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Plugable 2.5G USB-C and USB to Ethernet Adapter
$28.95 USD
SKU: USBC-E2500Amazon Rating : (1388 Reviews)
Features
- Faster Than Gigabit—Double the performance of a traditional Gigabit Ethernet adapter when used with switches or routers capable of 2.5Gbps. Actual speed may be affected by internet service provider, network, Ethernet cable speed, and host system
- Keep USB Universal—Hybrid 2-in-1 cable converts from USB-C to USB-A so you always have the right connection (USB 3.0 required for full performance)
- Use Existing Cabling—Upgrade your network without updating your cables. 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet signals are designed to work on Cat 5e cabling, just pair your USB Ethernet Adapter with 2.5Gbps-capable switches/routers
- OS Compatibility—Works with Windows, macOS, and Linux Kernel 3.2 and above. Driver download required on legacy macOS 10.15 and older. Device performance may be limited by internet service provider, network and Ethernet cable speed, and host system
- 2-Year Coverage, Lifetime Support—Every Plugable product, including this ethernet adapter, is covered against defects for 2 years and comes with lifetime support. If you ever have questions, contact our North American-based team - even before purchase
Free 3-Day Shipping on Orders Over $35!
Get the Most out of Wired Connection Speeds
The Plugable 2.5Gbps USB to Ethernet Adapter (USBC-E2500) is for users looking to move beyond Gigabit Ethernet speeds. With USBC-E2500, you can leverage existing Cat 5e Ethernet cables and use less-costly switches to more than double the performance of your local network, compared to traditional Gigabit Ethernet. The adapter comes with a Hybrid 2-in1 connection that converts from USB-C to USB-A, so you always have the right connection.
Some common uses include:
- Adding wired 2.5 Gigabit network support to Windows desktops, iPhone 15 / Pro / Pro Max, Ultrabooks, 2-in-1s, tablets, or notebooks—as well as Mac and Linux systems
- Replacing or upgrading network adapters for your computer
- USB network adapters can improve transfer speeds compared to 10/100/1000 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 mobile data between multiple devices.
More Than Double Performance
Plug into any laptop or desktop currently limited to 10/100/1000 Ethernet–or no Ethernet at all–and benefit from faster transfers on your 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet network. (Also works on 10/100/1000 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.
Note: When accessing sites on the internet, the bandwidth provided by your internet service provider will likely determine your ultimate speeds. Testing in the Plugable lab using the iPerf application on a local server has yielded speeds up to 2.37Gbps. However, speeds will depend on the capabilities of your host system and other network devices.
Multi-Platform Convenience
Quickly and easily add Ethernet connectivity, with performance up to 2.5Gbps to virtually any Mac, Windows, iPhone 15, or Linux PC. Use either USB-C or USB 3.0 to connect, and connect instantly with built-in drivers on current versions of major operating systems.
Compatible with:
- USB-C
- USB 3.0
- Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4
Note: Older versions of Windows, Linux, and macOS may require a driver download for the adapter to function. Older macOS versions will have limited functionality (1Gbps link rate, no jumbo frame support) until the driver is updated through separate install.
Universal Compatibility
Compatible with Windows, macOS, iPhone 15, Linux, and Chrome OS, USB-C (5Gbps), USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt 3 Systems.
- Microsoft Windows 11, 10, 8.x, and 7
- macOS 10.7 and above
- iPhone iOS 17+ with USB-C (iPhone 15 / Pro / Pro Max)
- Linux kernel 3.2 and above (basic support, install driver or update to 5.x kernel for full support)
- Supported on up-to-date Chrome OS systems
Not compatible with:
- ARM-based Windows RT and Windows Mobile
- Most Android devices, TiVo Series 2, Wii, or other non-PC/Mac platforms
- Nintendo Switch
Not recommended for use with FreeBSD or pfSense
Technical Specifications
Inside the adapter is a Realtek RTL8156B chipset for fast 10/100/1000/2500Mbit network speeds and with all Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, and 2.0 hosts. (USB 2.0 will limit the performance of the adapter.)
Drivers built into Windows 11, 10, 8.x, 7, macOS 10.7 and above, iPhone 15 / Pro / Pro Max, and Linux kernel 3.2 and above.
