USB Ethernet Adapter Mac Setup. Follow the steps below if you have a Mac: If you have installed any drivers in an attempt to set up the USB Ethernet adapter by yourself, get rid of them immediately. Uninstall all of them. Now, restart your Mac. If your USB is plugged in, unplug it. Press Command + R when the screen is blank until you see the Apple logo. Jun 15, 2016 - Plug in your USB Adapter, with a live ethernet cable. If your adapter wasn't specifically advertised as Mac-compatible, then its unlikely to.
Although the slim, ultralight profile of the MacBook Air is impressive, owners must sacrifice a few features PC owners take for granted, like an optical drive and an Ethernet port. Without an Ethernet port, the Air is a wireless-only machine, forcing users to find a Wi-Fi connection, even if there's a more stable wired network available. Apple offers two workarounds: a USB Ethernet adapter and (new for 2012) a.
However, each of them will set you back $29. Thankfully, there are plenty of cheaper USB to Ethernet adapter solutions out there. Monoprice, the Internet's best-kept secret of cheap cables and the like, sells a for $6.64, nearly $22 cheaper than Apple's comparable product. Monoprice Usage couldn't be simpler. No drivers are needed - just plug the adapter into your Air's USB port, and plug the available Ethernet cable in to the adapter.
If you're a die-hard Amazon customer, try the. It's currently priced at $7.90, but that includes free shipping for Amazon Prime subscribers. One thing to note, though: the USB adapters listed here (including Apple's) are rated at USB 2.0 speeds, so they max out 100Mbps - even, apparently, when attached to the faster USB 3.0 ports on the latest 2012 MacBooks. (If you need gigabit speeds and can't wait for a bargain USB 3.0 adapter, you should opt for the Thunderbolt one for now.) But, heck - for around $7, the Monoprice or I/O Crest dongles are worth adding to your toolkit for those times when the only connection available is via a good ol' wired network. This story has been updated since its original publication to clarify issues of USB speed, add an alternative product from Amazon, and to add a mention of Apple's Thunderbolt adapter.