Where on earth is the ethernet port located on the M1 iMac?

[xraydoc]

What does “posted from USA” mean?

He means mailed from the US.

 

[mmkerc]

Don't believe so, the 10Gb/s is referring to the USB 3 ports speed. The Gigabit Ethernet is brought to the computer via the power brick with a standard Gigabit Ethernet connection, which it seems you have to pay extra for with the base model, there is no direct connection on the iMac. USB3 ports will not magically become 10Gb/s Ethernet ports if back at the power brick is just a standard Gigabit Ethernet port.

You are correct that in that you cannot get 10gbs ethernet, however you can get a gigabit ethernet to usb3 adapter.

 

[xraydoc]

You are correct that in that you cannot get 10gbs ethernet, however you can get a gigabit ethernet to usb3 adapter.

You could also get a Thunderbolt 3/4 10Gig ethernet adapter, but they're not really all that cost effective. And the ones I've seen are quite large for whatever reason.

 

[cmaier]

He means mailed from the US.

I know.

 

[EntropyQ3]

You could also get a Thunderbolt 3/4 10Gig ethernet adapter, but they're not really all that cost effective. And the ones I've seen are quite large for whatever reason.

Intels well regarded 10GbE solutions are still made on a 90nm process node and power hungry. For whatever reason, 10GbE is still used as a business technology marker allowing larger margins, but also leading to lower volumes and lack of device evolution.

It may be that WiFi6e mesh solutions kill off the last hope for better wired networking produced for domestic use. It could also be that real-world higher than 1Gb/s wireless networking creates an interest in higher speed wired connections to feed it. (It may be more realistic to assume that better access to 160MHz channels lead to a reduction of client channels to a maximum of two.)
We’ll see how it played out in a couple of years.

 

[laptech]

Reading the posts in this thread, do I have this correct? The lower end models of the M1 iMac does not come with Gigabit Ethernet so if a customer wants Gigabit Ethernet they either have to purchase a higher end model or purchase a power brick upgrade?.

Shouldn't computer manufacturers be making Gigabit Ethernet standard in today's computers? In my opinion there is no excuse for it. Every computer from low end to high end should have it as standard.

 

[dugbug]

In the case of this iMac, I’d imagine it would have been cheaper and easier to manufacture with the ethernet port in the chassis next to the USB ports rather than external with the additional shielding required in this external solution. Seems like a last minute after thought.

Most ethernet drops are low/near baseboards so this is seen as a convenience. I think the idea is to minimize floor cables and have magsafe protect both enet and power. Im very happy for this feature and was surprised to see it.

The shielding argument is a little goofy. Ethernet itself even carries power (POE). I think if you want to make an argument against this I would be interested in the throughput they can get through that connection held by magnets.

 

[TheMixam]

Reading the posts in this thread, do I have this correct? The lower end models of the M1 iMac does not come with Gigabit Ethernet so if a customer wants Gigabit Ethernet they either have to purchase a higher end model or purchase a power brick upgrade?.

Shouldn't computer manufacturers be making Gigabit Ethernet standard in today's computers? In my opinion there is no excuse for it. Every computer from low end to high end should have it as standard.

or use a dongle or dock.

 

[darngooddesign]

Okay disregard this it's in the power adapter. Who would have guessed

No reason to guess when Apple told us that.

 

[4sallypat]

Reading the posts in this thread, do I have this correct? The lower end models of the M1 iMac does not come with Gigabit Ethernet so if a customer wants Gigabit Ethernet they either have to purchase a higher end model or purchase a power brick upgrade?.

Shouldn't computer manufacturers be making Gigabit Ethernet standard in today's computers? In my opinion there is no excuse for it. Every computer from low end to high end should have it as standard.

No - if you choose the base model, you can select an optional $30 for gigabit ethernet.

That will give you the upgraded power adapter brick w/ ethernet port instead of having to pay $200+ for the next tier up device.

I agree that everyone should provide ethernet standard, but Apple stopped that when their chassis went thinner (MBA, MBP, rMB) and you had to revert to a dongle. Apple believes that wireless would be the answer, but in my line of work, it's not - too intermittent - fraught with data hiccups and latency...

I always use wired ethernet for all my Macs even with a dongle.

