Studio Display & USB-C Ethernet adapter performance issues

[xraydoc]

Has anyone tried on macos ventura?

Should I buy the Anker 2.5gbps adapter or D-Link DUB-E250?

Im on unifi network flex XG swith and macbook pro 16 mac and ASD?

This is the adapter I'm using currently, but I'm on Monterey 12.6, so I can't comment on function on Ventura.

I get over 900Mbit/sec, but I only have a gigabit ethernet network, so I wouldn't expect any faster. But my previous Belkin adapter was only getting 400Mbit when connected through the Studio Display (would get the same ~900Mbit speeds when connected directly to my MBP or to my Thunderbolt dock, however, so clearly there's some kind of conflict).

 

[xraydoc]

I just got fiber installed at home and was facing very weird performances and unstable issues...

I made some tests using this Anker 2.5Gpbs + fast.com and it just blew my mind:

- MacBook Pro M1 connected to Anker 2.5Gbps : around 2.5Gbps as expected.
- MacBook Pro M1 connected to Studio Display + Anker 2.5Gbps : around 0.5Gbps... Sometimes around 1Gbps

This is "expected" according to previous comments but now is the mind blower:

- MacBook Pro M1 connected to Anker 2.5Gbps in one port AND Studio Display on the other port : same result as if the adapter is connected to the Studio Display 😭

That's crazy. There is probably an answer but this seems so stupid.
I have tested to move the adapter & also the studio display to others ports... Same problem.

So this Anker 2.5Gbps adapter, as soon as connected with Studio Display (directly on MacBook or on the Studio Display) seems to become unstable...

Fun fact: I can see that, as soon as I plug the studio display, with Anker adapter already connected to the MacBook, macOS seems to disconnect & reconnect the adapter in Network preference pane. Like it there was a "known issue" that macOS seems to avoid by limiting the adapter somehow...

I guess I will try the TrendNet adapter...

I'm using a D-Link adapter and it works at full speed (well, at least up to gigabit speed, which is the best I can test for), connected through the Studio Display or not.

 

[thawk9455]

This has been an issue with the Realtek driver from Apple for years. A few years ago on an Intel MBP with the LG Thunderbolt monitor I noticed the issue and if you installed the drivers directly from Realtek the performance issue went away (although the network was a little less stable). If you connect a non-Realtek adapter to the same monitor you get full speeds. The performance hit was only if the adapter wasn't directly connected to the computer, as soon as you connected the same adapter to the computer you got full performance.

I'm now seeing the same issue with the built-in ethernet port on a Dell Thunderbolt monitor and a 16" M1 MBP.

Believe I reported it as a bug to Apple in 2020. Crickets as far as a fix.

 

[er2429]

I just got fiber installed at home and was facing very weird performances and unstable issues...

I made some tests using this Anker 2.5Gpbs + fast.com and it just blew my mind:

- MacBook Pro M1 connected to Anker 2.5Gbps : around 2.5Gbps as expected.
- MacBook Pro M1 connected to Studio Display + Anker 2.5Gbps : around 0.5Gbps... Sometimes around 1Gbps

This is "expected" according to previous comments but now is the mind blower:

- MacBook Pro M1 connected to Anker 2.5Gbps in one port AND Studio Display on the other port : same result as if the adapter is connected to the Studio Display 😭

That's crazy. There is probably an answer but this seems so stupid.
I have tested to move the adapter & also the studio display to others ports... Same problem.

So this Anker 2.5Gbps adapter, as soon as connected with Studio Display (directly on MacBook or on the Studio Display) seems to become unstable...

Fun fact: I can see that, as soon as I plug the studio display, with Anker adapter already connected to the MacBook, macOS seems to disconnect & reconnect the adapter in Network preference pane. Like it there was a "known issue" that macOS seems to avoid by limiting the adapter somehow...

I guess I will try the TrendNet adapter...

I just got myself a new Netgear Mesh Wifi System and everything worked perfectly with the exception of the hard line 2.5gbe Anker Adapter to the Studio Display. I would unplug my laptop and test through various ports in the house but I would still get the same results. I was about ready to quit when I discovered that it was the Studio Display that was responsible for this.

I thought I was going insane but I reproduced these exact same results.

It does not matter if you plug it into the Studio Display directly or into another Thunderbolt port while the Studio Display is connected. It simply does not work. No matter what. Completely insane.

 

[CubeApril]

I have had all sorts of issues with high speed data devices through the Studio Display, not just Ethernet.

