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Question

Thunderbolt Ethernet and Display

  • December 11, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 20 views

I seem to have a strange issue with a few different of the latest generation macbook pros - specifically one is a 13 inch with no touch bar, two of them are a 15 inch with touchbar.

When a single adapter is used for ethernet, USB 3.0 and Video on a fresh boot, the machine will often connect the ethernet or the video, but not both. Unplugging and replugging either the peripheral that isn't working or the whole dongle will often resolve the issue, but that's really annoying to do every time you restart or wake up your machine.

Different dongles show the same results. Any help would be aprpeciated.

4 replies

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  • Valued Contributor
  • December 11, 2018

What specific adapter are you using? Is there a difference in behavior if the Mac is plugged into power vs battery?


  • December 11, 2018

No difference on power. Using a Hyperdrive for one, an anker for one and I'm not sure of the brand of the third.


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  • Valued Contributor
  • December 11, 2018

Ah, ok. There was a firmware update for the Apple-branded multiport adapter that caused some issues awhile back. I'm using an Anker ethernet adapter, but haven't had any reports of that behavior at my org. You can always try the usual battery of:

-SMC reset
-PRAM reset
-update macOS
-contact the adapter manufacturer


  • December 11, 2018

Unfortunately none of those things worked. It's not the adapter itself - it's happened across several different adapters. It's something to do with the machines themselves. The fact that it's 3 different machines... Well, 4 now... Tells me that it's an OS issue. Just didn't know if there was an easy resolution out there.