# Mac Q:  Are ethernet ports phased out?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-q-are-ethernet-ports-phased-out/687495>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2014, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-q-are-ethernet-ports-phased-out/687495 "2014-05-02T10:53:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-q-are-ethernet-ports-phased-out/687495/1 "2014-05-02T10:53:44Z")

</div>

While I’m in Seattle I thought I’d look at replacing my 3-year-old MacBook Pro with a newer model. Looking at their website, it looks like none of their current models has an ethernet cable port. I live in China, and not in one of the edgy tech utopias like Shanghai; WiFi coverage is spotty and weak, and I rely on my ethernet cable for most of my online activities. So before I march in and ask a bunch of stupid-sounding questions, I ask my knowledgeable doper pals:

–Has Apple completely phased out the ethernet port? Has it gone the way of Firewire and the floppy disk drive?

–Do they make some kind of adapter that will connect an ethernet cable to, say, a USB port?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-q-are-ethernet-ports-phased-out/687495/2 "2014-05-02T10:59:52Z")

</div>

Yes (in their portables) and yes.

You can buy either a USB (for 100 Base-T) or Thunderbolt (for gigabit ethernet) adapters.

> **[Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter](https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MD463ZM/A/thunderbolt-to-gigabit-ethernet-adapter)**
>
> Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter lets you easily connect to a high-performance Gigabit Ethernet network.

(obviously available on US or Chinese Apple stores as well - or from bricks & mortar).

OB

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-q-are-ethernet-ports-phased-out/687495/3 "2014-05-02T11:19:31Z")

</div>

Oh, you’d be surprised at what’s unavailable in Chinese Apple stores! Thanks for the quick and informative reply.