MacOS 12.6 and above
Almost every 10GbE interface should work at full speed. This includes the internal interfaces of the Mac Studio and Mac Mini.
We recommend devices with an Aquantia chipset. They're bus-powered, compact, and more affordable than Intel-based alternatives, with drivers included in macOS for easy setup.
Some recommendations would be:
SANLink3 N1 (not the T1 though!)
If you are unsure if a device works, please send us a link and we can help you check the specs or test it with the trial version while checking the log file for lost packets.
Below macOS 12.6
If for some reason you need to stay on older macOS versions, please use an interface which is not based on the Aquantia chipset.
Product | macOS versions | Interface |
10.12.6 and later (Intel & Apple Silicon) | Thunderbolt 3 | |
10.8.5 and later (Intel only, no Apple Silicon update planned) | Thunderbolt 2* | |
10.8.5 and later (Intel & Apple) | PCIe** | |
10.13 and later (Intel & Apple Silicon) | Thunderbolt 3 | |
10.13 and later (Intel & Apple Silicon) | Thunderbolt 2* | |
Promise SANLink2 (EOL) | 10.13 - 10.15 (Intel only) | Thunderbolt 2* |
* Apple TB2 to TB3 adaptor can be used
** Can also be used in a Thunderbolt expansion chassis
Aquantia based cards are not working correctly on macOS versions below 12.6:
Due to a bug in the driver shipped with macOS, Aquantia based interfaces are not working correctly. The driver is losing ethernet packets which leads to very slow download speeds. Do not use any of these interfaces below macOS 12.6:
Internal 10GbE interface of the iMac Pro, Mac Mini and Mac Pro.
Sonnet Solo 10G
OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter
SANLink N1
This issue has been fixed on macOS 12.6 and above! If you still see lost packets in the logs, please contact us so we can help you debug your setup.
SANLink3 T1
The Tehuti driver also loses ethernet packets. Please do not use this device. The SANLink3 N1 is not affected by this issue and works very well on macOS 12.6 and above though.