https://www.reddit.com/r/it/comments/1j7tyl0/difference_between_usb_to_rj45_adapter_and/
created by idash on 10/03/2025 at 08:28 UTC
1 upvotes, 3 top-level comments (showing 3)
So basically the title; I'm having a hard time understanding the difference between a console cable with with male RJ45 and USB heads vs an ethernet cable with an ethernet to USB adaptor (female RJ45 to USB).
I am trying to find a solution for connecting my home server to my laptop with maximum data transfer speed, when my eth cables allow for 10Gb but my laptop eth port only 1Gb. I was looking at getting an adaptor for eth to thunderbolt, but then found the console cables that seem to do the same thing, but at the same time found multiple (confusing) articles about how they don't do the same thing? So which one should I use, or should I use neither?
TLDR: Want to connect my server to my laptop with maximum data transfer speed, can a console cable (eth to thunderbolt) do that, or do i need an adaptor?
thanks a bunch!
Comment by LeoAlioth at 10/03/2025 at 10:52 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Console cable uses a completely different communications protocol, and at muuuuuuuch lower speeds. So they are not interchangeable with a usb network cards at all.
Comment by ImNotADruglordISwear at 10/03/2025 at 10:58 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Oooookay, so there's a lot to unpack here.
First: What is your actual reason for wanting to do what you think the solution is? Are you trying to transfer data or trying to manage your device through CLI?
Second: A Console cable provides a serial connection to whatever you're trying to configure. It is not designed for data transfer and is strictly to allow a CLI interface on whatever piece of hardware you're configuring. There's usually a designated port for this, either RJ45 or RS-232. A serial to USB cable usually has drivers built-in that allow it to be seen on your workstation as a serial connection and that's the only thing they're good for.
Comment by Burnsidhe at 10/03/2025 at 11:55 UTC*
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
There are three kinds of 'console cable; One is a straighforward ethernet cable, another is a 'null modem' cable typically USB to RJ45 or RS-232 to RJ-45, and the third is a Cisco console cable with a Cisco-specific pinout for the RJ-45 end. The latter two are specifically meant for connecting to the console port on servers, routers, and switches. Neither is meant for general data transfer between devices.
To get a 10gbps connection from your server to your laptop, you will either need an Ethernet interface capable of 10/1000/1000/10000 (good luck with that) or a usb3.2 generation 2 usb port on your laptop and a usb to ethernet adapter rated for 10gbps.
For that matter, is your *server* capable of a 10gbps upload through an ethernet port? If it is also limited to 1gbps, nothing in the world will make it transmit any faster.