USB Hubs For Mac Explained: Don't WASTE your MONEY!

[@KyleErickson]

Hey everyone! There's a few follow up videos I made to this one: 2023 USB Hubs Explained Refresh is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6DFoWaNncaHgq8 (all new USB hubs in this one!) Premium USB Hubs Explained is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4jdqoVtjq2ZZpY (all thunderbolt drives!)

[@Mark-kq6ch]

Do you think I'm playing Russian Roulette with an Anker Hub with passthrough power? I opted to get one without passthrough because of all the warnings, but a hub wit passthrough power would certainly be easier. Thanks for the video.

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@duke8389]

@KyleErickson are you able to connect to your external ssd on your network from another computer? If so, how? I'm not sure of the correct configuration to get it to show up. I'm using a 2017 Macbook Pro with an 8tb G-Raid ssd attached thru the usb port of an AirPort Extreme. It works fine connected directly to the Mac, but isn't visible when connected to the Extreme, and doesn't show up on Disk Utility. It does power on when connected both thru the Extreme.

[@oneway23]

This fella is great...no hyperbole, no yelling, very pragmatic and down to earth. Not everyone needs the fastest and bestest, at all times, in every scenario. I'm convinced half of these KZbin reviewers (at least the ones who actually have to buy the products in their videos) spend more than they actually need to and then make videos telling their viewers that they absolutely NEED to run out and buy XYZ as soon as they possibly can, when, 95% of users likely don't need half of the performance on offer and could've saved themselves some money. Anyway, great job...keep it up!

[@thebeatmajors_yt]

Bruh what 😂 you need to watch more adults on KZbin LMAO

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@bryans8656]

For a while I was triple booting between a Mac PC, a Windows PC, and a Raspberry Pi 4. I found the easiest way to access all my peripherals (keyboard, mouse, storage, etc.) was to have them all connected to an 8-port powered USB 3 hub. That way all I had to do was swap one cable from the hub to the PC I wanted to use, giving me access to everything.

[@GiffMeChakraMagic]

Which one did you buy. I sometimes have problems with these junk ports… not everything worked there like plugging them directly on the PC-USB

[@bryans8656]

@@GiffMeChakraMagic I got the Atolla 7-Port USB Data Hub Splitter from Amazon in March of 2021 and it still works fine.

[@linpray]

We provide USB4 20V 5A 240W 100W PD Fast Charging USB3 Gen1 Gen2 Gen3 VR cable ! HDMI/Thuderbolt4 Thuderbolt3 Cable/DP2.1 DP2 / VR Cable/9 in 1 HUB 9 in 2 HUB with dual/single Type C.

[@mrjenybean]

you're lighting is incredible man! well done! super slick

[@bmiller949]

Your approach is spot on. Break it down to components and buy the components you need. Establish the core needs and discard what you can. This is where the savings is located.

[@ramblingsofacaticorn497]

I really loved how efficiently you broke down the information, thank you for this video, I am the type of person who would have gone with something low end without knowing the pros and cons and regretted it later.

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@albyx]

I own that mid-tier Anker hub (the 8-in-1) and honestly my goal was to have the best hub for travel. You definitely don't need that expensive Razer dock when you're traveling. Kudos for highlighting the Anker.

[@servusdedurantem]

bought the Anker one and am satisfied with the purchase works flawless

[@tlingit]

Wow. Great video. You gave just enough detail to let us know where you are coming from and why you recommend what you recommend, and it definitely evoked trust. Thank you for this.

[@peterwilliamson2965]

Thanks!

[@KyleErickson]

Appreciate this!!

[@ScottWakeman119]

This is absolutely 100% on point! I have a Macbook Pro 16" 2019 for work. I picked up a Lemorele TC44 hub a few months back. Bad choice! Reviews were fairly good and it had all features I needed, including a LAN port. Problems started when suddenly accessories attached to it just disconnected. Sometimes they came back, sometimes they didn't. About a month ago ALL attachments glitched simultaneously. Half the hub is now useless. LAN port is dead. One USB 3 port is dead. HDMI port is dead. No damage to the Mac TG, but it did fry a pricey BT headset dongle. Literally burned it out. Supposed to be warranted for one year but Lemorele looks to have gone in to hiding as they're not responding to any of my attempts to contact them. AVOID LEMORELE PRODUCTS!

[@mattymattttttttt]

Didn’t watch this video through but for sure, i can attest to this comment that it’s generally a poopshow out there anyone looking for a carefree experience. I had a hootoo 7in1 hub, and it wrecked an external ssd and ever since i’ve only used usb c to usb a adapters for any sort of data since. I remember it also quite hot in regular use (just power passthrough and say, a mouse adapter). The sd card broke down a long time ago too. This thing was 89 cad and it was one of the better and more expensive hubs back when the 2016 macbook pro came out, hoping that an insulation of money would help ease doubts. Why doesn’t apple make a 7in1 or anything more than an hdmi/usb/passthrough? There’s probably a reason for that and the truth is frustrating.

