UGREEN USB C to Ethernet Adapter 5Gb
Bottom line: The UGREEN USB C to Ethernet Adapter 5Gb: 5Gb wired speed, up to 400% faster than standard Gigabit; main trade-off: needs CAT6+ cable and USB 3.2 Gen2 port to reach 5Gb.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ 5Gb wired speed, up to 400% faster than standard Gigabit
- ✓ Realtek RTL8157 chip lowers power draw and heat
- ✓ Aluminum shell with hidden integrated heat-dissipation holes
- ✓ Plug-and-play on macOS 15+, no driver install needed
- ✓ Supports Wake-on-LAN, EEE 802.3az, and Auto MDI/MDIX
Cons
- ✗ Needs CAT6+ cable and USB 3.2 Gen2 port to reach 5Gb
- ✗ Apple support limited to M3 chips and newer
- ✗ No link or activity indicator light
- ✗ Won't work through hubs, docks, or extension cables
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored UGREEN USB C to Ethernet Adapter 5Gb using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the retro networking cards category. Compare with similarly-priced alternatives in the retro networking cards category before committing. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for retro networking cards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- 5Gb, Redefining Ethernet Adapter: UGREEN usb c to ethernet adapter with powerful 5Gb performance. Lightning-fast wired connection helps increase data transfer speed by 400% compared to Gigabit. Enjoy fast downloads with NAS and efficient content creation (To achieve 5Gb, please use a CAT6 or higher cable. And ensure your router, ethernet switch, or server support 5Gb ethernet and your device's port is complies with the USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) or higher.)
- Advanced Realtek Chip: UGREEN ethernet to usb c is equipped with an RTL8157 chip, which significantly reduces power consumption and heat generation while maintaining top-level performance, ensuring its stable operation
- Great Compatibility: UGREEN usbc to ethernet adapter supports Windows 11, macOS 15 and above, Linux Kernel 5.17 (not compatible with any other systems). For Windows 11 and Linux Kernel 5.17, drivers need to be installed, which you can easily install with our instructions. For macOS 15 and above, it is plug and play
- Good Heat Dissipation: UGREEN usb c to ethernet built with aluminum casing and hidden integrated heat dissipation hole design to help dissipate heat. At 5Gb/2.5Gb internet speed, it can automatically switch to Lite mode, and avoiding overheating
- Multi Functional: UGREEN ethernet adapter for laptop supports ACPI and LPM power management, EEE high-performance ethernet (IEEE 802.3az), Wake-on-LAN, Wake-on-WAN, Auto MDI/MDIX
- Important Notice: For Apple devices, only compatible with M3 and above chips. (Not compatible with M1, M2 and other chips) Please turn off the computer's energy-saving mode during use. Please avoid using it with usb to usb c adapters, hubs, extension cables and docking stations. It is recommended to connect it directly to the host's USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) or higher standard port. In addition, the network environment, hard drive read/write speed, and operating system can affect the actual transfer rate. And it has no indicator light.
Full Specifications
| Brand | UGREEN |
|---|---|
| Color | Space Gray |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Connectivity | USB-C |
| Model Number | 35921 |
| Compatibility | Switch, Mac, Linux |
| Connection Type | Wired |
| Mfr Part Number | 35921 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Compatible Devices | Desktop, Laptop |
| Data Link Protocol | Ethernet |
| Data Transfer Rate | 5 gigabits_per_second |
| Hardware Interface | USB Type C |
| Full listing title | UGREEN USB C to Ethernet Adapter 5Gb, Ethernet Adapter for Laptop | Aluminum with Thermal Design, Type C (Thunderbolt 5/4/3 Compatible) to RJ45 Network, Compatible for MacBook Air/Pro, XPS |
Ready to buy?
UGREEN USB C to Ethernet Adapter 5Gb, Ethernet Adapter for Laptop | Aluminum with Thermal Design, Type C (Thunderbolt 5/4/3 Compatible) to RJ45 Network, Compatible for MacBook Air/Pro, XPS is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
Related Retro Networking Cards
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Anthropic Shutdown Reignites the AI-Sovereignty Debate — and the Case for Local Inference
- Ryzen AI Halo vs a DIY RTX 3060 Box for Local LLMs in 2026
- Building a New Gaming PC in 2026: The Complete Guide
- Qwen 3.6 27B vs Llama 3.1 70B on Local Hardware: tok/s, VRAM, and Quality (2026)
- GTX 1660 VRAM: Why 8GB Doesn't Exist (Real Specs)
- Imaging Vintage Hard Drives in 2026: SATA/IDE-to-USB Adapters Compared (FIDECO vs Unitek vs Vantec)
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- Gemma 4 Stealth Update Fixes Tool Calling: What Changes Locally
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070
- Best CPU Air Cooler for Ryzen 7000/9000 Builds (2026)
- Claude Opus 4.8 Takes #1 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index at 61.4
- OpenAI Just Beat Every Human at AtCoder — Can You Run a Coding LLM Locally?
- Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ Hits 26 TOPS for On-Device Inference
- CompactFlash as an IDE Boot Drive: The Definitive Win98 Storage Guide
- Best PC and Console Game Controller in 2026
- Genesis Mini vs SNES Classic vs a Pi RetroPie in 2026
- Best SSD for a Raspberry Pi 4 Media Server in 2026
- Kimi K3 Lands #5 on Coding Agents: What You Can Actually Run Local
- Best CPU Coolers for Ryzen in 2026: 5 Tested Picks
- Genesis Mini and SNES Classic on a 4K Gaming Monitor: What Actually Happens to 720p
- Best GPU for Running Llama 3 8B Locally Under $350 (2026)
- Best Local LLM You Can Run on 12GB of VRAM in 2026
- Host a Quake 3 + UT99 LAN Server on a Raspberry Pi 4 in 2026
- Sound BlasterX G6 on a Retro Windows XP Rig: USB Audio for Period-Correct Builds
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090