[Plugin] Thunderbolt Net - host-to-host networking over Thunderbolt 3/4/5 and USB4/4v2 - Plugin Support

12 hours ago12 hr

This thread is the support topic for Thunderbolt Net

Install the plugin, plug one Thunderbolt/USB4-class cable to a peer host, set a static IP on the tbn tab, and use it like a simple eth path. For bugs or feedback, post here with Unraid version, controller generation if you know it (TB3 / TB4 / TB5 / USB4 / USB4 v2), peer OS (Linux/macOS/Windows), cable notes, and what you expected vs what you saw. Screenshots of Settings → Network Settings → Thunderbolt help a lot.

Thunderbolt Net is for reliable single-link host-to-host networking wherever Linux exposes the Thunderbolt fabric and thunderbolt_net — not locked to one sticker speed.

Supported when the kernel sees a host controller and a thunderboltN interface, including:

Thunderbolt 3
Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 5
USB4 (20G and 40G product tiers, when the platform implements host networking)
USB4 Version 2.0 (e.g. 80 Gb/s class) when controllers and cable train that path

Same plugin UI for all of those. We report trained rate and lanes honestly. Port stickers (40 Gb/s, 80 Gb/s, etc.) are capability class — not a promise of full dual-lane TCP on every host-to-host pair. One cable, one peer, eth-like UX. Not dual-cable bonding for 2× bandwidth.

Plain USB 2/3 SuperSpeed-only ports (SS only, no Thunderbolt/USB4 host router) are out of scope — those never get thunderbolt_net.

INSTALLATION

Recommended (Community Applications)

Apps → Search Thunderbolt Net → Install

Alternatively, Manual setup (same plugin)

Plugins → Install Plugin, paste this URL:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ibigsnet/ThunderboltNet/main/thunderboltnet.plg

After install: Settings → Network Settings → Thunderbolt (and the tbn0 / tbn1 tabs when interfaces appear). Hard-refresh the browser after update if the UI looks stale.

WHAT IT DOES

Works across TB3 / TB4 / TB5 / USB4 / USB4 v2 hosts when Linux exposes them
Shows fabric: security, modules, peers, trained RX/TX and lanes (whatever rate the path actually trained)
Per-link settings like eth: enable, static IPv4/IPv6, MTU, optional bridge/VLAN notes
Unraid services listening on TB IPs (network-extra include), per-peer preferences, harden-all
Known peers memory (settings return when a peer reconnects)
Activity hints on live links
Honest link quality: trained first; single-lane on dual-capable hosts is common under Linux host-to-host

Default product path: one cable, one peer, static IP, MTU 1500 both ends for bulk (peer must match).

WHAT IT IS NOT

Not limited to “Thunderbolt 4 only” or “40G only” — same stack for older and newer generations Linux supports
Not dual-cable bonding to the same peer for 2× bandwidth (usually one netdev; bonding is experimental and often fails on thunderbolt_net)
Not a guarantee of dual-lane or full sticker TCP (e.g. 40G/80G class ports can still train 20 Gb/s · 1-lane; ~10–15 Gbit/s TCP is normal on that path)
Not a dock RJ45 “TB switch” — dock Ethernet is usually a USB/PCIe NIC; configure it like eth
Never unbind the Thunderbolt NHI “to reset” networking — that can wedge the controller until reboot

If dual-cable experiments wedged the fabric: unplug all TB/USB4 host cables from both ends on both machines, wait, plug exactly one cable, then reconfigure.

COMPATIBILITY

Plugin allows Unraid 6.12.0+. Developed and tested on Unraid 7.x (including 7.3.x). Needs a Thunderbolt-family or USB4 host controller that Linux exposes (not USB2/3-only SuperSpeed ports). Peer can be Linux (including another Unraid), macOS Thunderbolt Bridge, or Windows where host networking is available. Reports from TB3 through TB5 / USB4 v2 welcome.