My Elgato Camlink 4K had infinite issues. Both my 2.5 GbE USB devices and my Camlink 4K have been fine through a USB hub, but not through the Studio Display.

Clearly this seems to be an Apple firmware issue, but whether they will ever fix their broken USB implementation has yet to be seen.

 

[BeatCrazy]

@Applefiel

Any ideas on a compatible 5Gbps USB Ethernet adapter? Looks like many use the Marvell/Aquantia AQC111U. Not necessarily looking to connect it to the Studio Display, rather some of my Intel/M1 Macs that only have 1Gbps Ethernet.

 

[xraydoc]

@Applefiel

Any ideas on a compatible 5Gbps USB Ethernet adapter? Looks like many use the Marvell/Aquantia AQC111U. Not necessarily looking to connect it to the Studio Display, rather some of my Intel/M1 Macs that only have 1Gbps Ethernet.

Here's Thunderbolt to 10G ethernet...

OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter

Connect your Thunderbolt 3 equipped Mac or PC to high-performance wired networks delivering up to 10x the performance of Gigabit Ethernet.

eshop.macsales.com

 

[BeatCrazy]

Here's Thunderbolt to 10G ethernet...

OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter

Connect your Thunderbolt 3 equipped Mac or PC to high-performance wired networks delivering up to 10x the performance of Gigabit Ethernet.

eshop.macsales.com

I'm familiar with that, but notice I asked about 5Gbps adapters.

Thunderbolt to 10G Ethernet adapters 1) don't work with the Studio Display, and 2) are 3X the price of a 5Gbps adapter.

 

[xraydoc]

>> Not necessarily looking to connect it to the Studio Display, rather some of my Intel/M1 Macs that only have 1Gbps Ethernet.

I'm familiar with that, but notice I asked about 5Gbps adapters.

Thunderbolt to 10G Ethernet adapters 1) don't work with the Studio Display, and 2) are 3X the price of a 5Gbps adapter.

Notice you said it didn't need to connect to the Studio Display.

Regardless, sorry, no experience with any 5Gb USB ethernet adapters.

They do exist, apparently, but I've not read any reports about their performance with M-series Macs, the Studio Display, or compatibility with Monterey or Ventura.

 

[Kgeee]

I'm familiar with that, but notice I asked about 5Gbps adapters.

Thunderbolt to 10G Ethernet adapters 1) don't work with the Studio Display, and 2) are 3X the price of a 5Gbps adapter.

It may be possible to utilize two 2.5 GbE adapters and configure them for link aggregation. This depends on your switch's capabilities and if it's feasible to run two ethernet cables in your setup. Just a thought.

 

[BeatCrazy]

It may be possible to utilize two 2.5 GbE adapters and configure them for link aggregation. This depends on your switch's capabilities and if it's feasible to run two ethernet cables in your setup. Just a thought.

Even if your switch could do link aggregation, would any Mac/macOS actually support link aggregation from two difference NICs?

 

[Kgeee]

Even if your switch could do link aggregation, would any Mac/macOS actually support link aggregation from two difference NICs?

Yes. You can create a virtual network interface in macOS. See this:

In the video, he mentions that link aggregation does not split the data stream, which is why he uses three separate iPerf3 sessions. Not sure what the practical implication for everyday use is. If it means that copying a single file only uses 2.5 GbE, and not the full 5 GbE, it may not be very useful.

Edit: He uses three different ports for the iPerf3 test. Link aggregation does not allow for a single 5GbE connection to one host, but will allow for two simultaneous 2.5 GbE connections to two different hosts. A better explanation here. So this solution is definitely not the same as having a single 5 GbE NIC - but maybe it's still useful for your use case.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Yes. You can create a virtual network interface in macOS. See this:

In the video, he mentions that link aggregation does not split the data stream, which is why he uses three separate iPerf3 sessions. Not sure what the practical implication for everyday use is. If it means that copying a single file only uses 2.5 GbE, and not the full 5 GbE, it may not be very useful.

Edit: He uses three different ports for the iPerf3 test. Link aggregation does not allow for a single 5GbE connection to one host, but will allow for two simultaneous 2.5 GbE connections to two different hosts. A better explanation here. So this solution is definitely not the same as having a single 5 GbE NIC - but maybe it's still useful for your use case.

Interesting. My only Layer 3 switch is 1Gbps, my 10Gbps switch is dumb - so LAG is not a real possibility for me.