In the Box
- USB 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter with attached USB-C to USB-A adapter
- Quick Install Guide
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Host Connection |
USB 3.0 (USB-A) USB-C |
USB-C |
USB-C |
USB 3.0 (USB-A) |
USB 2.0 (USB-A) |
Micro USB (USB 2.0) |
Thunderbolt 3/4 Compatible |
||||||
Link Rates |
10/100/1000/2500 |
10/100/1000 |
10/100/1000 |
10/100/1000 |
10/100 |
10/100 |
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You can always contact support if you need help too!
Understanding and Troubleshooting Network Performance
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.
Configuring iPerf
To test a connection using iPerf, you'll need at least two network interfaces, and preferably two computers. You'll also need to know the IP (Internet Protocol) address assigned to each network interface . One network interface will function as an iPerf server, and the other network interface will function as an iPerf client. Lastly, you'll need to download the version of iPerf 3.x that's appropriate for your computer's operating system and extract/install it .
Windows
- Make sure the drivers for both network interfaces involved in the test are using up-to-date drivers. Drivers for Plugable products can be found here.
- Download and extract iPerf for Windows
- Open Command Prompt
- Press Windows Key + R or + R, then enter
cmdin the window that appears - Search the Start Menu for
Command Prompt, and open it
- Press Windows Key + R or + R, then enter
- 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
- If you have a folder named 'iperf' on your Windows desktop, you can reach it in command prompt with the command
- The
- Run iperf in server mode via Command Prompt
iperf3.exe -s
macOS
- Usually it is best to install iperf on macOS using brew in Terminal
- Make sure the drivers for both network interfaces involved in the test are using up-to-date drivers
- Open Terminal
- Run iPerf in server mode
iperf3 -s
Linux
- Usually it is best to install iperf using the package manager in your Linux distro. For example, in Ubuntu, use
apt: sudo apt install iperf3
- Make sure the drivers for both network interfaces involved in the test are using up-to-date Drivers
- Open Terminal
- Run iPerf in server mode
iperf3 -s
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
cmdin the window that appears - Search the Start Menu for
Command Prompt, and open it
- Press Windows Key + R or + R, then enter
- 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
- If you have a folder named 'iperf' on your Windows desktop, you can reach it in command prompt with the command
- The
- 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.
If you need assistance with your Plugable product that features network connectivity, please contact us for further assistance.
Network Adapter Prioritization on Windows
There are various reasons and configurations that can benefit from having more than one network adapter present on a PC.
For users with newer networking products, featuring 2.5Gbps link rates or greater, it may be beneficial to prioritize that network connection over others on your PC that are still connected to your network/LAN.
My Plugable product with wired Ethernet is no longer working on macOS. What can I do?
Please Note
The below guide is an advanced troubleshooting step, and we do not recommend doing so unless you are comfortable manually altering files on your Apple product running macOS. You may not be able to perform the below troubleshooting step if you are unable to execute administrative credentials on your laptop. Please reach out to our support first if you do not wish to attempt the below instructions. You can do so at Plugable.com/Support
How to delete a specific Ethernet adapter from your Network devices on macOS
- Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your primary monitor, and select ‘System Preferences’
- Next select ‘Network’ in the ‘System Preferences' window.
- In the now visible list, please select the Plugable Ethernet, or Thunderbolt Ethernet device that may not be working as expected.
- Once selected click on the minus button in the bottom left of the network window.
- Click on Apply in the bottom right.
- Next click on the plus button in the bottom left of the network window, and add the previously removed device.
- Click on Apply in the bottom right.
- Test to see if this has resolved the unexpected behavior, and assure that your Ethernet is now working.
- If this does not resolve the problem, please proceed to the next section (As noted previously the next section is for advanced users only!)
Manually erase your macOS Network Settings to fully reset the Network configuration
(Advanced! Click to reveal)
- Open the ‘Finder’ app, then in the ‘Go’ menu at the top of your screen select ‘Computer’
- Click on ‘Macintosh HD’ then Library, Preferences, SystemConfiguration
- Copy the file named ‘NetworkInterfaces.plist’ to your desktop as a backup of your current configuration.
- Delete the original version of the ‘NetworkInterfaces.plist’ located in the SystemConfiguration directory.
- Restart your Mac
- Login to your Mac, and return to System Preferences → Network
- If the list is now empty, please re-add the Plugable or Thunderbolt network adapter by clicking on the plus button in the bottom left of the Network window. Once done click on 'Apply'.
