Having a fast network is a must for those who frequently exchange data with a fast server or use NAS apps, but the LAN may not be fast enough for this purpose. To address this issue, there are adapters on the market that convert Thunderbolt to 10GE Ethernet, which we tested on the Mac.
Some Macs, such as the Mac Studio and optional Mac Mini, as well as some iMacs, come with an Ethernet interface that is 10 GBit/s fast. Since you cannot expand Apple computers internally, except for the soon-to-be unavailable Mac Pro with Intel Xeon, you will need an external solution for a fast LAN.
Ethernet is a cable network that connects computers, servers, and other devices, and its speed has increased since its inception in the 1970s. Desktop Macs have a standard speed of 1000 MBit/s and an RJ45 socket (IEEE 802.3ab) for twisted-pair copper lines. The current pinnacle of Ethernet technology for in-house cabling is the ten times faster 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE according to IEEE 802.3an), which has the same speed as USB 3.1 Gen 2 and is approximately 1GB/s.
To achieve the higher data rate of 10 GBit/s, an improved coding method is used that uses finer gradations per transmission step. The IEEE 802.3bz standard provides intermediate levels of 2.5 and 5 Gigabit/s (2.5GBase-T and 5GBase-T).
We tested five adapters on the Mac in our search for the best 10GE adapter, including OWC, Promise, Qnap, Sonnet, and two conclusions. The test took 11 minutes to complete, and interested parties can save the article in Pocket.
In conclusion, having a fast LAN is a necessity for modern data exchange and networking. To achieve this on a Mac, external adapters are required, and there are various options on the market. Our testing shows that some brands perform better than others, so interested individuals should research and invest in the right adapter for their needs.
