MacBookPro Keeps Dropping Ethernet Signal

[Hrothgar]

I've got a new Apple M1 Pro, 16 GB RAM. The wifi in my office sucks (about 30 mbps on a good day), so I'm hardwired to an ethernet port using a new Caldigit TS4 Thunderbolt dock.
In general, it works great. But every couple of hours, it drops the ethernet signal. When I check Network connections, it says that the cable is unplugged or the device at the other end is not working.
If I restart the computer, it will usually connect again -- but later on it will drop.
I have the wifi turned off when I'm using the Ethernet.

Is there something I can do to stop this? Could it be a problem with the Caldigit dock? I'm not sure how I can test that.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Only way to really know is try another adapter preferably the one directly from Apple. I hear a lot of those docks have issues regardless of brand.

 

[xraydoc]

Only way to really know is try another adapter preferably the one directly from Apple.

Apple does not sell their own with the exception of the Apple TB2-Ethernet adapter, which also requires a separate Apple TB2-TB3 adapter to use it on any Mac with a Thunderbolt 3/4 port. That's expensive and obnoxious (double adapter).

That said, there are some USB-C adapters that are better than others. I'm not sure what Caldigit uses. I had a similar problem with my M1 MacBook Air and my OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock, but the same dock's ethernet seems to work fine with my M1 Pro MBP. So YMMV.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Guess it was the Belkin on the Apple site I saw;

The Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

The Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter provides internet connectivity when wireless is unreliable or inconsistent. Buy online now from apple.com.

www.apple.com

 

[donawalt]

FYI, I have an Apple M1 Pro Max, and I have used the UGREEN USB-C to ethernet adapter that I got from Amazon for about a year. I have had absolutely 0 problems with it, good consistent speeds and no connectivity issues. It's rated 4.6 stars by 3200 people. It's only $17 right now.

 

[ilikewhey]

i use this, no problem so far,

TP-Link USB C To Ethernet Adapter(UE300C), RJ45 To USB C [Thunderbolt 3/4 Compatible] Type-C Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter, Compatible With Apple MacBook Pro 2017-2023, MacBook Air, And More

Give Wired Internet Connections to USB-C Devices Give your laptop, tablet, computer and other USB-C powered web devices the access to wired network connection. It’s built for most of today’s devices to enjoy powerful, instant wired network connection. Gigabit Network for Fast, Stable Data Transfe...

www.amazon.com

 

[BanditoB]

One thing that you can check is to go into System Preferences --> Network --> Advanced and I believe the Hardware tab. In there you can select manual configuration. Then check and make sure that you select a profile without power saving. That may address the issue. Whether or not you have this option will likely depend on the specific adapter that you're using, so the option may not show up for you, but it's worth a look.

 

[Hrothgar]

Thanks everyone, I realized that I don't need to restart my computer when it drops the Ethernet connection, just pull out and reinsert the USB connection to the Mac. It's still annoying, but not a big deal.