- Test to see if this has resolved the unexpected network behavior
I am still unable to get my Ethernet connection working on my Mac
If this is the case please reach out to our support team. When you do please include a diagnostic log gathered using our PlugDebug tool (instructions are provided on the PlugDebug page). If you are not able to gather the PlugDebug diagnostics do not worry we are still here to help! Please reach out to our support team at support@plugable.com or Plugable.com/Support with a detailed description of your problem, and the model of Plugable product you are using.
How To - Set a Network to Private or Public in Windows 10 & 11
The Windows Firewall may block some networking features when the local network is not set to Private. This article will describe the process for setting the local network, either wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi to be a Private network.
Windows 11
1 - Connect the computer to the network, either wired or wireless
2 - Open the Windows Settings - right-click on the Start Menu and select “Settings” from the pop-up menu
3 - On the left column select “Network & internet”
For Wired Networks
4 - Select the “Ethernet” option
5 - The connected network should be expanded, if not click on “Network Connected" to expand the section
6 - Select the “Network profile type” either “Public network” or “Private network” to suite your needs
For Wi-Fi Networks
4 - Select the “Wi-Fi” option
5 - Select your Wi-Fi network name “properties”
6 - Select the “Network profile type” either “Public network” or “Private network” to suite your needs
Windows 10
1 - Connect the computer to the network, either wired or wireless
2 - Open the Windows Settings - right-click on the Start Menu and select “Settings” from the pop-up menu
3 - Select “Network & Internet” fro the bottom section
4 - Select the “Ethernet” option from the left pane
5 - Select the “Connected” network from the right pane
6 - Select the “Network profile type” either “Public network” or “Private network” to suite your needs
Windows PowerShell
If the option does not show up in the Windows Settings GUI, or if you prefer to use the terminal.
1 - Open a new terminal: Right-click on the Start Menu and select “Terminal”
2 - Run the following command to list the available networks
Get-NetConnectionProfile
PS C:\Users\plugable> Get-NetConnectionProfile Name : Network InterfaceAlias : Ethernet Instance 0 InterfaceIndex : 7 NetworkCategory : Private DomainAuthenticationKind : None IPv4Connectivity : Internet IPv6Connectivity : NoTraffic
3 - Run the following command to set the network to Private
Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name Network -NetworkCategory Private
Where “Network” is the network name from step #2 and “Private” can be either “Public" or “Private”
Maximizing 2.5Gbps Ethernet Performance
Ethernet technology has come a long way since its inception in the late 1970s when early Ethernet operated at 10 Mbps, which was considered fast for its time. As digital demands increased, so did the need for faster data transfer speeds, leading to the introduction of Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) and eventually Gigabit Ethernet ( 1 Gbps ), which has been the standard for home and office networking for over 20 years. Over these years, Ethernet continued to evolve, with standards being developed to handle even higher speeds but most often being isolated to the server room, and cloud computing. Today, technologies like 2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps Ethernet have developed from 10 Gbps Ethernet, catering to modern high-bandwidth applications in both home and office environments. These advancements make it easier than ever for users to connect and transfer data at speeds that support the demands of video streaming, gaming, and extensive network tasks with higher reliability and lower latency than WiFi.
Upgrading a whole network from Gigabit to 2.5Gbps or faster can be costly and time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be done all at once. We have released both 2.5Gbps and soon 5Gbps USB Ethernet adapters that can be used with both notebook computers and desktops to provide up to five times faster Ethernet speeds than the built-in network controller, without having to install any new PCIe cards. Both of our high-speed Ethernet offerings are backwards compatible with current Gigabit Ethernet and in many cases can use the same network cables, however we do recommend replacing Category 5 and Category 5e cables with at least Category 6a or Category 7 cables to ensure future compatibility with both 5Gbps and 10Gbps Ethernet. Desktop 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps Ethernet switches are also coming down in price and can be used to quickly upgrade the network throughput between nearby computers.
As you make the upgrade process there are some steps that can be taken to ensure the network throughput is maximized between the 2.5Gbps or faster computers.
Maximizing 2.5Gbps Ethernet Performance
Maximizing the performance of a 2.5Gbps Ethernet network can enhance both speed and reliability, especially for power users who value efficiency and seamless connectivity in a busy IT environment or at home for the fastest home media center. Here are some best practices for small 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps network setups:
Upgrade Network Infrastructure for Compatibility
Switches and Routers: Ensure your network infrastructure, particularly switches and routers, supports 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps Ethernet. Many older devices are limited to 1Gbps, which will bottleneck the system.
