List Price : $29.99 $17.95
Amazon Rating :
(298 Reviews)
Features
FASTER THAN WiFi—Upgrade to wired Gigabit speeds via USB-C and Thunderbolt 3. This fast USB-C Gigabit solution powered by the ASIX AX88179 chipset provides more performance and stability than most WiFi networks
EASY INSTALLATION—Automatic driver installation via Windows Update on Windows 10, 8.x, 7, and XP (with existing internet connection). Functionality built into the Linux kernel from 3.9 onward (compile required for 2.6 to 3.8)
FEATURES—Practical speeds over 700Mbps on USB C and Gigabit network. IPv4/IPv6 checksum offload engine, crossover detection and auto-correction, TCP large send offload, and IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet. Max 4K jumbo frames
COMPATIBILITY—Not supported on macOS. Not recommended for Lenovo Yoga 2/3 due to issues with their USB 3.0 controller. Compatible with docked Nintendo Switch, or handheld mode with compliant USB-C to USB 3.0 solution
2 YEAR WARRANTY—We love our Plugable products, and hope you will too. All of our products are backed with a 2-year limited parts and labor warranty as well as Seattle-based email support
Plugable USB 3.1 Type C (USB C) 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
The Plugable USB-C 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (USBC-E1000) is an easy way to gain wired gigabit network speeds over USB-C for faster HD video streaming, gaming, web browsing, network access and more. It's also the perfect travel companion for any laptop or tablet due to its small size and USB bus powered design. Some common uses include:
Adding wired gigabit network support to Windows, Ultrabooks, or notebooks without an Ethernet connection
Replacing or upgrading network adapters for your computer
USB network adapters can improve speeds compared to older 10/100 adapters, and most wireless networks
Adding additional network interfaces, and transferring files peer-to-peer over Ethernet
Please note, this adapter is not a solution for connecting USB devices like printers, hard drives, etc to a network. This adapter cannot be used to share Ethernet, WiFi, or data between multiple devices. This adapter is not supported on macOS. Please see the Compatibility tab for info on adapters that are supported for macOS.
Chipset
Inside the USBC-E1000 is an ASIX AX88179 chipset for fast 10/100/1000Mbit network speeds and maximum compatibility with almost all USB-C 3.1, 3.0, and 2.0 hosts.
Driver
32/64-bit drivers for Windows 10, 8.x, 7, Vista, and XP.
Nintendo Switch—Compatible with Switch in handheld mode. The built-in performance test on the Nintendo Switch provides inconsistent results due to its implementation, even with the built-in WiFi connection on the Switch. It is recommended to run the test several times to see the variance
Not Compatible with:
Not supported on macOS
ARM-based Windows RT and Windows Mobile
Most Android devices, TiVo Series 2, Wii, or other non-PC platforms
Not recommended for use with FreeBSD or pfSense
If you have macOS, we would suggest to use one of our other adapters listed below:
Plug into any laptop or desktop currently limited to 10/100 Ethernet or no Ethernet at all, and benefit from faster transfers on your gigabit Ethernet network. (Also works on 10/100 Ethernet networks at their native speeds.)
USB 3.0 systems support theoretical maximum transfer speeds up to 5Gbps and USB 2.0 supports up to 480Mbps.
In practice, most machines will see up to a doubling of network speeds by moving from a 100Mbps Fast Ethernet to a 1000Mbps gigabit Ethernet via USB 2.0, and could see even more substantial gains on USB 3.0.
Plugable Gigabit Ethernet Comparison Chart
This comparison chart looks at Plugable's line of USB Gigabit Adapters across important categories to help you choose the one for your needs
Compatible with Windows, Linux, ChromeOS. (Driver download may be required) Not supported for macOS
Compatible with Windows, Linux, ChromeOS. (Driver download may be required) Not supported for macOS
Compatible with modern versions of macOS, Windows, and Linux
Compatible with modern versions of macOS, Windows, and Linux (Driver download may be required)
A Note About Android Compatibility:
Please view the compatibility chart below to see if your device model is listed. If your device model isn't listed, we haven't had the chance to test it, or received any reports from other customers. The capability to use wired Ethernet, and compatibility with the ASIX AX88179 chipset we use in our adapter is entirely up to each manufacturer and isn't guaranteed.
