My latest video review is of the Plugable USBC-E5000 5 gigabit ethernet adapter —something that’s still relatively uncommon compared to the more widely available 2.5 gigabit options. The unit supports 5 Gbps speeds when plugged into a 10 Gbps USB 3.2 port, meaning you don’t need Thunderbolt or USB 4 to hit those higher transfer rates. You can see it in action here.
You can find these on Amazon at a pretty reasonable price (compensated affiliate link). Be sure to look for coupon options that might be available.
It’s powered by the Realtek RTL8157 chipset, which made setup a smooth process on macOS and Linux. Windows was a bit different. It recognized the device without needing a manual driver install, but initial download speeds didn’t meet expectations. Installing the drivers directly from Plugable’s site resolved that issue. I’d expect Windows to eventually update with better out-of-the-box support.
That chipset choice makes a difference. A few years back, I tried similar 5 gig adapters using less reliable chipsets, and the experience wasn’t great. This one worked consistently across all three major operating systems. It also worked with a few of my smartphones, although I found performance better on iOS vs. Android.
It’s worth noting that while this is a 5 Gbps adapter, it also scales down to 2.5 Gbps, 1 Gbps, and even 100 Mbps depending on the network switch it’s connected to. However, to get the full 5 Gbps performance, the USB port has to support 10 Gbps throughput. Plug it into a slower port, and you won’t get top speeds.
Once I had it connected to my Mac, I ran a speed test using my 10 Gbps internet connection. The results were in line with what I expected from a 5 gigabit connection—downloads and uploads both performed well, taking into account the usual network overhead. I saw similar performance on my Windows and Linux machines.
There’s not much else to the product. It does what it says. It’s compact, has indicator lights for link status, and so far it’s been reliable. Plugable is also a U.S.-based company with domestic support, which might be a consideration for those who like knowing there’s someone they can reach out to if anything goes wrong. Most of their products, including this one, come with a two year warranty.
If you’re looking to move beyond 2.5 Gbps over USB and want a relatively straightforward upgrade, this might be something to keep on your radar.