MacStudio Thunderbolt ports "Inactive"

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

ONLY genuine Thunderbolt devices will be shown on the pane you posted.

The network adapter in question is a Thunderbolt 3 device ("Compatible with Thunderbolt 4"). See the link that the OP posted:

https://shop.atto.com/products/dual-40gb-thunderbolt-to-dual-10gbe-adapter-sfp-s-included

and its linked data sheet:

https://www.atto.com/wp-content/uploads/WebCollateral/tech-spec/TechSpecs-ATTOThunderLinkN33102.pdf

I think the issue is likely to be simply that there is no active SFP+ connection between the ATTO adapter and some other SFP+-equipped device.

"Not connected" would follow directly from that, and the "Inactive" status for the Thunderbolt ports could be just a reflection of that. They are inactive simply because there is nothing for them to do (with regards to SFP+ links). Not because they're not working.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

look in System preferences > networks:

It is in the OP's System Settings > Networks.

Looks to me like there must have been a Fiber entry for the ATTO device. The screen shot appears consistent with the OP

• Clicking on the Fiber > entry to drill down into the top-level detail screen, then
• Clicking on the Details… button on that screen

The left side of the Details screen is consistent across interface types. The right side varies with interface type. Whoever designed this one apparently thought that the user would want to see which Thunderbolt ports were actively engaged in carrying SFP+ traffic.

looking for Ethernet devices?

look on the Ethernet pane!

I have a PCIe Ethernet card plugged in, and it is shown on the Ethernet pane.

look in System preferences > networks:

if not present in that pane, try to add a device by clicking on the add [+] button under the list of devices.

the usb-c ports on the back of the Mac studio are universal... until a device is plugged in. at that point they become specialized to the specific device plugged in.

if you have plugged in a USB-C display or adapter, you will find the information for that on the USB-C pane or the Graphics/Displays pane.

ONLY genuine Thunderbolt devices will be shown on the pane you posted.

if you do intend to connect TWO fiber optic cable connections to this device, its very high cost might be justifiable. However, there are FAR less expensive solutions, including that the built-in Ethernet port on the Mac Studio is ALREADY 10G Ethernet-over-copper capable, right out of the box.

Do you have a cable with SFP+ connections on it running from a SFP+ port on your ATTO Thunderlink NIC box to a SFP+ port on another networking device?

I think you're going to need at least Layer 2 connectivity – there's a cable to another SFP+ device, the SFP+ ports are enabled on both sides, the SFP+ modules are compatible with the ATTO Thunderlink box and the other device into which you are plugging them – before you can get anything other than "Not connected."

You'll also need to set up other parameters (TCP/IP, DNS) to get TCP/IP network traffic going across the interface.

I am so sorry. I was thinking this was the dressed up "System Report" with extra fru-fru in Sonoma.

I see what you are all trying to tell me now. I stand corrected.

Instead, this a dressed up four-port NETWORK sub-pane (while the specific device at hand happens to have only two ports).

Now I agree that what Servant of Cats has been saying all long is likely correct -- you don't see any source ThunderBolt port Active because they are not talking ... yet.

For Ethernet, unless your port sees idle-syncs coming from the other end of the cable, you typically get "cable not connected" error. You look over and curse, "Yes it IS plugged in!" They meant to say, 'not actively talking end-to-end'.

<< trying to install a driver >>

You already HAVE the appropriate driver if you see this network pane.

If no Driver, it could NOT show up as a network device at all.

<<. The connection from box to MacStudio is a USB-C connection. >>

You need to be using a high quality genuine Thunderbolt cable, with the Thunderbolt trademark (like a bolt of lightning) at each end. For Apple cables, the length is limited to 0.8 meters or less. For brand-X cables, the length is limited to 0.5 meters or less. Longer cables may cause errors and reduce the speeds. USB-C cables will not work for this use, because they have only half the data pathways of Thunderbolt cables.

¿is the fiber-optic cable plugged in yet?

Once there is another device at the other end of the fiber-optic cable, it should all perk up and be fine, and the indicators should change to reflect that connection, and can be fine-tuned, if required.