MacBook Pro not recognizing USB ethernet adapter in macOS, but does in Bootcamp

ethernetmacbook prousb

I have a 2015 MacBook Pro. I recently moved and don't yet have a Wi-Fi router, so I have to use an ethernet cable. To do this I'm using a USB ethernet adapter.

When I plug it in Bootcamp automatically detects it and connects to the internet. However, when I switch over to macOS, it doesn't detect anything. I've tried to manually set it up, but even then it acts like nothing is there.

I don't understand why I can connect on one OS but not the other on the same machine.

How can I troubleshoot this?

Best Answer

If it's the standard Apple ethernet adapter, I've run into this problem on a couple of different MacBooks. There are a few different things you can try in this thread on Apple's message boards, but the one that usually works for me is this one:

  • in System Preferences > Network, create a new network location
  • delete all the network devices from the list on the left
  • re-add the ethernet adapter device
  • configure the rest of the new location as required, and use it instead of the one you were previously using

(Even with that working, I still have another annoying issue with the adapter: if I plug it in while the laptop is asleep, it's not detected when it wakes. Have never found a solution for that.)

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