New 10 GbE USB adapters are cooler, smaller, cheaper

A Framework expansion card was also announced this week. https://frame.work/nl/en/products/wisdpi-10g-ethernet-expans...

Is it also possible to power a laptop through those adapters? PoE++ can deliver up to 100W of power, more than enough for most laptops.

FWIW I got a Xikestor 10G adapter with the Realtek chipset from AliExpress and it underperforms my much cheaper 5G one.

My favorite USB ethernet adapter is a lowly 100 MBit one that works everywhere without requiring driver downloads.

For Thunderbolt 4/5 docks, I've held off from buying a high-end Thunderbolt 5 dock as many still have 2.5GbE Ethernet and other limitations with displays. The CalDigit TS5 Plus is one of the only options with 10GbE and its $500 (and usually OoS). I managed to buy an ex-corporate refurb HP Thunderbolt 4 G4 dock for only ~$64 and would recommend others do the same (this has an Intel 2.5GbE and good display outputs)

It seems like a lot of laptop manufacturers skipped the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 in favor of USB4/TB4.

I have a RTL8157 5 Gbps adapter from CableMatters.

Interestingly it seems to get burning hot on the MacBook M1 Pro while it remains cool on the M5 Pro model.

Maybe the workload is different, but I would not rule out some sort of hardware or driver difference. I only use a 1G port on my router at the moment.

Will they be cheaper? I look at the RAM prices. Granted, RAM is in a different category than USB adapters, but I no longer trust anyone writing "will be cheaper" - the reality may be different to the projection made.

Too bad this is 10Gbase-T, that energy-wasting hot-running garbage needs to die sooner rather than later. Good thing the ranges for 25Gbase-T are short enough to make it impractical for home use.

(Fibre is nowhere near as "sensitive" as some people believe.)

FWIW I got a Xikestor 10G adapter with the Realtek chipset from AliExpress and it underperforms my much cheaper 5G one.

My favorite USB ethernet adapter is a lowly 100 MBit one that works everywhere without requiring driver downloads.

I have a RTL8157 5 Gbps adapter from CableMatters.

Interestingly it seems to get burning hot on the MacBook M1 Pro while it remains cool on the M5 Pro model.

Maybe the workload is different, but I would not rule out some sort of hardware or driver difference. I only use a 1G port on my router at the moment.

A Framework expansion card was also announced this week. https://frame.work/nl/en/products/wisdpi-10g-ethernet-expans...

That link notes:

"Card supports 10Gbit/s and 10/100/1000/2500/5000/10000Mbit/s Ethernet"

Nice to see; some NICs are shedding 10/100 support. Apparently, it's not necessary to do this, even in a low cost device.

Is it also possible to power a laptop through those adapters? PoE++ can deliver up to 100W of power, more than enough for most laptops.

Theoretically yes, practically that hasn't been built yet. I've only seen it for 2.5Gbase-T, and only for 802.3bt Type 3 (51W).

If anyone's aware of something better, I'd be interested too :)

(Then again I wouldn't voluntarily use 5Gb-T or 10Gb-T anyway, and ≈50W is enough for most use cases.)

[ed.: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807960919319.html ("2.5GPD2CBT-20V" variant) - actually 2.5G not 1G as I wrote initially]

The idea of a POE Mac mini makes me happy. It would be a nice way of power cycling it from the switch, tidier than the smart plug I have.

https://hackaday.com/2023/08/14/adding-power-over-ethernet-s...

I think class 4 tops out at about 71W delivered to the powered device, albeit 90W at the switch port.

Might be a struggle I suspect!

Yes, but look up the prices for PoE switches and you might reconsider.

With 802.3bt type 4 (71W delivered, 90W consumed), absolutely achievable with the proper electronics, but would you trust a no-name, fly-by-night NIC to not fry your expensive devices? That's the biggest hurdle. Possibly a company like Apple, Anker, or similar megacorp or high-trust startup could pull if off.

It seems like a lot of laptop manufacturers skipped the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 in favor of USB4/TB4.

Conversely, the last time I checked a couple of weeks ago, it was impossible to find any USB4 external SSDs on Amazon; only USB 3.2.

The idea of a POE Mac mini makes me happy. It would be a nice way of power cycling it from the switch, tidier than the smart plug I have.

https://hackaday.com/2023/08/14/adding-power-over-ethernet-s...

