I have an ultrabook without an Ethernet port. If I use a USB-to-Ethernet (or USB-C-to-Ethernet) adapter to give this laptop a wired connection, is that internet connection full duplex?
2 Answers
Assuming the dongle supports full duplex (very likely), it will run full duplex. I have an Ethernet dongle that came with my laptop and it is full duplex and very fast. I use it when transferring huge files.
4Yes, all modern Ethernet controllers run in full-duplex mode whenever possible. (You could even say it's a requirement for Gigabit Ethernet.) You will see a full-duplex link reported by your router or switch, if it's capable of showing that information.
Note that USB-Ethernet adapters don't just "convert signal" – the adapter has a complete Ethernet NIC inside. The Ethernet connection is terminated inside the adapter and does not actually go all the way to your USB port; only the data is relayed back and forth.
So the USB port of the adapter may run in half-duplex mode (that's the only mode USB 2.0 supported), but this is completely independent from the adapter's Ethernet capabilities.
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