UniFi USB-C and Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapters (5G & 10G)

UniFi offers two high-performance USB-C and Thunderbolt Ethernet adapters for enabling multi-gig connectivity on laptops and desktops that lack native 5G or 10G ports. These adapters use standard drivers and offer plug-and-play compatibility on most modern systems.

This guide explains how to set up the adapters on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and includes troubleshooting tips for BitLocker compatibility and Linux support.

Overview

macOS Setup

Both adapters work out of the box on all recent macOS versions. No driver installation is needed. You can verify connection speed from System Settings > Network > USB 10G/5G Adapter.

Windows Setup

5G Adapter (Realtek RTL8157)

• Plug-and-play on most modern Windows systems. Windows Update should find and download any necessary updates for this adapter.
• Some Windows systems may require a driver. Download the latest Realtek driver from their official driver portal (look for RTL8157 family).
• No known BitLocker compatibility issues.

10G Adapter (Marvell AQC113)

• Plug-and-play on most modern Windows systems. Windows Update should find and download any necessary updates for this adapter.
• Some Windows systems  may require a driver. Download the AQC113 driver from Marvell’s public driver page. Search for AQC113.
• On Thunderbolt 4 systems (e.g., some Dell or HP laptops), you may see a BitLocker recovery prompt during boot. See below for a workaround.

BitLocker Recovery Prompt (Windows Only)

Certain Windows devices with Thunderbolt 4 controllers may trigger BitLocker recovery on boot when the 10G adapter is connected. This is caused by boot-time detection of the external NIC on the Thunderbolt bus. To avoid this:

1. Disconnect the adapter and reboot.
2. Open System Manager > BitLocker and temporarily suspend BitLocker.
3. Reconnect the adapter.
4. Once confirmed working, re-enable BitLocker.

Older Thunderbolt 3 systems do not typically experience this issue.

Linux Setup

Both adapters function with recent Linux distributions using default kernel modules:

• 5G Adapter: Uses a built-in Realtek driver. However, some tools (like ethtool) may show incomplete or incorrect information until you manually install the Realtek-provided driver. This is cosmetic and does not impact actual performance or compatibility.
  • Download Realtek Linux Driver
• 10G Adapter: Ensure your system loads the thunderbolt-net module. Most mainstream distributions support this out of the box.
  • You may also need to authorize the Thunderbolt device using your distro’s Thunderbolt management tool or settings.

Additional Notes

• The 5G Ethernet Adapter requires a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) or higher speed port to reach full speeds. Lower-speed ports may limit performance.
• The 10G Ethernet Adapter requires a USB-C port that supports USB4, Thunderbolt 4, or Thunderbolt 3. 
• The adapters are backward compatible with 1G/2.5G networks.