Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt port, or Windows® computer with Thunderbolt 2 ports. Featuring 10Gbps Thunderbolt technology, this compact adapter connects directly to your computer or at the end of a Thunderbolt device chain with its built-in Thunderbolt cable to enable fast data transfers between your drives, computer, and network.

USB 3.0 for Fast Performance and Common Connectivity

USB 3.0 Performance IconMost drives available today include USB 3.0 interfaces. Although you can connect them to the USB 2.0 ports on your computer, their performance would be reduced by as much as 85 percent! This useful adapter offers native USB 3.0 support to ensure great performance from the fast drives you connect, enabling data transfers at up to 350 MB/s. The USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapter supports UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) support, ensuring that UASP-enabled external drives connected to the adapter achieve their maximum data transfer rate potential, with performance improved by up to 20% above the drive connected to a USB host without UASP support. Need to connect more than one drive? The adapter works with multi-drive enclosures(1) with hardware raid controllers, too. This adapter also supports hubs and other USB 3.0 devices, and is backward compatible with USB 2.0 devices(2). If your computer already has USB 3.0 onboard, this adapter provides another handy port.


Key Features

Adds Two High-Throughput Interfaces With One Adapter—Connects one 5.0 Gb/s USB 3.0 port and one Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) port to computers with Thunderbolt ports

10Gbps Thunderbolt interface—Enables fast data transfers between drives and computer

Built-in Thunderbolt Cable—Flexible 5-inch (125 mm) Thunderbolt cable connects directly to your computer or at the end of a Thunderbolt daisy chain

Supports Multi-Drive Enclosures—USB port support drive enclosures with hardware RAID controllers

Broad USB 3.0 Device Support & Compatibility—Supports storage, hubs, and other USB-IF compliant USB 3.0 devices; compatible with USB 2.0 devices

Adds RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet—Simple way to add RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to any compatible computer

1000/100/10Base-T Auto Negotiation—Configures to highest performance transmission mode supported

Supports Jumbo Packet Transfers—Transfer large amount of data with less effort

Bus-powered Operation—No AC power adapter required

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Thunderbolt Logo Icon Built-in Thunderbolt Cable
10Gbps Thunderbolt connection between computer and devices
USB Logo Icon Adds USB 3.0 Port
Connect devices such as external backup drives, hubs, and iOS devices
Test Adds Gigabit Ethernet Port
Connect a wired router, switch, or modem
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Gigabit Ethernet for Fast Wired Networking

GbE IconWith the introduction of new, thinner, lighter computers, manufacturers continue to remove ports that were once standard, including the RJ-45 connector for Ethernet, the standard wired networking interface. For many users, this leaves a connectivity gap. Connecting to a network via WiFi isn’t always desirable or practical, and may not be an option where only a wired network connection is available. Sonnet’s USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapter instantly bridges the gap left by the missing onboard port, plugging in between your computer’s Thunderbolt port and the RJ-45 network connection, and enabling file access and sharing at up to 1 Gb/s.

This Sonnet adapter supports 1000/100/10BaseT auto-negotiation and full/half duplex communication, enabling it to easily connect with most networks at the highest performance transmission mode supported. It also supports jumbo packet transfers (9000 byte packets compared to 1500 byte standard packets) to provide higher performance and reduced overhead when transferring large files. Handy LEDs indicate network activity and link speeds at a glance.

Simple to Set Up, Simple to Use

Thunderbolt Cable IconWhen used with a Mac computer, the USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapter requires no driver installation—the necessary drivers are already installed—just plug it into your computer and it works. When connected to a Windows PC, a simple Ethernet driver download and installation is all that’s required to get you going. Setup is simple—configure the adapter settings through the OS X® Network control panel or Windows® Device Manager.

Bus Powered IconThis device is bus-powered, so there’s no need to connect an AC power adapter, making it perfect for use anywhere. Wherever you use it, the Sonnet USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapteris a simple and cost-effective solution that enables you to connect your USB 3.0 peripheral and get connected to a wired network at the same time, without hassle.


 Computer hardware shown in photos for illustration purposes; items sold separately.
See Tech Specs Tab for footnotes
Part No.  
TB-USB3GE Discontinued
Hardware  
Warranty 1-year
Form Factor Thunderbolt adapter
Bus Interface 10Gbps Thunderbolt
External Connectors
  • USB 3.0
  • RJ-45 (Gigabit Ethernet)
Dimensions (Adapter)
(WxDxH)
2.05 x 3.15 x .87 in. (52 x 80 x 22 mm)
RoHS Compliant Yes
Package Contents
  • USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapter
  • Documentation
USB 3.0 Support
Drives Supported One (or more with hardware raid enclosure)(1)
Data Transfer Rate
  • 5Gb/s USB 3.0 data rate
  • Up to 350 MB/s achievable data bandwidth
Standard USB Specification v. 3.0/2.0 compatible. Complies with xHCI (Extensible Host Controller Interface)
UASP USB Attached SCSI Protocol supported under OS X 10.8.5+ and Windows 8.1+
Peripherals Supported Supports industry standard USB 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1 peripherals
Cables Supported
  • USB 3.0 with Standard-A male connector
  • USB 2.0 with Standard-A male connector(2)
Chipset ASMedia
Number of Devices Supported Up to 31
Hot Plug Supports hot-pluggable and hot swappable device connection
Gigabit Ethernet Support
Network Connector One RJ-45 connector supports 1000Mbps, 100Mbps, 10Mbps network speeds and Auto-MDI/MDI-X
Standards
  • IEEE 802.3 10BaseT
  • IEEE 802.3u 100BaseT
  • IEEE 802.3ad 1000BaseT
  • 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet
Network Gigabit Ethernet (1000BaseT, 100BaseTX, 10BaseT)
I/O Address Assigned by system
IRQ Line Assigned by system
Transmission Rates
  • 1000Mbps
  • 100Mbps
  • 10Mbps
Packets Maximum packet size: 9000 bytes
Hot Plug Supports hot-pluggable and hot swappable device connection

 

Specifications subject to change without notice.

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Mac Compatibility

Mac with a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port

Mac with a Thunderbolt 3 port with an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

OS X 10.8.5+

macOS Sierra compatible

PC Compatibility

PC with a Thunderbolt 2 port

Windows 10, 8, 7


Technical Notes

  1. Support for up to four drives requires the use of drive enclosures employing a hardware RAID controller (like Sonnet’s Fusion™ QR).
  2. USB 3.0 devices require USB 3.0 cables to support USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) transfer speeds (up to 5 Gb/s). Use of USB 2.0 cables between USB 3.0 devices and the USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapter is supported, but data transfers are limited to USB 2.0 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s).



Mac LogoWindows LogoroHS Logo