Sonnet Technologies has announced the $199 Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition, the latest product in the company’s expanding line of Thunderbolt 3 to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) adapters. 

The Solo 10G adds 10GbE network connectivity to any Mac or Windows computer with a Thunderbolt 3 port, enabling users to connect their computers via copper cables to high-speed network infrastructure and storage systems using the 10GbE standard. It’s equipped with an RJ45 port, enabling 10Gb connectivity via CAT 6 or CAT 6A copper cabling at distances of up to 55 or 100 meters, respectively. 

The adapter connects to a single Thunderbolt 3 port on the computer and is bus-powered. Measuring just 3.1 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep by 1.1 inches tall, the Solo 10G features an aluminum enclosure that effectively cools the circuitry and eliminates the need for a fan, which means silent operation.

“With content creation and output transitioning quickly to 4K and beyond, 10 Gigabit Ethernet has become the de facto data transfer standard for postproduction shared storage workgroups and other bandwidth-intensive workflows,” saays Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. “While very affordable 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches have significantly reduced the cost of setting up 10GbE infrastructure and accelerated its adoption, the cost of Thunderbolt to 10GbE adapters has remained the same since introduction. Now, for Mac and Windows computers, Sonnet’s Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition adapter is an equally affordable and powerfully simple solution for adding blazing-fast 10GBASE-T 10GbE network connectivity.”

The Solo 10G adapter also supports NBASE-T technology, a 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 multi-Gigabit Ethernet switches and to use Sonnet’s Solo 10G adapter to boost network transmission speeds up to 500% without the need to rewire.

The Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition (part number SOLO10G-TB3) is available now from Sonnet Technologies. More information on the product is available at http://www.sonnettech.com/product/solo-10g-tb3.html.