I think class 4 tops out at about 71W delivered to the powered device, albeit 90W at the switch port.

Might be a struggle I suspect!

Yes, but look up the prices for PoE switches and you might reconsider.

Too bad this is 10Gbase-T, that energy-wasting hot-running garbage needs to die sooner rather than later. Good thing the ranges for 25Gbase-T are short enough to make it impractical for home use.

(Fibre is nowhere near as "sensitive" as some people believe.)

Good thing the ranges for 25Gbase-T are short enough to make it impractical for home use.

Anyone who talks about 25GBASE-T like it actually exists, doesn't know anything about what they're talking about.

The problem with fibre isn't the sensitivity. It's that most endpoints have a 1Gbps copper port on them and then Cat6A ports can be used with the common devices but also allow you to add or relocate 10Gbps devices without rewiring the building again.

Is the energy consumption inherent to 10Gbase-T? Or is it that 1Gbit nics have been around forever and optimised ad infinitum?

To be fair, the power consumption is also my biggest gripe with my WiFi 6 AP, they run extremely hot.

That link notes:

"Card supports 10Gbit/s and 10/100/1000/2500/5000/10000Mbit/s Ethernet"

Nice to see; some NICs are shedding 10/100 support. Apparently, it's not necessary to do this, even in a low cost device.

100 mode saved me once when I really really really needed to have a connection in that moment, but the ethernet cable glued to the wall that I was using had only three out of eight wires even functioning.

Low-cost devices are exactly where 10/100 is still widely used. On PCs, it's a common power-saving mode.

Theoretically yes, practically that hasn't been built yet. I've only seen it for 2.5Gbase-T, and only for 802.3bt Type 3 (51W).

If anyone's aware of something better, I'd be interested too :)

(Then again I wouldn't voluntarily use 5Gb-T or 10Gb-T anyway, and ≈50W is enough for most use cases.)

[ed.: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807960919319.html ("2.5GPD2CBT-20V" variant) - actually 2.5G not 1G as I wrote initially]

Eh.

A lot of laptops won't accept less than 60w

My work laptop won't accept less than 90w (A modern HP, i7 155h with a random low end GPU)

At first everyone at the office just assumed that the USB C wasn't able to charge the pc

Conversely, the last time I checked a couple of weeks ago, it was impossible to find any USB4 external SSDs on Amazon; only USB 3.2.

If Amazon is a strict requirement, then this won't help. But if you're ok with AliExpress then it's probably a win:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008555989592.html

I have one of these, though I'm using with a USB 3.x port as that's what my desktop has. For me it's working fine, and for others with actual USB 4 ports it seems to be working properly for them.

Good thing the ranges for 25Gbase-T are short enough to make it impractical for home use.

Anyone who talks about 25GBASE-T like it actually exists, doesn't know anything about what they're talking about.

Is the energy consumption inherent to 10Gbase-T? Or is it that 1Gbit nics have been around forever and optimised ad infinitum?

To be fair, the power consumption is also my biggest gripe with my WiFi 6 AP, they run extremely hot.

If Amazon is a strict requirement, then this won't help. But if you're ok with AliExpress then it's probably a win:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008555989592.html

I have one of these, though I'm using with a USB 3.x port as that's what my desktop has. For me it's working fine, and for others with actual USB 4 ports it seems to be working properly for them.

Wouldn't it be better to just buy an M.2 NVMe adapter, eg. ICY DOCK ICYNano MB861U31-1M2B[0]?

[0]: https://global.icydock.com/product_247.html

Really? I see plenty when I search for 'usb4 nvme enclosure'

However — unlike copper twisted pair — the bandwidth current fiber media can carry is nearly limited by nothing but the optics at each end.

In practice though 10G via copper requires pretty perfect terminations. The slightest error leads to crosstalk issues.

Low-cost devices are exactly where 10/100 is still widely used. On PCs, it's a common power-saving mode.

For those of us who don’t know, how does it save power vs a 1gbe running at low throughput?

Eh.

A lot of laptops won't accept less than 60w

My work laptop won't accept less than 90w (A modern HP, i7 155h with a random low end GPU)

At first everyone at the office just assumed that the USB C wasn't able to charge the pc

I gotta say, I love my macbooks. Every Apple laptop I've owned that has USB-C ports will happily charge itself from a 5V/1.5A wall charger (albeit extremely slowly).