 

[dmccloud]

Some good points, however, the above, my comments were based on my real world experiences, so let me highlight some experiences and then you determine where the ‘ludicrous’ comment can be suitably assigned to be relevant:
1x G3 Lombard Adapter cooked
1x G3 Pismo Adapter cooked
2x G4 Titanium Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro circa 2008 Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro 2010 17” adapters cooked
3x Apple Cinema Display 30” adapters failed, cost over $159 USD, unavailable off the shelf in Australia had to wait 3 weeks to be posted from USA.

*cooked can also apply to failure without probable cause, IOW died for no known reason.

Approximately 10 LCDs I’ve had over the years with internal PSU’s, none have failed.

None of those are recent models, so they are not using the same internals as the current power adapters. That's like using a 2001 Silverado to determine how the 2021 model will perform...

 

[Tagbert]

Reading the posts in this thread, do I have this correct? The lower end models of the M1 iMac does not come with Gigabit Ethernet so if a customer wants Gigabit Ethernet they either have to purchase a higher end model or purchase a power brick upgrade?.

Shouldn't computer manufacturers be making Gigabit Ethernet standard in today's computers? In my opinion there is no excuse for it. Every computer from low end to high end should have it as standard.

Very few people are using wired ethernet connections anymore. That is especially true considering the market that this low end iMac is targeting where most buyers will just use wifi. It's nice that they include an ethernet option for those with special situations. For the higher end iMacs, you might see more customers using ethernet and there might be an argument for those to have it built in.

 

[Avril2108]

I'm planning to get the basic 24" iMac, mainly because I will need to buy an extended Azerty keyboard with touch ID later. Hopefully in blue. Will I have a problem with the touch ID on this model? Anyone know? Also, will it be possible to buy the power adapter with Ethernet separately?

 

[ChrisA]

Power next to data wires eh??
Thats got to be like and water tap next to a hair dryer.

If Ethernet was a single ended serial signal the above would be right, but...

Ethernet is a balanced, differential signal that is electrically isolated. It is about as noise-imune as you can get. The system was designed to coexist with building wiring in runs a kilometer long.

The placement in the power adapter is really smart as it keeps wires on the desk to a minimum

 

[nquinn]

As an engineer, this seems like the exact opposite of an afterthought. It required extensive engineering, eliminates a cable on the desk, and required a great deal of “before” thought.

Not enough though apparently. The cable isn't long enough for most standing desks to reach the ground and it ends up dangling.

 

[cmaier]

Not enough though apparently. The cable isn't long enough for most standing desks to reach the ground and it ends up dangling.

1) so?
2) people who use standing desks (without medical necessity) get what they deserve

 

[coolguy4747]

Some good points, however, the above, my comments were based on my real world experiences, so let me highlight some experiences and then you determine where the ‘ludicrous’ comment can be suitably assigned to be relevant:
1x G3 Lombard Adapter cooked
1x G3 Pismo Adapter cooked
2x G4 Titanium Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro circa 2008 Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro 2010 17” adapters cooked
3x Apple Cinema Display 30” adapters failed, cost over $159 USD, unavailable off the shelf in Australia had to wait 3 weeks to be posted from USA.

*cooked can also apply to failure without probable cause, IOW died for no known reason.

Approximately 10 LCDs I’ve had over the years with internal PSU’s, none have failed.

The internal PSU in my iMac G5 failed at least twice, and I don't use it often anymore but it still has issues. Would have much preferred to be able to swap out the power cable than have to take the whole thing in for service.

 

[deconstruct60]

They didn’t mention it, and I doubt they’ll make it available, but that would be very cool.

The actual Ethernet controller is inside the iMac. It is only the external facing socket they moved to the power brick . 10GbE controllers don't run "cool" relative to regular Ethernet controllers . Apple has put the controllers on the "I/O" board closer to the LCD panel and away from the cooling fans. [ edit: oops, TB retimers and USB are there. Ethernet is on mainboard... so at least it has cooling. Space limited though. ]

Primarily, the $30 extra power adapter allows Apple to charge lots of money for a custom embedded Ethernet cable wires. Not really buying Ethernet ... that is already embedded in the base price. The $30 is to give you access to what you primarily already bought (and can't use without the extra money 'kicker') .

This is primarily about making the iMacs thinner , making more money off of Ethernet feature , and somewhat Apple's "war" on wires.

