Sonnet Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition User Manual

Solo 10G™ Thunderbolt™ 3 Edition

10GBASE-T/NBASE-T® to Thunderbolt 3 Adapter

Quick Start Guide

You Should Have

The following items should be included in your product package:

• One Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition adapter

• QSG

Mac® Compatibility

• Mac with Thunderbolt 3 ports

• macOS

®

10.13.4 + (High Sierra)

Windows® Compatibility

• PC with Thunderbolt 3 ports

• 64-bit editions of Windows
or later

Important Note: Windows computers require the latest BIOS and
Thunderbolt drivers to support this product. Check with your
computer manufacturer for update information.

Support Note: This document was up to date at the time of

printing. However, changes to the hardware or software
may have occurred since then. Please check the Sonnet website for
the latest documentation.

1. Go to www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php

2. Click the Thunderbolt link.

3. Locate and click Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition link, and then

click the Documentation link.

4. Click the Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition Quick Start Guide

[English] link, and then check the Document Version information.
If the version listed is later than this document (revision B), click
the Download Now button for the latest version.

®

10, Version 1709 (Creator’s Edition),

Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition Description

1 – RJ45 (10GBASE-T/NBASE-T) Port

Connect a CAT 6A, CAT 6 or CAT 5e* cable between this port
and the switch’s or device’s RJ45 port.

2 – Link/Activity Indicator

This LED flashes green to indicate a link is established between
the adapter and the switch, and flashes yellow when the link is
training.

3 – Link Speed Indicator

When a link is established between the adapter and the switch,
this LED lights to indicate the link speed to the switch: green =
10Gb; yellow = 5Gb, 2.5Gb, 1Gb, or 100Mb.

Thunderbolt 3 Connector—Plug this connector into one of your
computer’s Thunderbolt 3 ports (often indicated by a
end of a Thunderbolt device chain. Ports marked with the USB icon

) are NOT compatible.

(

logo), or at the

Setup Information—Mac

The drivers required to support the Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition
are installed as part of macOS 10.13.4 and later; the Sonnet adapter is
ready for use when you power on your computer.

Setup Information—Windows

After starting up your computer, the drivers that enable the
Sonnet adapter to operate with your system should be installed
automatically. If not, please go to www.sonnettech.com/support/
kb/kb.php, and then click the Thunderbolt link. Locate and click
Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition link, and then click the Driver link.
Locate, download, and install the appropriate drivers.

* 10 Gb/s speed supported on CAT 6A and CAT 6 cabling at 100 and

55 meters, respectively. Lower speeds supported on CAT 5e and
better cabling at distances up to 100 meters. 5 Gb/s and 2.5 Gb/s
link speed support requires an NBASE-T compatible switch.

First Time Use—Windows

The first time you connect the Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 adapter to
your computer, an Approve New Thunderbolt™ Devices window will
appear. From the drop-down menu select Always Connect, and then
click OK.

Basic Configuration Information—macOS

With the Solo 10G adapter connected to your computer and
network infrastructure, configure the adapter’s settings in the System
Preferences’ Network preferences panel. The adapter will be identified
as Thunderbolt Ethernet Slot x.

Performance Tuning Steps—macOS

Listed below are steps required to configure the Solo 10G adapter for
maximum performance. Please note that to take advantage of these
settings, the switch or router to which the adapter is connected must
also support these features.

1. Open System Preferences, and then click Network. In the
Network preferences panel, click the Solo 10G adapter
(Thunderbolt Ethernet, Slot x) in the left panel, and then click
Advanced; a new panel appears.

3. In the new panel, click Hardware. From the Configure drop-
down menu, select “Manually”. In the Speed drop-down menu,
leave the setting at or select “10GbaseT” (or “5000baseT” or
“2500baseT” if either is the top speed your network connection
supports). In the Duplex drop-down menu, select “full-duplex”
(not “full duplex, flow-control”). In the MTU drop-down menu,
select “Jumbo (9000)” or select “Custom,” and then enter
“9000” in the box below.

3. When you’ve finished changing the settings, click OK.

Basic Configuration Information—Windows

You may configure the Solo 10G adapter’s settings using Windows
Device Manager. You may locate the device in the Network adapters
category, listed as Sonnet Solo 10G Thunderbolt 3 Edition.

TIPS, GENERAL INFORMATION

5 Gb/s and 2.5 Gb/s Link Speed Support

The Solo 10G supports 5 Gb/s and 2.5 Gb/s link speeds when used
with NBASE-T compatible (multi-Gigabit) switches, and connected
via CAT 5e (or better) cabling.

Solo 10G May Become Very Warm While Operating
At times, the Solo 10G may become very warm during operation.
This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction. Due to the
adapter’s design, its case may become very warm to the touch while
transferring very large files or transferring a large amount of data
over an extended period of time. The adapter may also operate at a
higher than expected temperature when connected to a long cable
run to the switch or storage system. Sonnet designed the Solo 10G
so that its case radiates heat away from the electronic components
inside, ensuring they operate within a safe temperature range.

Audio Video Bridging (AVB) Support
The Solo 10G supports AVB when used with AVB-compatible
(802.1Qav) switches.

4. Back in the main Network window, click Apply after you’ve
completed changing the settings.

Contacting Customer Service

The Sonnet Web site located at www.sonnettech.com has the
most current support information and technical updates. Before
contacting Customer Service, please check our Web site for the latest
updates and online support files, and check this Quick Start Guide
for helpful information.

Email support requests generally receive the fastest responses, and are
usually processed within a 24-hour period during normal business
hours, excluding holidays. When you contact Customer Service,
have the following information available so the customer service
staff can better assist you:

Product name • Date and place of purchase • Computer model

• OS version • A System Report (macOS) or a Microsoft System

Information MSINFO32 (Windows) report (Windows), along with a
description of the issue(s) you are encountering with your device

If further assistance is needed, please contact us at:

Visit Our Web Site

For the most current product information and online support files,
visit the Sonnet web site at www.sonnettech.com. Remember to
register your product online at http://registration.sonnettech.com to
be informed of future upgrades and product releases.

USA Customers
Please contact Sonnet Customer Service at:

E-mail: [e-mail]
Tel : [phone]

(Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Pacific Time)

For Customers Outside the USA

For support on this product, contact your reseller or local distributor.

©2018 Sonnet Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Sonnet, the Sonnet logotype, Simply Fast, the Simply Fast logotype, and Solo 10G
are trademarks of Sonnet Technologies, Inc. Mac, the Mac logo, and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United
States and other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice.
QS-SOLO10G-TB3-E-B-051018