We cannot guarantee compatibility for devices we haven't tested, or received reports on.(Even if a device is listed as, "Yes", we would still suggest checking with the manufacturer for official information.)
Overall, checking with the manufacturer of your device for official information is a best practice. Feel free to reach out to us directly at: support@plugable.com for further details.
A driver CD is included, however we recommend downloading drivers to ensure the latest version is used. For updated drivers please visit the Plugable drivers page.
Windows® 7, Windows® 8, and Windows® 10 installation is easy as 1-2-3!
Connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or other connection.
Plug the USBC-E1000 adapter into a USB port on your computer.
Allow Windows Update a moment to automatically install drivers.
For Linux, and when Windows Update isn't an option, simply visit the Pugable drivers page for the latest release. Support for Linux kernel versions including or later than 2.6 and 3.x.
Configuration
Configuring the USBC-E1000 is identical to that of an onboard Ethernet device. Visit the Control Panel or Network Preferences section of your system to assign static IP addresses or for other advanced configuration options.
LED Behavior
The yellow "Link" light should stay lit continuously when plugged into Ethernet. The green "Activity" light should flash slightly during data transfers - it almost appears solid green so look closely for flashing.
Should the yellow link fail to light or the green activity light fail to flash to indicate traffic, you might have a faulty device or a software issue. If so, please contact support@plugable.com.
Computer networking is a complex topic. In this article, we'll be taking a deep dive on the nuances of network performance for those who need some additional explanation while striving to be concise, and to educate users of various experience levels relating computer hardware and computer networking.
If you just need to know how to perform a network performance test/benchmark, jump down to configuring iPerf.
Core Network Concepts
LAN vs WAN
With regards to network performance, it is crucial to first separate whether an issue is with Wide Area Network (WAN) performance, or if the issue is with Local Area Network (LAN) performance.
Your LAN is essentially the network inside your home or business. Many homes use a combination modem/router device provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP). In some cases, especially in businesses, you may have a separate modem and router, along with other equipment connecting to the router such as a network switch.
Your modem, and the connection it establishes to your ISP—whether through coaxial cable, fiber, phone lines, or long-range wireless—essentially marks the point between the WAN and the LAN. The connection your modem makes to your ISP is the WAN, and any devices you connect through your router behind that modem belong to the LAN.
Link Rate
Almost every type of connection your computer makes to any piece of hardware will have a link rate of some kind. The link rate establishes how fast data can possibly be transferred across any given connection, but it does not guarantee how fast the hardware on either end of the connection will actually transfer data.
The concept of link rates, and their related bottlenecks, is likely best conveyed by giving an example of what connections might be involved in transferring a file from one computer on your LAN to another.
800Mbps—The file source is a USB 3.0 thumb drive capable of 100MB/s (800Mbps) read/write.
480Mbps—The USB 3.0 thumb drive is plugged into a USB 2.0 port on the PC, which has a maximum throughput of 480Mbps
1000Mbps—PC1's Ethernet connection establishes 1Gbps (1000Mbps) link to the router via Ethernet
300Mbps—The router connects to a second PC (we'll refer to this as PC2) via Wi-Fi, and it has established a 300Mbps link to the Wi-Fi adapter on PC2
480Mbps—The Wi-Fi adapter on PC2 is connected via a USB 2.0 port. The link rate of the USB connection to PC2 is at 480Mbps
6000Mbps—PC2 is going to store the file on an internal hard drive with a link rate of 6Gbps
1600Mbps—File Destination: SATA hard drive capable of 200MB/s (1600Mbps) read/write.
Following this chain, we see that 300Mbps is the slowest link rate established. This means that, regardless of the link rates established elsewhere, the absolute maximum the data can possibly be transferred is 300Mbps.
if we were to change the Wi-Fi connection to a wired Ethernet connection capable of 1Gbps, our performance bottleneck would then become the USB 2.0 connection to the USB drive where the file is stored.
Ports and Interfaces
Interfaces
A network interface represents connections, whether wired or wireless, that are made to form a network between devices.
Ports
Some may refer to physical hardware connections as "ports". For the purposes of networking, ports are logical constructs that can also be referred to as "network ports". Each network interface has 65,535 of these logical ports. Each port on a network interface is a separate data connection.
