Plugable Technologies
The Plugable USB 3.0 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (USB3-E1000) is an easy way to gain wired gigabit network speeds over USB 3.0 for faster HD video streaming, gaming, web browsing, network access, and more. It's also the perfect travel companion for any laptop or tablet due to its small size and USB bus powered design.
Some common uses include:
- Adding wired gigabit network support to Windows, Ultrabooks, or notebooks without an Ethernet connection
- Replacing or upgrading network adapters for your computer
- USB network adapters can improve speeds compared to older 10/100 adapters, and most wireless networks
- Adding additional network interfaces, and transferring files peer-to-peer over Ethernet
Please note, this adapter is NOT a solution for connecting USB devices like printers, hard drives, etc to a network. This adapter cannot be used to share Ethernet, WiFi, or data between multiple devices. This adapter cannot be used for Preboot Execution Environment (PXE). This adapter is NOT supported on macOS. Please see our comparison chart below for information about supported adapters for macOS.
Compatible with:
- Microsoft Windows - 11, 10, 8.x, 7, Vista, XP
- Linux kernels - 3.9 and above have built-in drivers
- ChromeOS - Support with up-to-date systems
- Nintendo Switch - Compatible with Switch in Docked Mode. (For the Switch Lite, and handheld modes, try our USBC-E1000 Gigabit Adapter.) The built-in performance test on the Nintendo Switch provides inconsistent results due to its implementation, even with the built-in WiFi connection on the Switch. It is recommended to run the test several times to see the variance
NOT compatible with:
- Not supported for macOS
- ARM-based Windows RT and Windows Mobile
- Most Android devices, TiVo Series 2, Wii, or other non-PC platforms
- Not recommended for use with FreeBSD or pfSense
Plug into any laptop or desktop currently limited to 10/100 Ethernet or no Ethernet at all, and benefit from faster transfers on your gigabit Ethernet network. (Also works on 10/100 Ethernet networks at their native speeds.)
USB 3.0 systems support theoretical maximum transfer speeds up to 5Gbps and USB 2.0 supports up to 480Mbps.
In practice, most machines will see up to a doubling of network speeds by moving from a 100Mbps Fast Ethernet to a 1000Mbps gigabit Ethernet via USB 2.0, and could see even more substantial gains on USB 3.0.
Note: When accessing sites on the internet, the bandwidth provided by your internet service provider will likely determine your ultimate speeds. Testing in the Plugable lab using the iPerf application on a local server has yielded speeds up to 890Mbps. However real-world speeds around 400-600Mbps are more realistic. When accessing sites on the internet, the bandwidth provided by your Internet service provider will likely determine your ultimate speeds.
Inside the USB3-E1000 is an ASIX AX88179 chipset for fast 10/100/1000Mbit network speeds and maximum compatibility with almost all USB 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1 hosts.
- 32/64-bit drivers for Windows 11, 10, 8.x, 7, Vista, and XP.
- Drivers built into Linux kernel.
- (not supported on macOS)
- USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
- Quick Install Guide
- Driver Disk for Windows and Linux
Pros: Very noticeable improvement in internet speed.
Overall Review: If you have only USB 2.0 ports in your PC this might not help much. I first tried it in my 2.0 port and the speeds were about the same as using wifi (my router is a couple feet from my PC). But putting it into my 3.0 port, the speeds jumped from 300-400 mbps to 900+ mbps! Major difference!