What Is Thunderbolt Bridge On Mac And How To Use It

Table Of Contents:

What is Thunderbolt Bridge?

How to Use Thunderbolt Bridge on macOS?

Step 1: Activation

Step 2: Sharing Data Between Two Devices

How to Disconnect Thunderbolt Bridge?

Conclusion

If you are familiar with Mac’s operating system, you may have come across the term ThunderBolt Bridge for sure. Isn’t it? In this post, we will be learning all about what is Thunderbolt Bridge on Mac, how it works, and how to activate it on macOS. Let’s get started.

Whether it’s problem-solving, making decisions, or getting things done, data plays a crucial role in each and every aspect of our lives. It helps in creating new innovations and to be more efficient and productive.

Sharing of data is an essential task be it for individuals, organizations, or systems. Thunderbolt Bridge is an efficient technology that promotes data sharing with high efficiency.

What is Thunderbolt Bridge?

Thunderbolt Bridge is a useful feature that is used for data transfer between Mac and other devices via a Thunderbolt port. Compared to other mediums like an ordinary USB cable or ethernet or WiFi, Thunderbolt bridge performs at an exceptionally faster rate to transfer data (Up to 8 Gbps).

It is a highly recommended method when it comes to sharing large-sized files that require a lot of bandwidth.

Thunderbolt Bridge basically acts as a middleman between two devices that are Thunderbolt-enabled and create a direct connection that allows users to transfer data with high speed and performance.

With the help of this technology, you can easily transfer data between two Macs or from your Mac to another Thunderbolt-enabled device.

And here comes the best part about this intuitive technology. Thunderbolt Bridge is bi-directional. So, this simply means you can send and receive data on both devices at the same time. It bypasses the need for a computer and enables users to transfer data seamlessly.

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How to Use Thunderbolt Bridge on macOS?

Here’s how you can use Thunderbolt Bridge on Mac. But first, you need to activate it using the Settings app.

Step 1: Activation

• Use the Thunderbolt cable to connect the two devices.
• Tap on the Apple icon and select System Preferences. Select “Network”.
• Mac will now pop up a new alert on the screen saying “A new interface has been detected”. Hit on the “OK” button to verify and proceed.
• In the Network window, you will now notice that the status of the Thunderbolt Bridge has been changed from “Not Connected” to “Self-assigned IP”.

Also, if you are unable to view the Thunderbolt option in the left menu pane of Network Settings, you can manually add it by using the “+” icon.

After activating the Thunderbolt Bridge interface on both devices, proceed to the next section.

Step 2: Sharing Data Between Two Devices

Tap on the Apple icon and select “System Settings”. Switch to the “General” section and then select “Sharing”.

Now, enable the “File Sharing” switch in the Settings app.

Finally, your Mac is ready to share data! Switch to the “Network” tab from the left menu pane.

Tap on the three-dot icon placed at the bottom and select “Add Service”.

You will now see a new alert on the screen. Set the “Interface” using the drop-down menu, enter a service name, and hit on the “Create” button to proceed.

Once you follow the above-listed steps, your host device will be ready for data sharing. Follow the same steps on the other device as well to set up a two-way connection.

After you complete this process, you will see a new icon on both Macs. You simply have to tap on this icon and select “Create Bridge”. And that’s it, folks. Your two Macs or Thunderbolt-enabled devices are now connected. Use the drag-and-drop feature to share files between both devices.

Note: Not all Mac computers support Thunderbolt Bridge. To check if your Mac supports this feature, go to the Apple menu and select About This Mac. Look for the Thunderbolt information under the Overview tab.

The steps may vary slightly depending on the version of macOS you’re using. Make sure both Macs are on the same network and have compatible versions of macOS to use Thunderbolt Bridge for file sharing.

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How to Disconnect Thunderbolt Bridge?

To disconnect the Thunderbolt bridge connection on Mac, follow these steps:

Tap on the Apple icon placed on the top menu bar and select “System Settings”. Tap on “Network”.

Hit on the “Delete Service” option to stop Thunderbolt Bridge on your Mac.

Conclusion

This wraps up our guide on how you can use Thunderbolt Bridge on Mac for sharing data between two devices. Thunderbolt Bridge technology works at a blazing-fast speed compared to other data transfer mediums like Ethernet, Wifi, FireWire, USB, and so on.

The direct connection between devices can also reduce latency, leading to a more seamless and responsive experience.

So, did you learn something new today? Do you think Thunderbolt is a game-changing data transfer technique? What are your thoughts on the same? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section.

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