This is most important between the computers that need the higher speed, if you have internet speed at or below 1Gbps then upgrading the router will not improve performance, so long as all computers that need faster local area network access are connected to the same 2.5Gbps or faster Ethernet switches.
Cable Quality: Use high-quality Cat 6a cables or better. While 2.5Gbps is designed to work with Cat 5e Ethernet cables, at least for short distances, for longer runs and to ensure the best performance Cat 6, 6a, or Cat 7 are recommended for 5Gbps networks.
Optimize Device Connections and Settings
NIC Configuration: Adjust your network interface card (NIC) settings to ensure optimal performance. This may involve tweaking parameters such as jumbo frames or flow control for maximum efficiency.
Ethernet data frames with more than 1500 bytes of data are called “jumbo frames”. Setting a larger frame size packs more data into each frame and can potentially reduce the CPU overhead, however to function it must be enabled on both endpoints and supported by all networking hardware in between. For most users there will be no noticeable difference in network performance, however in some specific cases like when a home server is transcoding and streaming video it can help to reduce the CPU overhead of the entire process. This can best be enabled on short point-to-point networks rather than sprawling networks, as packet loss with jumbo frames enabled causes significantly worse slowdowns than with standard frame sizes.
Flow control allows for the receiving system to transmit a pause request to the transmitting system to prevent data loss. This is necessary when multiple computers are communicating to the same server as there is generally not enough bandwidth to service all requests simultaneously, however it can be disabled in a point-to-point network setup where both computers are directly connected and both computers can handle full-speed data throughput. QoS - Quality of Service offers an alternative to Flow Control but requires significantly more setup often including managed switches and may not be an effective choice for the home and small office networks.
Driver and Firmware Updates: Keep all drivers and firmware updated for your network adapters, switches, and routers. This reduces potential compatibility issues and improves performance. Firmware updates are also important for maintaining network security, vulnerabilities in router firmware have been historically exploited to create network back doors, to exfiltrate data, as well as creating bot-nets for DDoS - Dedicated Denial of Service attacks on websites.
Drivers for Plugable devices can be found on our product pages, under the "Downloads" tab.
Consider Network Segmentation
For a network with mixed-speed devices (1Gb, 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps and 10Gbps), segmenting traffic can prevent slower devices from dragging down performance. This can be done physically by using gigabit Ethernet switches separate from 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps switches then bridging the switches together, or virtually by setting up virtual LANs (VLANs) with a managed Ethernet switch. VLANs can help allocate 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps connections exclusively for high-bandwidth tasks while lower speed devices can utilize secondary gigabit Ethernet ports on the server or client computers.
Leverage Multi-Gig Capable Devices for Key Applications
Identify the devices that will benefit the most from 2.5Gbps and faster connections, such as NAS - Network Attached Storage systems with integrated 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps Ethernet, high-performance workstations or desktop replacement notebooks with USB Ethernet adapters, or servers with multi-port bonded Ethernet controllers handling large data transfers. Connect these devices directly to a switch that can take advantage of the higher network throughput to ensure they receive the best performance possible.
Future-Proofing with 2.5Gbps-capable or faster Docking Stations and USB Ethernet Adapters
Many Plugable docking stations now support 2.5Gbps Ethernet, which could be ideal for enhancing productivity for hybrid work setups, at home, or in the classroom by enabling high-speed, wired connectivity. Plugable’s docks also simplify integration across Windows and Chrome OS devices, which can be especially helpful in mixed-device environments.
USB Ethernet Adapters
- 2.5Gbps USB 3 Ethernet Adapter ( https://plugable.com/products/usbc-e2500 )
- 5Gbps USB 10Gbps Ethernet Adapter ( https://plugable.com/products/usbc-e5000 )
- 1Gbps USB 3.0 Standard-A and Type-C Ethernet Adapter ( https://plugable.com/products/usb3-e1000 https://plugable.com/products/ubsc-e1000 )
Thunderbolt and USB4 docking stations
- USB4 Dual 4K Docking Station ( https://plugable.com/products/ud-4vpd )
- Thunderbolt 4 Quad Display Docking Station ( https://plugable.com/products/tbt4-udz )
- Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 HDMI Docking Station ( https://plugable.com/products/tbt4-udx1 )
