FAQ About Thunderbolt™ Share
Content Type: Product Information & Documentation | Article ID: 000098893 | Last Reviewed: 05/05/2026
Overview of Thunderbolt™ Share
The Thunderbolt™ Share is a software solution that takes advantage of Thunderbolt™ Networking’s technology for high bandwidth and ultra-low latency PC-to-PC networking, to deliver a set of new, unparalleled experiences. Thunderbolt™ Networking capabilities together with this software deliver the following use cases:
FAQ:
Q: Where can I find details about Thunderbolt™ Share?
A: www.ThunderboltShare.com
Q: What is the Operating System Supported for Thunderbolt Share?
A: Windows 11* and newer.
Q: How do I get Thunderbolt Share?
A: Thunderbolt Share is offered with new Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 PCs or with new Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 docks, monitors, or storage that are licensed for the software.
Users can download the software from Intel website or from the manufacturer website with the link that comes with their device. Download link is also available in the SW UI during the connection wizard process.
Q: Is the license required for both PCs connecting?
A: At least one of the PCs or Thunderbolt devices that are connected to one of the PCs needs to have a license. The application should be downloaded and installed on both computers in order to run this application.
Q: Can I buy a license for the software for my existing Thunderbolt PC or device?
A: Thunderbolt Share is offered only with new Thunderbolt products, so only new PCs, desktop or laptops or docking or monitors that are shipping with Thunderbolt parts in them can have a license.
Q: Is Thunderbolt™ Share backward compatible? Will it work with Older Thunderbolt PCs?
A: Any PC or accessory with TBT 4 or Thunderbolt 5 will work just fine. However, performance can vary on different platforms.
Q. What are Thunderbolt™ Share security and privacy features?
A:
Q: Is Thunderbolt™ certified the same as Thunderbolt™ Share licensed?
A: No. Thunderbolt™ Share licensed is not the same as Thunderbolt ™ certified. All PCs and accessories that use the Thunderbolt™ logo or icon are Thunderbolt™ certified; however, only select PCs or select Thunderbolt™ accessories where the manufacturer has licensed and enabled a specific product model will be Thunderbolt™ Share licensed.
Q: What PC-to-PC configurations does Thunderbolt™ Share support?
A: Thunderbolt™ Share is based upon the many configurations that Thunderbolt™ technology offers, including directly connecting two PCs via a Thunderbolt™ cable or through daisy chaining two PCs between a Thunderbolt™ accessory, such as a Thunderbolt™ dock or monitor.
Q: Does Thunderbolt™ Share screen sharing display HDCP content?
A: High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) content is not supported with Thunderbolt™ Share.
Q: If my PC has both discrete graphics and integrated graphics, which graphics does Thunderbolt™ Share use?
A: Thunderbolt™ Share is agnostic to the graphics card; however, Windows will default the integrated graphics to Thunderbolt™ Share. For this reason, it is recommended to update to the latest Intel® graphics driver for your PC.
Q: What happens when one of my PCs goes to Sleep?
A: When one PC goes to Sleep, Thunderbolt™ Share can no longer communicate with the other PC, and the connection is stopped. Once the other PC is woken back up, you may reconnect Thunderbolt™ Share manually by running the application or unplugging and reconnecting the Thunderbolt™ cable.
Windows User Authentication & Local Access: Leverages existing Windows security features like password protection and local access requirements for enhanced user control. Firewall Monitoring & Network Segmentation: Integrates with Windows Firewall (or compatible solution) to monitor network traffic and restrict access to authorized devices only.
Q: What performance should I expect from Thunderbolt™ Share?
A: Thunderbolt™ Share is built on Thunderbolt™ Networking, a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) networking technology optimized for high‑bandwidth, low‑latency PC‑to‑PC connectivity.
While Thunderbolt™ links support very high raw bandwidth, the actual data throughput you experience with Thunderbolt™ Share depends on the transport protocol, operating system networking stack, system configuration, and concurrent Thunderbolt port usage (such as displays or other devices).
Performance is expressed as an approximate guideline, not a guaranteed data rate.
Q: What are the expected throughput for Thunderbolt™ Share?
A: Typical observed throughput could be:
Actual results may vary depending on factors such as CPU load, memory performance, driver behavior, protocol overhead, and whether other Thunderbolt tunnels (for example, display or storage) are active. Throughput could be measured using tools such as iPerf.
Q: Why does Windows show a 20 Gbps link speed on Thunderbolt Networking Interface even on Thunderbolt™ 4 or 5 systems?
A: The link speed shown in the Windows network interface reflects the current operating system and driver implementation, not the maximum capability of the Thunderbolt hardware.
On Windows as of today, USB4 / Thunderbolt Networking interfaces report a fixed 20 Gbps link speed even on systems that support higher Thunderbolt bandwidth. This does not indicate a hardware limitation or malfunction, and it does not represent the maximum achievable throughput in all scenarios. It is just the way the operating system presents the interface.
Q: Does Thunderbolt™ Share guarantee a specific throughput (for example, 40 Gbps)?
A: No. Thunderbolt™ Share does not guarantee a certain throughput. Like other high‑performance networking technologies, throughput varies based on system configuration, workload, and usage conditions.
The “up to” values published for Thunderbolt™ Share are intended to describe typical capability ranges, not guaranteed performance levels.
Q: What is Thunderbolt Networking?
A: Thunderbolt Networking provides a standard IP networking interface and runs on the highly efficient, native Thunderbolt protocol.