Benchmarking Network Adapter Performance
To properly benchmark network adapter performance, we need to:
Use a simple LAN configuration
Eliminate bottlenecks, especially link rate bottlenecks
Websites like speedtest.net, fast.com, and other performance tools in your web browser are going to use your WAN connection, and are not appropriate for determining if a network adapter is working well.
Transferring files from one computer to another on your LAN is typically not the best way to benchmark a network adapter. File transfers are bottlenecked by a number of things, including performance limitations of the disk the data is on, and often times a lack of establishing parallel network connections to perform the task.
One of the most accurate ways to benchmark network performance on a LAN is by using iPerf . To more effectively benchmark network adapter performance, it is best to establish a point-to-point connection between two PCs, rather than connecting through a router or switch.
Next, you'll need to run iPerf in client mode, targeting the IP address of the server/interface where iPerf is running in server mode. Additionally, we'll run the test for 30 seconds using -t 30 and with four parallel connections using -P 4. Running 4 parallel connections is optimal for saturating a network link.
Windows
Open Command Prompt
Press Windows Key + R or + R, then enter cmd in the window that appears
Search the Start Menu for Command Prompt, and open it
Navigate Command Prompt to the directory the directory where iPerf is located
The cdcommand is for 'change directory'
If you have a folder named 'iperf' on your Windows desktop, you can reach it in command prompt with the command cd %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\iperf
Run iperf in client mode via Command Prompt (replace 192.168.0.200 with the IP address of the server/interface where iPerf is running in server mode)
iperf3.exe -c 192.168.0.200 -t 30 -P 4
macOS / Linux
Open Terminal
Run iPerf in client mode (replace 192.168.0.200 with the IP address of the server/interface where iPerf is running in server mode)
iperf3 -c 192.168.0.200 -t 30 -P 4
iPerf should start performing a network performance test. If the test fails to start, make sure that iPerf is not being blocked by your PC's/Mac's firewall.
Why iPerf is Ideal for Benchmarking
Unlike a file transfer, iPerf runs in memory on the PC and generates data to send using the CPU directly. This alleviates potential bottlenecks generated by storage devices, and allows you to explicitly control how many parallel connections are being used to transfer data rather than being unsure if parallel network connections are being used by other means.
Conclusion
There's a lot more to networking that isn't covered in this article, but we hope this helps explain enough to get an accurate measure of your network performance.
**UPDATE 3: macOS 11 BIG SUR: As of the 11/12/2020 release of Big Sur, multiple brands of Ethernet adapters, including Plugable, utilizing ASIX ICs are incompatible with macOS 11. These changes are a result of Apple’s implementation of DriverKit, detailed below, and changed requirements for drivers and installation in 10.15. For more information and the most up-to-date information, please find our blog post here: https://plugable.com/blogs/news/asix-ethernet-adapters-unsupported-on-macos-big-sur
**If you've found our article and looking for an adapter for your macOS system with 10.15 or higher, we would instead suggest our adapters that use Realtek chipsets which are our:
USBC-TE1000 - A 10/100/1000mbps capable USB-C adapter
USB3-HUB3ME - A 10/100/1000mbps capable adapter with three additional USB 3.0 ports. Cables included for 3.0 Type-A, and USB-C
USBC-E2500 - A 100/1000/2500mbps capable adapter with both USB 3.0 Type A, and USB-C connections. *(Additional driver download may be required. Please see the Product Page for further details.
These adapters use Realtek chipsets and drivers which are built into macOS giving a driverless, plug and play installation. This is especially useful for macOS which needs driver approval. Please see each product page link above for further detail!
**UPDATE 2: ASIX has provided a final release driver for use with macOS 10.15.3 (Catalina) only due to updated notarization requirements from Apple as of February 2, 2020. After thorough vetting and testing in coordination with ASIX, we have updated our download links to this 2.16.0 final release build from the previous 2.15.0 and 2.15.0-Beta 1 builds both on this blog post and our driver page for affected devices.
We are leaving the original post below as it is for posterity, and recommend using the final driver set below for our USB3-E1000, and USBC-E1000 adapters. Please feel free to reach out to us directly via our contact email below, or post in the comments section with any questions or concerns you may have. (Please note, these drivers and instructions are intended only for our Plugable manufactured adapters. If your adapter is from another manufacturer, we would suggest to reach out to that company directly for support.)
