Vantec CB-U300GNA USB 3.0 Gigabit Network Adapter Review

TweakTown's Rating: 86%

The Bottom Line

The USB 3.0 Gigabit Adapter from Vantec is a solid performer perfect for adding Gigabit capabilities to your MacBook, Notebook or Ultrabook.

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With the versatility of USB 3.0, we have seen many types of devices come to market. While many options are storage solutions, every so often we come across a device like the Vantec Gigabit Adapter we have today.

The USB 3.0 Gigabit adapter is one of the newest solutions to come from Vantec. This adapter is compliant to the 802.3, 802.3u and 802.3ab specifications and features Full Duplex operation in 10/100/1000Mbps modes. In addition, it carries both suspend mode when not in use and remote wake up with LED indicators for power and Ethernet. Compatibility insures operation with both OS X 10.6+ along with Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and is recommended for use with USB 3.0 for the best performance, but is backwards compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0.

MSRP of the Vantec USB 3.0 Gigabit Adapter is listed at $36.99 with a one-year warranty.

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Packaging for the adapter is the plastic bubble type. The insert houses information about the adapter with a clear view of the adapter itself.

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Scope of delivery for the adapter includes a driver disc, reading materials, and of course the adapter.

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The USB cable for the adapter carries a rounded design, which makes it less bulky than square cables. Coloring is appropriate for its performance.

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Looking at the adapter, we find two LEDs to the left for power and Ethernet activity, while the housing is made from plastic with a slice of aesthetics added with an aluminium cover.

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The port end of the drive carries a small footprint just big enough for the RJ45 connection.

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In testing, I was quite surprised by how well this adapter performed. As you can see above, this adapter is full duplex gigabit with 952 Mbps consistently across the chart.

We haven't seen many external network adapters come through the lab in the past few years, with that said the Vantec Gigabit adapter is a solid solution for those needing such a device. Devices like this adapter would be great additions for netbook users where you typically don't see built in Ethernet capability due to the slim form factor. Additionally, modern MacBook's could benefit as well, again due to the slim profile. Build quality seems quite good with the housing being plastic and fitting together quite well.

Performance was quite surprising as it rivalled performance found with PCIe cards and even on-board gigabit solutions. In fact, we had no performance loss at all between the USB 3.0 adapter and any other solution we have tested. Overall, for those needing a single port Gigabit solution that is bus powered with USB 3.0 connectivity, the Vantec solution will certainly fit the bill.

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