Cable Matters USB C to Ethernet Adapter 2.5gbps, USB C
Cable Matters USB C to Ethernet Adapter 2.5gbps, USB C to Ethernet Adapter 2.5 gigabit, 2.5gb USB C Ethernet Adapter – Compatible with Thunderbolt 4, USB 4 for MacBook, Surface
The Cable Matters USB C to 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter is designed for pro-gaming. Instantly add 2.5G network connectivity to your gaming laptop and boost your gaming bandwidth to get into the action faster. Remove the bottleneck in your network and kill latency for the optimal gaming experience. The adapter supports your existing Cat5e / Cat6 Ethernet cables so there is no need to upgrade your infrastructure cables to enjoy up to a 2.5x faster network.
Important Notes
- Additional drivers may be required to achieve the maximum 2.5Gbps speed
- 2.5Gbps performance requires 2.5GbE-capable networking infrastructure. Check your router, network switch, or server to ensure they support 2.5G Ethernet
- Does NOT work with Mac Mini with an M2 chip
Convenient Travel Accessory
- Small design easily fits in a laptop case or briefcase
- Take the adapter on-the-go for wired network access away from home
Comparison Products
 USB C to Ethernet Adapter |  USB-C to Ethernet Adapter |  USB-C Adapter with PD |  USB to 4xEthernet Adapter |  USB to Ethernet Adapter | |
| Network Speed | 2.5Gbps | 1000Mbps | 2.5Gbps | 1000Mbps | 2.5Gbps |
| Input Port | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-A | USB-C / USB-A |
| Output Ports | 2500Mbps Ethernet | 1000Mbps Ethernet | 2500Mbps Ethernet, 100W PD | 4x 1000Mbps Ethernet | 2500Mbps Ethernet |
| Compatibility | Computers | Computers | Computers | Game Console and Computers | Computers |
| Model Number | 201095 | 201013 | 201453 | 202069 | 202095 |
There’s not much to it other than that it appears to be durable and well-made and it is one of those early products you can get on Amazon meeting the particular need of Thunderbolt/USB 4 with a 2.5Gbps Ethernet connection. For most people, there is not going to be much need for this currently, but I assume that if you are actually looking for this you already know you need something faster than the regular 1Gbps connection and you will be using it for high speed data transfer.
If not, do not bother with it, not because it is not cool to have, but when the time comes, this like all tech, will be cheaper and there will be more options available to you. There is nothing wrong with this, all that said, and if you do actually need it, I do recommend it.
This little usbC device is surprisingly small for the bandwidth it can handle.
I tested this can got up to the expected speeds showing with iperf so its definitely a winner here. The price is not bad either (currently 22.99).
Its not reporting back which chip it is using but it is a Realtek device.
On the sales page it claims compatibility with windows/mac/chrome and is a thunderbolt 4 device, however it also works out the box for Linux devices and even worked at the max speeds on a steam deck which is just USB 3.2 Gen 2.
So this is a good device with an okay build, its compatible above what it claims with no messy driver installs and is capable of the speeds it claims but this is not going to speed up your connection if the other devices you connect this to are not compatible.
Unfortunately this didn’t work for me. I know it’s not down to the ethernet adapter, it’s my mistake i thought this might work with my oldish laptop running windows 10 unfortunately not. The adapter itself looks sturdy and solid, and to be honest i have no reason to believe this won’t do what it supposed to do when connected to the right device.
This product does what it says on the tin, installed easily and was recognised by Windows 11 with no issue.
I was able to set up a connection between two computers using a direct network cable using a different IP address range than that issued by my router and I can transfer files between the two with no issue.
This is a good step up from gigabit networking and a lot less expensive than 10 gigabit cards for the time being.
Recommended
Having had issues with USB based Ethernet Adapters in the past this one has pleasantly surprised me.
The packaging is minimal and not that informative, just the cable in a box basically. Thankfully it’s pretty easy to use. It was detected right away under Windows 11 and 10. Under windows 7, it was detected as a USB CD drive at first with a disc containing the drivers needed. Which is a neat way to handle providing the needed drivers. It was also detected without issue right away under Mac OS 10.14 and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, but I couldn’t get it working under older versions of Ubuntu or Android.
Performance wise it seems to do about the same as a PCI-E card, getting transfer speeds of around 2.35 Gigabit a second. Though this can fluctuate as low as 2 gigabit if the cable is under an strain or is used intensively for a long period of time.
Annoyingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly it just refuses to work if plugged into any USB type C port that only runs at USB 2.0 speeds. Though thankfully these are fairly rare, but do check before buying that your device as at least a USB 3.0 type C port.
I use this adapter in the office since the wi-fi is terrible and we have ethernet cables on every desk.
The speed is really good, pretty much the same as the desktop connected directly with an ethernet cable.
As an adapter, I think it’s good. It’s quite small, works well, and it’s lightweight.
I would for sure recommend it to anyone!
Well I think 2.5 gbe is kind of already outdated considering I’ve been using 10gbe on my workstation for a decade to my local servers, it’s a handy adapter to have with modern phones and networks.
Plug and play on my win 11 PC. Ethernet speeds are dependant on a lot of factors, not only this card, but your USB port, cabling, & switches etc. For me, speeds were good, so happy overall with performance.
This little helper is a must have tech gadget if you have an ultrabook like the HUAWEI MATEBOOK X that
does not come with an ethernet port. Usually you would transfer files over WiFi, but I have some really
big files around 100Gb that I need on my workstation for AI tests on a frequent base.
I was able to get 1Gbit/s with my CAT 6 cable which is very good.
The design is very slim and functional – exactly as I like it.
I can recommend this product.
The items I’ve had from Cable Matters have all delivered as expected and this 2.5gbps USB-C adapter is no different. It is a bit plasticky but in the whole scheme of things you’re not paying a premium price wise for the adapter so is to be expected. This doesn’t hinder it’s performance though and it delivers 2.5gbps no problem at all.
The throughput up to the moment has been pretty consistent and haven’t had any dropouts or similar.
What I would say is that to get the full 2.5gbps is dependent upon your device and if you connect it to 10gbps ports then you won’t have an issue. If you connect it to slower ports then you won’t get the full throughput in my experience, but again, this is to be expected and is just like when using external SSD / NVMe drives with the speed difference.
All in all this works a treat and can only recommend.