Sonnet Launches Solo10G Thunderbolt 2 Edition Adapter

Sonnet Technologies has launched the Solo10G™ Thunderbolt™ 2 Edition adapter, the latest product in the company's comprehensive array of single- and dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network adapters.

Solo10G adapters add super-fast 10GbE network connectivity to a wide range of computers, enabling users to easily connect to 10GbE-enabled network infrastructure and storage systems using the 10GbE standard.

Measuring a compact 3.1 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep by 1.1 inches tall and featuring an extruded aluminum enclosure, the Solo10G Thunderbolt 2 Edition is a compact, rugged, fanless adapter for Mac® and Windows® computers with Thunderbolt 2 ports. Equipped with a single RJ45 port, the adapter enables 10GbE connectivity via inexpensive CAT 6 or CAT 6A copper cabling at distances of up to 55 or 100 meters, respectively. The adapter connects to a single Thunderbolt 2 port on the computer and is bus-powered for convenient, energy-efficient, and portable operation.

The Solo10G Thunderbolt 2 Edition is the simplest and lowest cost external solution yet for adding 10GbE network connectivity to computers equipped with older Thunderbolt technology, including the Mac Pro® 6,1. The Sonnet adapter offers Mac users a plug-and-play experience with no driver installation required; Windows use only requires a simple driver installation. The product is configured using operating system settings, so there's no separate management program to install or run.

The Solo10G adapter also supports NBASE-T™ (multigigabit) technology, the recent Ethernet standard that enables 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps speeds on existing CAT 5e (and better) cabling at distances of up to 100 meters. This capability enables organizations with older infrastructure to simply update to multigigabit Ethernet switches and to use Sonnet's Solo10G adapter to boost network transmission speeds up to 500% without the need to rewire.

Unlike many 10GbE adapters, the Solo10G Thunderbolt 2 Edition's enclosure was designed to passively cool the circuitry within, eliminating the need for a fan and enabling silent operation.