[@ianvincent6670]

Thank goodness I saw these comments b4 buying that brand!

[@slwtgf]

Thank you very much- I can’t believe I bought a refurbished iMac Pro book, initially a 2017, so it’s exactly as ya describe. I was (and still am) confused slightly , but more knowledgeable! And you saved MUCH trouble, so this is greatly appreciated info this past weekend..

[@ivorjizzload5643]

Apple: How would you like it if I built you a nice posh house and only put two outlets in the whole house because I was paranoid about spoiling the sleek smooth lines of the walls and told you to use extensions with multiple sockets?

[@toptiertech7291]

That analogy doesn’t work. In a house you could be in a different room where there’s no outlets. With a MacBook you can always have a hub with your MacBook. It would be more like if there was only 1 outlet in each room

[@ivorjizzload5643]

@toptiertech7291 How inconvenient is it to carry a hub around when you're out and about when they could easily build into the device all that's needed. The mere fact you're suggesting a hub means the device is short on outlets. If it wasn’t you would be pointing out how abundant they are.

[@paracordwizard]

Excellent video on a very important topic, prepared and delivered professionally and quality. Considering how fast the standards and the technology have. progressed in the past 5 years I decided to future proof to some degree my choice of hubs and docking stations today, which does mean a compromise on the higher cost. I decided to go with the Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 dock. While it has fewer ports (11) than some other brands, it is reliable, robust, and well made. While some users might complain about it not having an HDMI connector, it really should not be a concern because all the quality monitors since 2019 have come with USB-C outputs. For older monitors, there are zillions of low cost video adapter connectors. *One important note I have for users considering the Caldigit TS4 docking station: It has a significant issue with Mac M1 computers where external drives and other peripherals are unmounted when the Mac comes out of sleep mode. The problem has been acknowledged by Caldigit which is working on a fix.

[@Greebstreebling]

The big problem with USb cables and many hubs, is that manufacturers usually don't specify if they meet the USB standard. Part of the USB standard is that the total current drawn by devices connected to an unpowered hub is 500mA, so if you're using an unpowered hub to provide power to a USB device, you need to know what power will be drawn. That's why most USB hard drives need to be connected via a powered hub. Software such as USB Tree View is available for free and analyses the connections you make, including the power any device is drawing. Another thing to watch out for with USB 3 is that it can cause electrical interference, which can for instance manifest itself as poor image quality on nearby computer monitors.

[@leholie93]

I was going to buy the Satechi Type C Mac mini Hub and this comment scares me so much 🥲

[@simpleedge]

This was super helpful. I have wasted so much money over the years buying these hubs only to find out that it didn’t solve all of my requirements. I ended up landing on the Anker 8-in-1 and I’m very happy. Thanks!

[@vag4lvevo22]

For me to use the device does it needs to be plug in to the outlet? Or i can just plug it into the computer and use it?

[@jc3209]

I'm seeing reviews about the Anker hub frying laptops/macbooks. Any experience with this?

[@Bonjour-World]

I do not have a MAC but the video proved useful as I just ordered a used Dell XPS 17 with four TB4 ports. When I went to look at connecting my HDMI KVM, monitors and wired LAN things started getting very confusing. What I really wanted was something that I could attach to the back side of a monitor and just run one TB4 cable from the laptop to the monitor.

[@dr.alihanoosh5763]

I’m new to this channel, but so far I’m liking it a lot. Simple, practical and to the point. Keep up the good work 👍🏻 Also, would love to see your take on some hub-SSD enclosure combo. I see conflicting views on the Acasis 10 in one hub. I would trust your views on it (or similar products). Thanks

[@linpray]

We provide USB4 20V 5A 240W 100W PD Fast Charging USB3 Gen1 Gen2 Gen3 VR cable ! HDMI/Thuderbolt4 Thuderbolt3 Cable/DP2.1 DP2 / VR Cable/9 in 1 HUB 9 in 2 HUB with dual/single Type C.

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@dalerrogers]

Thanks for taking the time to review all the gear.

[@ce9916]

Only 9000 subscribers? Wow I’m catching you early. I was sure you were one of these KZbinrs with 1,000,000+ subscriptions. Thanks for the great and thorough content

[@james804pierce]

Incredible video that saved me A LOT of time. This is a perfectly executed YT video!! Thank you Kyle! I am now a subscriber to your channel!

[@jlozmultimedia]

You are correct stuck in a whirlwind of different USB hubs and shopping.. Thank u, some Important and Great key points..

