Lenovo EX280 ethernet
I have come across a Lenovo EX280 ethernet adapter. It comes with what Lenovo describe as a “micro Ethernet” connector.
Lenovo says: “Converts the special micro Ethernet connector on supported ThinkPad computers to the standard RJ45 connector. Supports PXE boot, Mac Pass Through, and Wake-On-LAN (depends on system capability).”
I’ve tried to work out whether this is a proprietary connector or a more broadly supported new standard but I haven’t looked into new laptop hardware for at least 5 years. One forum post suggested that this product worked with another manufacturer’s laptop, while other forum posts suggested it didn’t work with their laptop from the same maker (Lenovo), so I’m extra confused.
I’m also assuming that this has no USB-connectable chip inside it and it’s just providing a physical interface to RJ45, but I’m not sure. Anyway, my main concern is finding out whether this same connector type is supported by other manufacturers (standard?) or some proprietary Lenovo garbage. Thanks for any help.
I have one of these. As far as I’m aware it’s a proprietary port, or at least it’s so uncommon it’s proprietary by default. So the connectors are like gold dust around here.
On the plus side the laptops have two usb type c ports so it’s not the end of the world and we can use a type c Ethernet if needed or if we can find one.
Woah, way to gouge customers… instead of using a USB dongle. I guess this wayt that can claim an ethernet port, but not actually put in a propper ethernet port?
It’s a useless port when you have perfectly functioning 5Gbps USB-A ports and you can get a gigabit USB ethernet dongle for much cheaper than their proprietary dongle.
Thank you guys. I think they are trying for the thinner devices…and overpriced accessories are just an unavoidable side-effect
Notable to me is that they don’t even list the speed of the ethernet on their website, for both supporting hardware (X1) or the adapter. I guess it just doesn’t matter…
I have noticed this as well… On any of the slim models like the T480s or T14s they do not have the full size ethernet port like on the standard size T480 or T14. If I am not mistaken the proprietary ethernet port is part of the type C dock.
I think they could have gotten away with the fold away port that some companies are using. When you need an ethernet port and don’t want to carry a dongle with you.
Yeah exactly. WTF would they do this for, instead of just adding a type-C USB port?
edit:
as far as those foldable USB ports go… balls to that. if you’re thick enough to accomodate one of those and all the breakable mechanism crap on the port, just implement a proper port…
I’d still rather type C USB than ethernet anyway personally, as I rarely do use ethernet, but a type C port moving forward has multiple uses. Sure, dongle life, blah blah but its a sacrifice I’m willing to make in the name of flexibility / potential to upgrade to 2.5/5/10 GbE in future …
Yes if, and only if, that USB port can do everything! Like literally everything Type-C can accommodate, on all the Type-C ports on the device.
I do not appreciate doing mental gymnastics to remember which Type-C can actually use the thing I am going to plug into it.
Oh the front right one only does USB2.0 5v, the back left one does DisplayPort, the left front can do USB3 10GB, the back right is PD 45W 3.2 Thunderbolt…
This is why i buy macbooks. All ports do the same things.
If it has USB-A its the top spec at the time of release. If its type C they all do thunderbolt, displayport and USB (except the Macbook 12", but we don’t talk about that piece of shit).
The extending port that slid out from Toshiba did look transformers as fuck, but a USB port would be better. I already carry a mouse and a charger with my laptop. A dongle is not much more.
Also you can swing the laptop around above your head by USB -C, according to @SgtAwesomesauce *
*Okay, maybe he just pulled his laptop of the table, but still, USB-C is the future
One and only reason for Lenovo to use this connector type is Wake-On-Lan function. Ethernet adapter located inside laptop and this dongle is just physical adapter.
This port can be handy, even on devices that have a physical ethernet port. It means the ethernet port on the dock can have the same MAC address as the laptop port. So when you dock your laptop, the OS only sees one ethernet interface. A regular ethernet dongle would add a second ethernet interface, which can be annoying. AFAIK it’s fully propriety
(Sometimes I miss old docks, basically all the ports were copper traces to the motherboard. So no waiting for USB device enumeration, all the displays worked unlike bad USB docks, and features like MAC passthrough were trivial. The old docks also let you plonk down your laptop, no sliding things or plugging in cables.).
Though interesting story, this port has been removed from the T14 line (at least). The newer Lenovo docks are USB or Thunderbolt 3/4, so at first glance they don’t appear to support ethernet passthrough. But through a bit of searching I’ve been able to find hints that the laptop/dock still supports MAC passthrough / single ethernet interface, even without this port. My only guess is that the realtek driver (at least on my laptop) can fake the passthrough of a supported USB ethernet interface, probably like that which appears in the official docks.
All I can say for certain is that my T14 running Fedora 36 (so Linux) doesn’t support this feature from a few hours of testing. I’d be curious to see if it worked on Windows though.
I pulled one apart this week. They’re just the ethernet magnetics (which provide electrical isolation between the ethernet device and the cable), and not much else. So the protocol being spoken across the connector is just un-isolated ethernet.
