Plugable USB to Ethernet Adapter, USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet, Compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS

Adapter: Plugable USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Chipset: ASIX AX88179 (confirmed via lsusb on Linux) Tested On: Linux (Fedora 42 Xfce Spin): Plug-and-play. Windows 11: Untested. macOS: Untested. Performance: Negotiates at full 1000 Mb/s (1 Gbps) speed on linux. On Nintendo Switch you are limited to Fast Ethernet limits, so 100 Mbps theoretical max probably less due to overhead. Realistically you will probably see around 80 Mbps down and 29 Mbps up max. This is due to the Nintendo limiting the USB bandwidth the device can realistically use. No way around this except to use a different chipset to offload some of the performance limiting factors off the Switch and onto the adapter. An Adapter using the ASIX AX88179B chipset is probably your best chance to get around these limitations. Pros: Works on PC and Nintendo Switch. Notes: USB 3.0 is required for full Gigabit performance. Avoid plugging into USB 2.0 ports if you want max throughput. Not a driverless model like the newer AX88179B or AX88772E, but still widely supported Verdict: Great cross-platform USB NIC for anyone who wants a stable, fast Ethernet connection via USB. Highly recommended for Linux users thanks to built-in kernel support, and equally easy on Windows.

Works with my Roku Streambar Pro (9101R2), which is actually a little less powerful than my other Roku Ultra (4670X, also tested and works). This is model USB3-E1000, which comes with the ASIX AX88179A chipset. Officially, Roku says only the older USB2-E100 with the ASIX AX88772 chipset is supported, but this newer USB 3.0 version appears 100% compatible as well. It appears anything 2020 or newer should work with the USB3-E1000. The activity/link lights are BRIGHT for a bedroom or home theater but remedied with some model paint; Sharpie wasn't enough to tame these LEDs. As you can see in the pic, the YouTube 4K60 test footage is pulling a sustained transfer rate and no buffer issues. With the Roku on just wifi I was occasionally having a problem with buffering with 4K on YT and Netflix which has been resolved.

This solved my laptop internet speed issue. My 7 year-old laptop wasn’t getting the Gig speed I just signed up for. It is attached to a Plugable UD-3900 USB 3.0 universal docking station which I have had for 9 years. When I upped my internet speed to Gig level, the laptop wasn’t getting near that speed. Even though the docking station was purchased a while ago, Plugable tech support helped me troubleshoot. It took a few emails over a few days and some testing on my part, but a solution (this adapter) was able to be recommended. It worked like a charm. That old laptop is flying. I highly recommend the Plugable products. Their products work really well and you won’t find better support.

I got my first new laptop in 8 years, a workstation Dell 7590 Windows 10. Little did I know that many laptops don't come with an Ethernet port I expect because their chassis are so thin. So at first frustrated, I considered returning the laptop and upon looking at other models, many if not most did not have a wired port. So then I discovered this device and gave it a try. Its plug and play for WIndows 10. It comes with a driver disk but for WIndows 10 no installation needed. Just attach it to a USB port and connect your Ethernet cable and it works. No installation, not nothing. The PC recognizes and reports an ethernet interface just as if it was hardware built into the computer. It ran all night continuously downloading with no interruptions. PERFECT!

2nd update 6/21: After receiving & testing replacement unit sent by seller, my system still had same problem - adapter works intermittently on 1 of my 2 USB ports (Dell XPS 13 Ubuntu 14.04). Seller was willing to troubleshoot further, but I didn't have time/effort to spare for more testing. Maybe there's something about my laptop configuration or BIOS that isn't compatible with the device, although when the device works for me, intermittently, it works very well (plug & play, no additional software or drivers needed). Fortunately, seller and I reached a solution agreeable to both of us, so I'm adding a star because of seller goodwill & prompt response/cooperation. Update 6/15: After returning defective unit to Amazon, seller contacted me to offer pretested replacement unit, currently being shipped. I'm optimistic the replacement will work out, and revising the review, adding star because of good faith customer support effort from seller reaching out to me. Will try for another update after receiving/testing replacement. Got a defective unit, have to return. Adapter did work plug & play in Ubuntu 14.04 Linux on Dell XPS 13, but only in one of two identical USB 3 ports, and only intermittently. After I unplugged to try switching USB ports, couldn't get adapter to work again at all in any port on any computer for 30 minutes, until plugged/replugged cables/ports many many times and rebooted several times, then it worked for a while. Tried different Ethernet cables, same problem of only working on 1 port, only working intermittently. Great that the item did work plug & play with no special drivers or install, but unfortunately, an item that only works sometimes, unpredictably, can't be relied on. If seller offered replacement/exchange I would have tried again, but unfortunately, only option is Fortunately, seller and I reached a solution agreeable to both of us, so I'm adding a star because of seller goodwill. return. If I can't find anything better, maybe I'll buy the same item again, hoping not to get a defective "lemon" item. Too bad, when it worked, it worked well, and the price is good.

