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macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)

macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)

macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)
macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)
3 weeks ago - last edited Tuesday
Tags: #2.5 Gbps #MAC Driver
Model: UE302C  
Hardware Version:
Firmware Version:

Hi all,

 

I’m using a TP-Link UE302C USB-C 2.5GbE adapter with my Mac mini M2 (2023) on macOS (Ventura/Sonoma/Sequoia). System Information shows the adapter as:

USB 10/100/1G/2.5G LAN
  Vendor ID: 0x0bda
  Product ID: 0x8156
  Driver: com.apple.driver.usb.cdc.ncm
  Maximum Link Speed: 5 Gb/s

 

 

On macOS, the adapter is only handled by Apple’s generic com.apple.driver.usb.cdc.ncm driver, which seems to cap throughput well below what the hardware can achieve. Over LAN I only see ~940–1100 Mbps instead of ~2.5 Gbps. 

It looks like Realtek had macOS drivers for RTL8156 on Intel Macs in the past, but they don’t seem to provide an Apple Silicon / DriverKit version.

Questions:

 

  1. Does TP-Link (in cooperation with Realtek) have plans to release an official macOS driver for Apple Silicon Macs?

  2. Is there any recommended workaround for Mac users who want full 2.5GbE performance with this adapter?

  3. Are there firmware updates for the UE302C that might help with macOS compatibility?

 

 

Many Mac users rely on third-party USB-C Ethernet adapters, and having an official driver would make the UE302C a much better option on Apple Silicon.

 

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#1
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1 Accepted Solution
Re:macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)-Solution
Monday - last edited Tuesday

  @Cozz ,

Thanks for contacting our community.

 

Here are the answers to your questions:

  • Does TP-Link (in cooperation with Realtek) have plans to release an official macOS driver for Apple Silicon Macs?

Currently no.

 

  • Is there any recommended workaround for Mac users who want full 2.5GbE performance with this adapter?

It feels like this might not necessarily be an issue with the built-in driver combined with the UE302C/RTL8156 causing slow speeds. Considering the speed is stuck around 1Gbps/s, we'd like to confirm what tool is being used for LAN speed testing, is it iPerf? Is the other end for speed testing limited to 1Gbps/s, which might be causing this problem?

 

  • Are there firmware updates for the UE302C that might help with macOS compatibility?

Currently no.

Check Out the Latest Posts: △Pre-release Firmware for Archer AX50 Introduces New Parental Control Features and Enhancements △Pre-release Firmware for Archer AX80 Supports EasyMesh in AP Mode, DoH/DoT, ECO Mode, and More △Introducing AI QoS: Elevate Your Gaming Experience on the Archer GE800 Gaming Router △Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN △Tether KidShield Test Recruitment - Safeguarding Children's Online Experience
Recommended Solution
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#2
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3 Reply
Re:macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)-Solution
Monday - last edited Tuesday

  @Cozz ,

Thanks for contacting our community.

 

Here are the answers to your questions:

  • Does TP-Link (in cooperation with Realtek) have plans to release an official macOS driver for Apple Silicon Macs?

Currently no.

 

  • Is there any recommended workaround for Mac users who want full 2.5GbE performance with this adapter?

It feels like this might not necessarily be an issue with the built-in driver combined with the UE302C/RTL8156 causing slow speeds. Considering the speed is stuck around 1Gbps/s, we'd like to confirm what tool is being used for LAN speed testing, is it iPerf? Is the other end for speed testing limited to 1Gbps/s, which might be causing this problem?

 

  • Are there firmware updates for the UE302C that might help with macOS compatibility?

Currently no.

Check Out the Latest Posts: △Pre-release Firmware for Archer AX50 Introduces New Parental Control Features and Enhancements △Pre-release Firmware for Archer AX80 Supports EasyMesh in AP Mode, DoH/DoT, ECO Mode, and More △Introducing AI QoS: Elevate Your Gaming Experience on the Archer GE800 Gaming Router △Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN △Tether KidShield Test Recruitment - Safeguarding Children's Online Experience
Recommended Solution
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#2
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Re:macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)
Monday

Joseph-TP wrote

  @Cozz ,

Thanks for contacting our community.

 

Here are the answers to your questions:

  • Does TP-Link (in cooperation with Realtek) have plans to release an official macOS driver for Apple Silicon Macs?

Currently no.

 

  • Is there any recommended workaround for Mac users who want full 2.5GbE performance with this adapter?

It feels like this might not necessarily be an issue with the built-in driver combined with the UE302C/RTL8156 causing slow speeds. Considering the speed is stuck around 1Gbps/s, we'd like to confirm what tool is being used for LAN speed testing, is it iPerf? Is the other end for speed testing limited to 1Gbps/s, which might be causing this problem?

 

  • Are there firmware updates for the UE302C that might help with macOS compatibility?

Currently no.

  @Joseph-TP 

Hi Joseph-TP.

I have tested against my Ubuntu server using iPerf and it is hard limited to 940mbps maximum. If I test it against my Windows laptop with the appropriate drivers it usually sits around 2100mbps. If I use it on my Ubuntu server against my 2000/200 FTTP connection, it max's out the connection. It is only the Mac that is limited to 940mbps.

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#3
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Re:macOS driver support for UE302C / RTL8156 (Apple Silicon M2, MacOS26 Tahoe)
Tuesday

Hi @Cozz ,

There's currently no confirmation regarding the release of a driver compatible with MacOS.
However, we appreciate your testing and feedback, and we believe it will be helpful to other users.

Check Out the Latest Posts: △Pre-release Firmware for Archer AX50 Introduces New Parental Control Features and Enhancements △Pre-release Firmware for Archer AX80 Supports EasyMesh in AP Mode, DoH/DoT, ECO Mode, and More △Introducing AI QoS: Elevate Your Gaming Experience on the Archer GE800 Gaming Router △Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN △Tether KidShield Test Recruitment - Safeguarding Children's Online Experience
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#4
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