(Please note, these drivers and instructions are intended only for our Plugable manufactured adapters. If your adapter is from another manufacturer, we would suggest to reach out to that company directly for support.)
**UPDATE 1: ASIX has provided a final release driver for use with macOS 10.15 (Catalina) only. After thorough vetting and testing in coordination with ASIX, we have updated our download links to this 2.15.0 final release build from the previous Beta 1 build both on this blog post and our driver page for affected devices. USB3-E1000 & USBC-E1000 AX88179 macOS 10.15 Catalina Drivers v2.16.0 Final Release – 01/30/2020 For use with macOS 10.15 only and with support for February 2020 Apple Notarization Requirements
For use with macOS 10.15 only and with support for February 2020 Apple Notarization Requirements
**Original post from October 4, 2019
Synopsis
The installation of macOS 10.15 Catalina will disable older drivers for some devices and devices which rely on these drivers will no longer function until a compatible driver is reinstalled. Most Plugable products are not affected by this, with the exception of our USB Ethernet adapters that use ASIX Gigabit Ethernet chips (models: USBC-E1000, USB3-E1000, USB2-E1000, and USB2-E100).
Background
macOS 10.15 (Catalina), is nearly here, and with it come some new Application and driver requirements. For additional details about the new DriverKit model and the transition to 64-bit application requirements, check out our other Catalina blog posts here and here.
While these are positive changes for the Mac ecosystem, the new driver requirements in Catalina will take time to get used to for some driver developers. In the short term some products will have a less user-friendly installation process as driver developers adapt to these changes. The vast majority of Plugable products that work in previous versions of macOS will continue to do so without incident in Catalina. However, USB Ethernet adapters (from Plugable and others) that use ASIX chips can pose the following challenges:
Drivers that worked for users in macOS 10.14 and earlier will no longer function after updating to macOS 10.15 Catalina until updated, compatible drivers are installed
Attempting to reinstall an older driver version will trigger a message stating: “The installation failed. The installer encountered an error that caused the installation to fail. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.”
The updated macOS 10.15-compatible beta driver from ASIX has a persistent on-screen dialog box which makes the driver installation more challenging than usual
Because of challenges with the beta ASIX driver installation process in 10.15, we will not be officially recommending our ASIX-based Gigabit Ethernet adapters on macOS Catalina until ASIX has developed an updated driver version with a less cumbersome installation process.
Note that these challenges all pertain to software; the hardware remains compatible. This includes the following USB to Ethernet adapters models: USB3-E1000, USBC-E1000, USB2-E1000, and USB2-E100. Apple is expected to release the final version of macOS Catalina, on or around Friday October 4, 2019.
Installation Instructions
Below are a download link and step-by-step instructions documenting driver installation and the macOS Gatekeeper approval process for our USB3-E1000 and USBC-E1000 adapters, which both use the ASIX AX88179 chipset in both written and video formats:
Step 1: After downloading, open the folder downloaded and run the AX88179_178A_v2.15.0_beta1.pkg file
Step 2: This window will open for the installation process. Please continue through the process as guided by the installer.
Step 3: During this process, you will be asked to input your account password to allow the installation to continue, please do so and click “Install Software” to continue.
Step 4: You’ll be prompted with this message below stating that the extension cannot be loaded. Please note, clicking OK, won’t actually start the driver installation. When you click OK, the message will pop up continually.
Step 5: Click and drag this error dialog box out of the way, while keeping it on your monitor for later access (do not close this dialog box). Now, please go to the Apple Menu (on the toolbar at the top of your screen) > System Preferences. When System Preferences opens, visit Security & Privacy > General tab. Here, we see the extension signature listed but cannot allow it to install yet. Please click on the lock at the bottom as we need to allow the process for Gatekeeper.
Step 6: You’ll be prompted for your password, please enter it to unlock the option to Allow the extension to install
Step 7: After unlocking the options with your password, click the button to “Allow” the installation of the extension
Step 8: Now you have permission to open the package for installation. Please click, OK on the System Extension notification you moved out of the way which will close the window this time, and allow the installation to begin
Step 9: Now, the installation has begun
Step 10: Installation complete. Now that everything is finished, go ahead and click Restart
Step 11: You’ll be asked if you want to move the installer package into the trash. This is up to you, and won’t affect the installation process. Please note, once you pick an option your Mac will restart
Final Step: After installation and restarting you may wish to turn off your WiFi temporarily while you check the connection. Go into System Preferences > Network, and you should see the wired adapter with a green, connected status! (Please note, your network information will show up here)
FAQ:
I have this adapter, and it no longer works after the Catalina update. What are my options? Installing an updated version of the ASIX drivers will restore functionality.
