• Storage & Archiving

  Level One 0401 USB to Ethernet adaptor/Jumbo Frames

  Posted by Bob Zelin on October 29, 2010 at 8:43 pm

  Hi –
  there have been numerous discussions about the Level One USB to Ethernet adaptor that simply plugs into a MAC, and allows that MAC to have a fully functional ethernet port with Jumbo Frames (MTU9000). Well, I finally got to install one today.

  Level One has written new software up to late 2009, yet they never bothered to write Snow Leopard OS-X 10.6 drivers – neither on the included CD or on their website. OS-X 10.5 is it. But I loaded it onto a new MAC Pro running OS-X 10.6.4 anyway.

  The adaptor works perfectly fine, but only up to an MTU of 1500. Even when you enter a larger MTU (for jumbo frames), it does not “stick”, and it not reported in the terminal as well with an MTU higher than 1500. So, if you have an iMAC, and need a second ethernet port, this looks like a perfectly fine adaptor that can run at Gig E speeds, but as far as adding Jumbo Frames to an iMAC – NOPE ! Not in 2010 with a modern system.

  Bob Zelin

  Eric Hansen replied 15 years, 10 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  Eric Hansen

  November 4, 2010 at 9:53 pm

  hey bob

  if it’s USB 2.0, then won’t it only do like 25MB/s anyway? GigE at 1500 MTU maxes at like 60MB/s and GigE at 9000 MTU is like 90-100MB/s. wouldn’t a Jumbo Frame enabled USB network adapter be pointless anyway?

  i do see the advantage to having a second ethernet port on an iMac. all my installations with iMacs and Mac Minis use Airport as the second connection. so this would be faster than Airport. but it seems like Jumbo Frames is a feature that USB wouldn’t be able to take advantage of anyway.

  thanks

  e

  Eric Hansen – http://www.erichansen.tv

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