Really? I see plenty when I search for 'usb4 nvme enclosure'

For those of us who don’t know, how does it save power vs a 1gbe running at low throughput?

I gotta say, I love my macbooks. Every Apple laptop I've owned that has USB-C ports will happily charge itself from a 5V/1.5A wall charger (albeit extremely slowly).

A Mac mini at home used 4.64w averaged I’ve the last 30 days. Even under load it just sips power.

Great. So we got EU laws to mandate USB-C chargers and then get manufacturers that flaunt the spirit of the law by rejecting lower wattages.

Wouldn't it be better to just buy an M.2 NVMe adapter, eg. ICY DOCK ICYNano MB861U31-1M2B[0]?

[0]: https://global.icydock.com/product_247.html

That doesn't seem to be USB 4?

However — unlike copper twisted pair — the bandwidth current fiber media can carry is nearly limited by nothing but the optics at each end.

That doesn't solve the chicken and egg problem.

What probably would is something like having PCIe and USB to 1Gbps fiber adapters that cost $5.

In practice though 10G via copper requires pretty perfect terminations. The slightest error leads to crosstalk issues.

Ymmv. I've got a mix of cheap premade patch cables and some I crimped from solid core, all cat5e, all holding 10gbe totally happily. I suspect that only works because they're a meter or two long but that reaches across the rack.

A Mac mini at home used 4.64w averaged I’ve the last 30 days. Even under load it just sips power.

That doesn't seem to be USB 4?

That doesn't solve the chicken and egg problem.

What probably would is something like having PCIe and USB to 1Gbps fiber adapters that cost $5.

That hasn’t been my experience. I once tried to charge an M3 MBP via a lower powered wall plug. It was left off over night and the following morning the battery was still at 1%.

Great. So we got EU laws to mandate USB-C chargers and then get manufacturers that flaunt the spirit of the law by rejecting lower wattages.

My laptop refuses to charge for 45W chargers as well, but I can almost understand it.

When plugged into 100W chargers while powered on, it takes ten minutes to gain a single percentage point. Idle in power save may let me charge the thing in a few hours. If I start playing video, the battery slowly drains.

If your laptop is part space heater, like most laptops with Nvidia GPUs in them seem to be, using a low power adapter like that is pretty useless.

Also, 100W chargers are what, 25 euros these days? An OEM charger costs about 120 so the USB-C plan still works out.

Other manufacturers do similar things. Apple accepts lower wattage chargers (because that's what they sell themselves) but they ignore two power negotiation standards and only supports the very latest, which isn't in many affordable chargers, limiting the fast charge capacity for third parties.

That hasn’t been my experience. I once tried to charge an M3 MBP via a lower powered wall plug. It was left off over night and the following morning the battery was still at 1%.

My laptop refuses to charge for 45W chargers as well, but I can almost understand it.

If your laptop is part space heater, like most laptops with Nvidia GPUs in them seem to be, using a low power adapter like that is pretty useless.

Also, 100W chargers are what, 25 euros these days? An OEM charger costs about 120 so the USB-C plan still works out.

For years, the best way to get 10 gigabit networking on laptops was to buy an expensive, large, and hot 10 GbE Thunderbolt adapter. With new RTL8159-based 10G USB 3.2 adapters coming onto the market, the bulky adapters might be a thing of the past. Just look at the size of the thing in comparison to my Thunderbolt adapters:

10 Gbps Ethernet adapters for Thunderbolt and USB

2.5G and even 5G USB adapters have been out for a while, but sometimes you need more bandwidth.

The 10G adapter I'm testing is this $80 model from WisdPi. That's double the price of most 5G/2.5G adapters, but less than half what I paid for my Thunderbolt 10G adapters.

If you need 10 gigs, this might be the best option, if you use RJ45 and not SFP+. If you don't need 10 gigs, a 2.5 or 5 Gbps adapter is still the best value.

