Other World Computing has announced its newest tool for creative professionals and IT teams: the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dual 10GbE Network Dock. This dock is designed for people who need fast networking, plenty of ports, and the ability to keep complex setups clean and simple.
The dock provides two 10GbE Ethernet ports, a front-facing 2.5GbE port, three Thunderbolt 5 ports, and four USB 10Gb/s ports. Users can connect up to three independent networks or bond the dual 10-gig ports for 20Gb/s NAS access. On top of that, the dock can drive up to three 8K displays, power daisy chains of devices, and deliver workstation-class networking from a notebook computer.
Larry O’Connor, OWC’s founder and CEO, explained the philosophy behind it. “Our goal has always been to remove the friction that slows professionals down, or gets in the way of their doing their work,” he said. “With the Thunderbolt 5 Dual 10GbE Network Dock, we’re giving creatives, IT teams, and power users a smarter, faster, and cleaner way to connect everything they need, without the mess of extra adapters or compromises in speed.”
Guy Cochran, a veteran production consultant trusted by networks like ESPN and Disney, shared how it fits into real-world workflows. “We can run a live show with 11 cameras on an isolated NDI network, pull footage through the second 10-gig NIC connected to our NAS, plus hook up a second Thunderbolt display — all through a single Thunderbolt 5 cable while keeping the front 2.5GbE port available to run Dante,” he said.
Intel’s Ben Hacker also highlighted what Thunderbolt 5 brings to the table. “Thunderbolt 5 opens up entirely new possibilities for creative and production workflows, and OWC’s new dock really showcases that. By combining downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports with additional USB connectivity, it gives pros the flexibility to connect everything they need without compromise. And for teams working with high-performance NAS solutions like the OWC Jellyfish, this is a game-changer — unlocking the bandwidth and responsiveness they’ve been waiting for in video and collaborative workflows.”
Detailed specifications
The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dual 10GbE Network Dock is packed with features that make it one of the most versatile options on the market:
- Networking: two 10GbE (10GBASE-T) ports powered by a Marvell AQC113 controller and one 2.5GbE (2.5GBASE-T) port via Realtek RTL8156BG. Supports 10Gb/s, 5Gb/s, 2.5Gb/s, 1Gb/s, and 100Mb/s speeds. IEEE 802.1AB and 802.1Qav standards are supported.
- Thunderbolt and USB: one host Thunderbolt 5 port with up to 80Gb/s bi-directional bandwidth and 120Gb/s display throughput, plus three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports. There’s also one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, each supporting up to 10Gb/s (1250MB/s) and backwards compatibility with USB 2.0/3.0.
- Power: Thunderbolt 5 device ports deliver 15W of power for external drives and other gear.
- Display support: up to three 8K displays at 60Hz, two 8K at 120Hz, or three 4K at 144Hz. Displays can connect via Thunderbolt 5 or DisplayPort 2.1 over USB-C.
- Chipsets: Thunderbolt (Barlow Ridge JHL-9480), USB 3.2 (GL3590), USB 2.0 (Fresco Logic FL5801).
- Host interface compatibility: Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3 (Mac only), and USB4.
- Operating system support: macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia, Windows 11, and Linux.
The dock uses a fanless aluminum enclosure to stay cool and silent, which should appeal to audio engineers and video editors who want speed without noise.
The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dual 10GbE Network Dock is available now for $499.