Ironically, I bought another D-Link DUB-E250 that arrives today. I am going to use it to 'upgrade' my Late 2014 Mac mini server from its built-in 1Gbps to 2.5Gbps. I had fleeting hopes I could LAG the physical ports to a total of 3.5Gbps, but that's not going to be possibly with my switches + lack of knowledge. (and what you shared with me above!)

 

[Kgeee]

Interesting. My only Layer 3 switch is 1Gbps, my 10Gbps switch is dumb - so LAG is not a real possibility for me.

Ironically, I bought another D-Link DUB-E250 that arrives today. I am going to use it to 'upgrade' my Late 2014 Mac mini server from its built-in 1Gbps to 2.5Gbps. I had fleeting hopes I could LAG the physical ports to a total of 3.5Gbps, but that's not going to be possibly with my switches + lack of knowledge. (and what you shared with me above!)

Then you're looking at a new switch 💸 In Europe, a 5 GbE NIC with USB-C from Startech is around $100. Not sure if it works with the Studio Display, but tempted to find out.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Then you're looking at a new switch 💸 In Europe, a 5 GbE NIC with USB-C from Startech is around $100. Not sure if it works with the Studio Display, but tempted to find out.

I looked into those, and saw the Startech model at $135USD https://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/us5ga30

More concerning, we already know from @Applefiel that not all chipsets are supported by macOS to deliver the full rated speed, it seemed like an expensive risk to take at $135. We already know the D-Link DUB-E250 works at 2.5Gbps with the Studio Display and both Intel/Apple Silicon Macs, and it's only $20 USD.

 

[Kgeee]

I looked into those, and saw the Startech model at $135USD https://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/us5ga30

More concerning, we already know from @Applefiel that not all chipsets are supported by macOS to deliver the full rated speed, it seemed like an expensive risk to take at $135. We already know the D-Link DUB-E250 works at 2.5Gbps with the Studio Display and both Intel/Apple Silicon Macs, and it's only $20 USD.

Well, at $135 you might as well get a 10 GbE adapter then. But that won't connect to your display.

Not sure what you're connecting to, but Synology has just announced Disk Manager 7.2 will support SMB multichannel. macOS also supports this https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212277. Not sure about the USB NIC though.

 

[Kgeee]

Just for completeness: The D-Link DUB-E250 does not support jumbo frames. Only MTU of maximum 1.500.

 

[Weaselboy]

Ran into this same issue with the Belkin adaptor on my Studio Display. I had 300/10 Mbps internet service and it worked perfectly with the Belkin adaptor, but when I got a free upgrade to 500/20 Mbps the Belkin fell all over itself and would drop down to around 200 Mbps. Plus the CPU usage issues mentioned in this thread.

So based on the suggestions in this thread I bought the D-Link DUB-E250 and it works perfectly. Full 500/20 speeds and no CPU usage that I can tell.

Thanks to all in the thread for the help.

 

[CrazyTux949]

Has anyone experienced this before?

IMG_0119.MOV

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Essentially when my Anker USB-C 2.5Gb adapter is plugged into MBP Apple M2, 13.0.1 (22A400), 24GB RAM alone the USB-C device functions normally and all is well (wired network stays connected).

When I add my USB-C monitor LG 34BK95U-W the wired network connection toggles on and off as you can see in the video.

I've no issue pulling 2.5Gb up/down with this adapter when it is the only usb-c port in use. Using my other usb-c port with my monitor seems to create this scenario. It just so happened by complete luck I realized this issue today. I knew the wired problem existed, I just didn't know WHAT was going on.

Now I know WHAT and am looking for a WHY.

Thanks all!

 

[cczhu]

still not fixed? How to get full gigabit ethernet connection via USB adapter hooked to Studio Display.

 

[xraydoc]

still not fixed? How to get full gigabit ethernet connection via USB adapter hooked to Studio Display.

The D-Link DUB-E250 will get you 1 Gb/sec.

 

[pip11]

Are there any adapters known to work well other than the D-Link DUB-E250? It seems to be out-of-stock everywhere.

 

[rob188888888]

This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097N5WJY9

 

[cczhu]

I wonder at this point if this is a software bug that they eventually will fix, or there is some hardware limitations with USB-to-ethernet adapter attached to the displays.

 

[xraydoc]

I wonder at this point if this is a software bug that they eventually will fix, or there is some hardware limitations with USB-to-ethernet adapter attached to the displays.

I suspect that somehow it's an issue with the version of iOS in the display and the adapter itself. Why Apple designed it that way, I've got no idea. Guess we'll know soon if the upcoming display update in the current Ventura betas addresses this.