Before WiFi became the most popular and easiest way to connect to the Internet, every Mac and computer used to connect using an Ethernet cable. It was a standard feature of the ports a Mac had available.
The MAC address is listed there. From the Terminal. Type 'networksetup -listallhardwareports'. The 'Ethernet Address' field for the ethernet hardware port is your MAC address. Type ip link in a terminal window. The link/ether field associated with your ethernet interface is your MAC address. Connect your Mac to the internet using Ethernet Use an Ethernet cable to connect your computer’s Ethernet port to a modem or other network device (for example, a switch. On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Network. Open Network preferences for me Select Ethernet in the. Anker USB 3.0 Unibody Aluminum Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Supporting 10/100 / 1000 Mbps Ethernet for MacBook, Mac Pro/Mini, iMac, XPS, Surface Pro, Notebook PC, USB Flash, Mobile HDD, and More 4.6 out of. The Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter lets you easily connect to a high-performance Gigabit Ethernet network. Small and compact, it connects to the Thunderbolt port on your Mac computer and provides an RJ-45 port that supports 10/100/1000BASE-T networks. What’s in the Box. A media access control address (MAC address) is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for use as a network address in communications within a network segment. This use is common in most IEEE 802 networking technologies, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
How to connect Mac to Ethernet?
If your Mac has an Ethernet port, then you need an Ethernet cable.
Ethernet For Macbook Air
- Plug the cable into a Internet at one end (this could be in a wall or a floor-mounted connection)
- Make sure the Internet is switched on
- Now connect the wire into the Ethernet port in your Mac
Open a browser and test the connection. You should have fully functioning wired Internet, plugged straight into your Mac.
What if I don't have an Ethernet port?
Most modern Macs don’t. As more people switched to WiFi, having an Ethernet port became less useful. They also take up a lot of hardware space. It is the same reason fewer Macs than ever still have USB ports. It is easier for people to store what they need in the cloud and download as needed than carry things around on USB devices.
However, you still might find it useful, or more secure, to connect to the Internet using an Ethernet port. Thankfully, there is a way around having a Mac that no longer has an Ethernet port. You can still get a hard-wired connection.
![Ethernet Ethernet](/uploads/1/1/8/5/118537951/352442030.jpeg)
Firstly, check what ports your Mac does have. It should either have a USB port, or a Thunderbolt port, or both. Depending on what you have will determine when you need to buy.
Either purchase a:
- Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter, or;
- An Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
There are other models, but the ones that Apple recommends to make this work.
Here are the steps to take to make this hard-wired connection, even without an Ethernet port:
- Connect whichever Apple Ethernet adapter you've bought either to the USB port or Thunderbolt port;
- Now plug the Ethernet cable into the Internet connection at its source and the Mac Ethernet adapter at the other end;
- Next, go to Apple Menu > System Preferences;
- Within System Preferences, click on Network;
- A message should appear: New Interface Detected. Click OK;
- Now click Apply to save this setting and remember this network connection;
- To make this connection more secure, click on Thunderbolt Ethernet interface > Advanced:
- Here you can change a range of settings, such as whether the connection is automatic, speed, and other changes that can be made.
Now you should be all set up. Using the Internet should be as quick whether or not you are connected using WiFi or Ethernet.
Ethernet For Macbook Pro
What happens if I’ve got a slow Ethernet connection?
Connect Macbook To Ethernet
Assuming this isn't a problem with the Internet where you live or work, it’s worth looking at what could be making your Mac run slowly.
Thankfully, we have a solution for a Mac that is running slow.
- Run CleanMyMac X app (download a free edition here)
- Click the Maintenance tab
- Here you can try various tune-ups to speed your Mac
The tool that directly translates into Macs speed is “Run Maintenance Scripts”. This restores parts of your system libraries that have started to slow down. Try running it and see if your Mac gets more responsive. As an extra improvement, flush your DNS-cache in the same app. It helps when your network slows down for no reason.
With CleanMyMac X, there are a whole suite of tools you can use that will restore a Mac to how it worked when new. Give your Mac the tune-up it needs, making it run faster, easier to use and improve performance.