[@MarcosThompson]

Very helpful video. I'm currently using a Dell dock station (WD22TB4) that I had for my previous laptop and now it's connected to my MacBook Pro 14" with an M1 processor. What I like: - Charges my MacBook - USB C and USB A ports - Thunderbolt ports (USB C) - Ethernet jack - Dual display ports + HDMI port - Sleek design, very quiet - No lags or freezes What I don't like: - Due to a problem with M1 processors, I can't use two monitors directly on the display ports or HDMI. It works on regular notebooks, not on the M1. I got it working with a workaround: Using a HDMI USB-C adapter on the thunderbolt port. - Lack of headphone jack - Only 2 USB-A in the back For reference: I'm using a 4k ultrawide monitor and a regular full HD one.

[@leventeberdock355]

amazing introductory video, easy to follow and precise. I kinda get where i should be aiming with the payload thank you

[@gregallenphoto]

Great content mate. Excellent production quality.

[@UsmanAsadIsKing]

A nice high quality video, straight to the point with good content. Keep it up!

[@alrichmond4341]

Excellent wrap, brilliantly well presented. Well done you and thank you.

[@bcmprgraphics6378]

I went with the OWC Thunderbolt Hub, OWC Dual HDMI, and the OWC Travel Dock. This has given me all the expandability I need for a 2-monitor studio setup running a midi controller and audio interface while still handling external drives and memory cards. I'm really happy with the quality. My first hubs from amazon felt cheap and they would overheat. These OWC docks are built solid and are fast. Pricey though. Total cost was just under $350.

[@Cruzan9]

That brand was my first choice but my wallet cried bloody murder. I kept it under $100. As for pricier accessories, I got an an NVMe drive I otherwise wouldn't have gotten were it not for Cyber Monday sales.

[@sidensvans67]

I too have bought from OWC . Excellent equipment Imo .

[@bacon_girl1155]

Thanks, Kyle! Very helpful and explained clearly.

[@SaltPapiii]

I was about to buy a device that I didn't know it only supports 60hz. Good thing I came across with this vid. I'll just be sticking with HDMI instead. You helped me saving few bucks. You deserve a subscribe and a like for this vid!

[@vlad_o_sh]

Excellent Video Kyle. I am a kind of techy person but the USB Hub thing always confused me. Your video is well-made and I feel like now I know everything I need to know to make an informed decision. Thumbs up for your good work!

[@CJKnowsTECH]

Hey what mic audio setup are you using?👀 Your audio sounds good, Thanks

[@KyleErickson]

Check out my latest studio setup video from 3 or 4 weeks ago😉

[@CJKnowsTECH]

@@KyleErickson Lol I found it right after writing the comment😂

[@loganrunaways]

Been using that Anker one for a couple months. It’s great, and transfers between my iPad Pro and MacBook without issue.

[@KianSh]

Kyle this is the first video I watched from you and it is amazing, I've never knew anything about all these info before and wasted couple hundreds bucks so far, but now I know what to buy, thank you :)

[@davidinterian]

thank you! I just get my first Mac ( company machine) and this video helps a lot! there is a lot of stuff to learn. I have used windows for 15 years.

[@spht9ng]

@D M Macs have lots of great software. Especially video or music production software like Logic Pro X or Final Cut Pro which are not available on Windows. If you use other production software like Adobe products, Blender, Unity or Unreal Engine, almost all of it is available on Mac as well. Also, if you're going to be developing iOS apps, it's very clunky to do so without a Mac. Also, MacOS is Unix-based which means you have a Unix terminal built in by default with no download or installation needed so MacOS is a favorite especially for Web developers who often use VIM or eMacs for text-editing or other command-line development tools. There are uses for computers beyond video games.

[@waynesimmons2]

Phenomenal video man great work honestly

[@KyleErickson]

Appreciate it!

[@aravinddnivara803]

Very useful and important video for folks who invested money on a new laptop especially wren it comes to powered devices.

[@JohnMitchellCalif]

new to the channel. Your material is extremely clear! I love you give opinions. Subscribed!

[@tf2694]

Great, well formatted Video. Thank you!

[@LeChimp-jg6fh]

Thanks Kyle. Awesome vid. I was super confused before watching this.

[@heitorlipsky7512]

FIrst time I see one of your reviews. Nice job delivering useful information and doing eviews that do add value and are worthwhile to follow.

[@colleenmeas1996]

Great video! Thanks for sharing relevant information and real life scenarios and various options to go with each. We need more videos like this!

[@Lauti-10]

Sweet video man, thanks for the heads up! going to Best Buy today to pick one up!

[@roberttorres15]

Awesome video as always bro! USB Hubs are a must have💯

[@danielmahathir4001]

hey kyle. subscribe. a refreshing take on how u put across reviews. very mkbhd. love it. cheers from malaysia

[@portralight]

thank you for all the helpful info

[@mohawk14616]

Here’s one for you, I would like one with no dongle. I want to use my own cable. Great video. I subscribed. KZbin recommended you. Luckily! Thanks for what you do for our community.