Theoretically, it can't get much simpler than this. It's an ethernet adapter that wires through a USB 3.0 connector. Overall this particular product from Plugable seems to work well and as advertised, though it's got some questionable quality in regard to the actual ethernet port itself. The port doesn't seem to allow the necessitated spacing for the ethernet cable connector itself to actually snap into place in the port. I simply have to shove the connector into the port with this device and hope and pray that it stays held in there. If I even so much as knock the USB hub I have it hooked up to that wires into my laptop, I risk the cable connector falling out of the port and rendering the whole system as "not connected to the internet." I have to then reach back to my cable area and reattach the ethernet cable itself to the port. This shouldn't be an issue with an ethernet port as it should allow a cable connector to latch into the port, securing the connection and ensuring stuff like this isn't a problem. EDIT: Upon more closely analyzing this product, it appears as though the Ethernet port on the product seems to support a specific type of Ethernet connector. I had been using an ethernet connector jack that doesn't seem to feature two small grooves on the piece of the clip of the connector that typically juts out from an Ethernet connector. The adapter seems to properly snap in and hold the Ethernet connector and the thereby the whole cable if the connector features these two small grooves on the pin of the connector; otherwise if your Ethernet connector doesn't feature two small grooves on the piece of the pin, you may need to switch to a connector that features this small detail, otherwise I have not had success in properly snapping into place any connector that doesn't feature these two small grooves on the connector's pin piece. To purchasers, check your actual Ethernet connector itself before assuming there is an issue with the adapter unit itself.

I received my Plugable USB 3.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter (ASIX AX88179 chipset on Jan. 4, 2017. I installed it on my old Dell Inspiron about a month after it arrived; (hence my late review). I have nothing but good things to say about this USB adapter. I installed it's newest driver from Plugable's website ( from the link in the email they sent me just before my adapter arrived ). That's good customer service right there. Then with driver installed I went ahead and connected it to my pc's USB 2.0 port. ( I can't use my USB 3.0 ports for anything as they are wacky for anything I try to do with them.) My internet service provider is providing me with a 3 mbps connection over telephone line which I never attained before I got this adapter from Plugable. I was immediately connected to internet and now I enjoy getting around 3.81 mbps speed from my 3 mbps service. I forget what I used to get but it was nowhere what I am getting now. ( It was a SAD speed, not memorable at all. ) JOY! For me this Plugable adapter ROCKS. It just WORKS without any slowdowns or disconnects. It hasn't had a hiccup since I started using it. Very pleased with this adapter and plan to order another one for 'just in case' as there is NO WAY I'm going back to the days of the slower internet speed. Believe me, when you have internet as slow as I do, EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS! Forgot to say I'm using Windows 7 Home Premium.

I ordered this adapter for my wife, who uses a company computer. It has USB ports but no Cat-5 Ethernet jack. She needed the speed and reliability of a wired Internet connection, so this item looked like it would do the job. Unfortunately, since her company computer is "locked down" by her company's IT department, it does not allow her to install any software or drivers which this adapter requires. Fortunately, I had a similar adapter that does not require installation of any drivers, so I traded my adapter for hers and she was able to make her high-speed wired connection with it. I then plugged this adapter into one of the USB-3 ports on my Dell Inspiron 5520 with 64 bit Windows 7 Home Premium. My computer. which already had an Internet connection, automatically installed the appropriate driver enabling this adapter. This adapter delivers excellent speed, limited only by my router and gigabit network switch. Windows installation is simple and automatic as long as the user has administrative access and is allowed to install software and drivers. For someone who needs to make a fast Ethernet connection through a USB-3 port this adapter should work fine as long as the computer user has the authority to install the required driver.