 

[deconstruct60]

DC power is used to shield data signals all over the place. On one famous chip I worked on, we had entire metal layers dedicated to power and ground, just for that purpose. (So, e.g., you had a couple signal layers, then ground, then signal layers, then VDD).

But it isn't just DC power. They have moved the Ethernet socket interface much closer to the AC-DC converter. It is closer to AC now. Not only does Apple have a quest to make the iMac thin, but they have a quest to make the power brick "small" also ( that is cheaper).

It isn't material where along the cable the interference is introduced, the whole length is material. Apple is getting away with 1GbE, but as go up through 10GbE and higher this 'solution' could run into problems.

 

[Ningj]

Not enough though apparently. The cable isn't long enough for most standing desks to reach the ground and it ends up dangling.

I have a cable cage under my sit/stand desk which tidies away all cables, power adaptors and a strip board as its not practical to route all cables to the floor especially if you have active speakers/monitors and other non-usb powered peripherals on your desk. Dirt cheap fix

 

[NT1440]

Some good points, however, the above, my comments were based on my real world experiences, so let me highlight some experiences and then you determine where the ‘ludicrous’ comment can be suitably assigned to be relevant:
1x G3 Lombard Adapter cooked
1x G3 Pismo Adapter cooked
2x G4 Titanium Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro circa 2008 Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro 2010 17” adapters cooked
3x Apple Cinema Display 30” adapters failed, cost over $159 USD, unavailable off the shelf in Australia had to wait 3 weeks to be posted from USA.

*cooked can also apply to failure without probable cause, IOW died for no known reason.

Approximately 10 LCDs I’ve had over the years with internal PSU’s, none have failed.

Anything from the last decade and a half?

 

[Argon_]

That’s a lot of questions. I’ve never had a problem with an apple power brick - not even once, and I’ve got many drawers full of them. I’ve definitely had problems with apple power *cables*, but never the brick. And i don’t agree they are “notorious” for being unreliable. I’ve also never found them “difficult to obtain.”

Exactly why the move from unitized laptop power adapters to modular ones was so favorable. The Apple PSUs were great, but the DC cables failed quickly.

 

[deconstruct60]

Exactly why the move from unitized laptop power adapters to modular ones was so favorable. The Apple PSUs were great, but the DC cables failed quickly.

but this is a "Unitized power adapter". ( iFixit Teardown step 17)

iMac M1 24" Teardown

Is the new M1 iMac just a silly-sized M1 iPad, a detached-keyboard M1 MacBook, an M1 Mac Mini stretched out like pizza dough? We’ll only know by...

www.ifixit.com

Putting the Ethernet cable inside only makes it even more unitized (and expensive to replaced ) .

Failure of box internals or cable is pragmatically immaterial when a single unit.

P.S. one side of the power supply has detachable cord , but that too goes back to more stuff in the EM range.

 

[Argon_]

but this is a "Unitized power adapter". ( iFixit Teardown step 17)

iMac M1 24" Teardown

Is the new M1 iMac just a silly-sized M1 iPad, a detached-keyboard M1 MacBook, an M1 Mac Mini stretched out like pizza dough? We’ll only know by...

www.ifixit.com

Putting the Ethernet cable inside only makes it even more unitized (and expensive to replaced ) .

Failure of box internals or cable is pragmatically immaterial when a single unit.

P.S. one side of the power supply has detachable cord , but that too goes back to more stuff in the EM range.

Fair enough, it is. Importantly though, a desktop power adapter stays relatively static, and the cable isn't often bent at acute angles. We'll see how they hold up long term.

 

[sintra1]

Some good points, however, the above, my comments were based on my real world experiences, so let me highlight some experiences and then you determine where the ‘ludicrous’ comment can be suitably assigned to be relevant:
1x G3 Lombard Adapter cooked
1x G3 Pismo Adapter cooked
2x G4 Titanium Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro circa 2008 Adapters cooked
2x MacBook Pro 2010 17” adapters cooked
3x Apple Cinema Display 30” adapters failed, cost over $159 USD, unavailable off the shelf in Australia had to wait 3 weeks to be posted from USA.

*cooked can also apply to failure without probable cause, IOW died for no known reason.

Approximately 10 LCDs I’ve had over the years with internal PSU’s, none have failed.

I suggest you "may" have electrical power delivery issue variables rather than Apple bricks failing.