Also, you might not even get 10 Gbps with these new adapters, depending on your computer. I'll summarize why after the video:

USB is fast frustrating

I tested this adapter on four computers:

Framework 13 with AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 (includes USB 4 / USB 3.2 Gen 2)
MacBook Neo (USB 3.1 and USB 2.0)
M4 MacBook Air (USB 4 / USB 3.1 Gen 2)
Desktop with AMD Ryzen 7900x with B650 motherboard (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2)

Getting those specific USB port specs is a bit of a chore (some websites don't even tell you if it's '3.2 Gen 2' or '3.0', and Windows itself only says "USB 3.0" when you plug in a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 device like the 10 Gbps NIC!)

Framework 13 with AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 running 10G USB Ethernet Test over USB 3.2 Gen 2x1

I was only able to get full 10 Gbps speed (minus a little overhead) on the AMD Desktop, which has a single USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port good for 20 Gbps of throughput. The other machines got around 6-7 Gbps:

10 Gbps iperf3 bandwidth test results for Macs and PCs

The Macs have the same per-port bandwidth (USB 3.1 Gen 2x1, for 10 Gbps), but the performance is consistently worse than the Framework.

On the Macs, the adapter was correctly identified when I plugged it in, and worked straightaway, with no extra driver installation. The 'Hardware' tab in the Network settings incorrectly reported a connection speed of 2500Base-T.

On Windows, the adapter was recognized when plugged in, but wouldn't connect to the network until I installed the latest Realtek driver, downloaded from their website.

10 Gbps iperf3 bidirectional bandwidth test results for Macs and PCs

Bidirectional bandwidth testing offered an interesting contrast; the Macs both handled traffic symmetrically, while the Framework was wildly disparate. The desktop PC gave a full 9.5 Gbps down, and around 5 Gbps up.

The main takeaway is this adapter only reaches its full potential if you have a USB 3.2 Gen 2 2x2 20 Gbps port.

And considering the mess of USB naming over the past decade—and the fact Microsoft reports all USB 3.x connections as "3.0" in their Device Settings pane, good luck figuring out your own computer's support without glancing at spec sheets!

A few computers I've seen actually label the USB port speed (e.g. '10' or '20'), but that seems fairly rare. Most manufacturers seem to follow Apple in eschewing labeling entirely!

Mac USB bandwidth displayed in System Information

At least Apple has the negotiated port speed visible in the 'System Information' app—I couldn't find that detail anywhere on Windows.

5G and 2.5G a better value?

With reduced speed due to inadequate USB port bandwidth, would a 2.5 Gbps or 5 Gbps adapter be a better value?

10 Gbps and 5 Gbps WisdPi Ethernet USB adapters

Testing the WisdPi 5 Gbps adapter pictured above on my M4 Air, it got 4.6 Gbps. The 10 Gbps adapter is 1.4x faster, but for more than 2x the price ($30 vs $80).

I think, if you already have a 10 Gbps network, you use RJ45 and not SFP+ connections, and you want a more compact adapter (compared to the bulky, hot Thunderbolt adapters), it's a good deal. But if you need that full 10 Gbps or SFP+ support, Thunderbolt adapters are still the best if you have Thunderbolt ports that don't support USB 3.2 Gen 2 2x2.

If you don't need 10 Gbps, though, stick to 2.5 or 5 Gbps adapters—they are still the best value right now.

Thermals and Power Draw

I also checked thermals and power draw—though my tests are not comprehensive. Measuring the absolute power draw is difficult because my USB-C power measurement devices downgrade the connection speed to USB 2, which means I'm not testing at full performance.

Power Draw for WisdPi 10 Gbps USB-C Ethernet Adapter

At the slower USB 2 speed, the adapter uses about 0.86 Watts of power.

And it doesn't get that hot, which was surprising. All my Aquantia-based 10 gig adapters turn into little ovens. That's why they're so big: the enclosures are giant heatsinks.

Thermals for WisdPi 10 Gbps USB-C Ethernet Adapter

But the WisdPi only got up to 42.5°C after running a bidirectional iperf3 test for a few minutes.

That's warm, but not so hot that I'd burn myself touching it like I have with other 10 gig adapters.

Conclusion

If $80 is too rich, this isn't the only option that uses the new chip; AliExpress is littered with alternatives. And you can get it on PCI Express cards, which bypasses the USB port requirement on desktop PCs.

In the midst of all the price inflation in personal computing, it's nice to find a new device that's cheaper, faster, and (depending on your USB port) better.

Hacker Times