Are adapters from other brands affected by the Catalina update as well? Yes, the latest macOS Catalina update will affect any adapters with ASIX chipsets as drivers are not included in macOS and require installation by all customers upgrading to Catalina
I have macOS 11 (Big Sur), and my adapter won't work. What can I do? Unfortunately, Realtek has not released new drivers for macOS 11 Big Sur. We do not currently have an estimated date of release for a driver from Realtek, but we will update our website as soon as we've received, tested, and validated drivers. Feel free to reach out to us directly with your Amazon order number at support@plugable.com for more details.
I have an adapter from another manufacturer and it won't work. Can I use your steps and drivers? Sorry for the trouble! No, unfortunately not. The troubleshooting steps and drivers we have are only for the USB3-E1000, and USBC-E1000 adapters that we manufacture. We would suggest to reach out to the manufacturer of your adapter directly for support.
Will users who upgrade to Catalina with the older ASIX drivers installed get an error message? Unfortunately, no, the drivers will silently fail to load and no error messages will be presented to any user of incompatible drivers.
What happens if I try to install older drives on Catalina now that I’ve updated? The installation process will attempt to go through, but will ultimately fail with the following message: “The installation failed. The installer encountered an error that caused the installation to fail. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance. We do apologize for any inconvenience and are here to help.
If you have any additional questions, please let us know in the comments below, or reach out to us directly at support@plugable.com
**This is a legacy article from 2015. Please see notes for important information on changes.
Update: A Windows 10 driver now exists for the USB2-E1000. However, it will not appear in the CD that comes with the adapter until the next lot of adapters is shipped. The updated driver can be downloaded from this link: Windows 10/8/8.1, 7, Vista, and XP drivers for USB2-E1000.
If you are not able to connect to the Internet without installing the driver, you can download it onto a flash drive on another computer and use that to install it.
In testing Plugable’s USB-Ethernet adapters with Windows 10, we were happy to discover they all work successfully when their drivers are properly installed. However, an installation problem could cause issues with the USB2-E1000.
Drivers are already built into Windows 10 for: the ASIX AX88772 chip in our:
*Note In 2017, our USB3-HUB3ME was redesigned to include a Realtek RTL8153 chipset and drivers. Windows 10 should automatically configure these drivers when you plug the adapter in.) When you insert these adapters into a USB port, the drivers should automatically install with no need for an internet connection.
However, the driver for the ASIX AX88178 chip in our USB2-E1000 is not pre-installed in Windows 10, and we have discovered a problem with the downloadable driver that keeps it from installing. If this happens, the adapter will show up in Device Manager as “AX88178” with a Code 28 error: “”Drivers for this device are not installed.”
There are several ways to work around this issue, depending on the scenario:
1. Upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1: If you have already installed the driver for the USB2-E1000 in Windows 7 or 8.1 and upgrade directly from that version to Windows 10, the currently installed driver will be available to Windows 10, and your adapter should work without any further effort. If you haven’t yet installed this driver, please install it before upgrading.
The easiest way is to establish an internet connection, either wirelessly or through another Ethernet port, then plug in the USB2-E1000. Windows Update should see it and automatically download the correct driver. You can also download and install the driver from our website or from the disk that came with your adapter.
2. Doing a clean install of Windows 10 or using the USB2-E1000 on a new Windows 10 computer: Since the previous Windows 7 or 8.1 driver will not be carried over to a clean install of Windows 10, it must be freshly installed. The only way to accomplish this is to have an internet connection available when you first plug in the USB2-E1000.
That will allow Windows Update to download and install the driver. If you are in a situation where this is not possible, we recommend delaying the update until an internet connection is available, or until this issue has been fixed. Currently, the driver on the Plugable and ASIX websites is not working with Windows 10.
If you’re a user of a Plugable USB-Ethernet adapter and are experiencing issues, we’re here to help! If support is needed, please run our PlugDebug tool found HERE to collect system logs, and send the resulting file to support@plugable.com along with a description of the behavior you’re experiencing and any additional details you feel are relevant.