[@lifeisthatshort]

You nailed the thumbnail man. Thanks for this great video👍

[@maddoxtom]

Excellent vid, just what I was looking for thanks from 🇬🇧

[@tirosc]

If you are a multi pc user, i recommend whole heartedly Caldigit TS4 dock. It’s greatest strength no techtubers talk about is the usb c compatibility. No, not just USB 3.2 but normal USB 3.0 as well. I use it with 3 computers: 1 MBP that uses TB4, 1 Ryzen laptop that uses USB3.2 and desktop that uses USB3(just for the usb devices, not display).

[@AbhinavKaiser]

I second TS4. Amazing dock that works well with Mac and Windows. I am surprised that it was not covered in this video.

[@Soulsorts]

what a great help this has been, Kyle, many many thanks!

[@jeffdrew625]

Features & ports, oh my! Nice & helpful video, thx! Subscribed!

[@MrDodavis61]

Thanks never did understand this stuff, but more educated on it now. Great job 👏!!

[@RossNavalRandom]

Dude, u have helped me a lot. Thank you so much!

[@oloidhexasphericon5349]

Targus makes decent docks -- multiple 4k@60 monitors, ethernet, audio, multiple charging ports

[@DaveSoltura]

Saved many of us hours/days of research. Thank you!

[@AlppleJuice]

This was extraordinarily helpful. Thank you

[@ZabaduTube]

Great video, thanks! Super helpful - appreciate your content!

[@scootdub]

Super informative. Thanks for sharing!

[@Jack-ez2xq]

I use Dell USB-C docks with my M1 to power three monitors through display link, and its quite good.

[@urumps9922]

The video I am looking for! Thanks!

[@tomarmstrong1281]

As something of a dummy with an iPad Pro wanting a port to dabble with sound and video recording, and having been confused with other advice vids, I thought "oh goody this will give me the information I want" sadly it simply added to my confusion.

[@oliver8156]

I mean.. the title of the video starts with "USB Hubs for Mac", not "iPad Pro"

[@daniel_tenner]

Worth bearing in mind with the high end ones, that the Thunderbolt limit applies overall to all the devices plugged into the hub. This can start to hit hard when you (as I do) have 2 4k Displays via USB-C plugged into the hub. Each of those will gobble up 10 gbps of your theoretical 40 gbps at thunderbolt 4 speeds. If you're like me and you'r excessive you might then want to wire up your DSLR to also do streaming through this hub. That starts to eat up the remaining bandwidth. Now, on the other hand, if you plug the camera recording device straight into one of the free MBP ports, suddenly the problem goes away because they each have their own 40gbps of bandwidth. So in short, if you have a lot of high bandwidth applications you may not be able to run it all through a single hub and may need to use some of the additional ports on the MBP directly to take some load off the hub. Atm I gave up on the streaming setup (too many cables, too messy, too fiddly, etc) and I have my 2x 4k monitors plus an SSD on the hub (plus everything else - 1GBPS fibre connection, sound, peripherals, etc) on there, and one working SSD directly into a mbp port.

[@geoff4705]

Super-helpful, and well-produced video!

[@rickycgarrett]

Bought the Anker 8-in-1 from your link. It’s now $49.99 and that’s a great deal

[@cmykimberly]

Awesome video. Got my eye on that anker dock and its half price on prime day so I'm thinking of treating myself to that and a monitor.

[@sriramgiri3807]

Very helpful! Thank you and just what I needed to decide on a USB hub

[@KyleErickson]

No problem! I’m dropping a video next week as well talking about some premium ones as well if you’re still unsure!

[@Allenvisuals]

Best video out there on this topic… awesome!

[@captdave-vh3xp]

Thank you so much for your advice, Sir!

[@russmaleartist]

Very good video . . . clear, precise, well thought through presentation!

[@TheProductCritiques]

Hey there, Kyle Erickson here! Thanks for the informative video on USB hubs; it's always a headache to choose the right one. I appreciate your breakdown of the different categories and specs. I'm currently in the market for a mid-tier hub, and the Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB hub sounds promising. The 10 gigabits per second transfer speeds and the variety of ports seem ideal for my needs. However, I'm curious about its compatibility with Macs. Have you tested it on the latest macOS versions, and did you encounter any compatibility issues? Your insights would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work on your tech-related content! 🚀

[@tjtrolley719]

You're really smart! Very helpful! Thank you!

[@AlexeiAnisimov]

Awesome review mate - thanks 🙏

[@_DrumsArt]

For the original Macbook M1. Singular usb hubs burn the battery. The Tobenone having two dedicated usb thunderbolts to send power to the power cable for the laptop prevented that.

[@bobbyv3]

CalDigit TB4 Hub. Done. You're welcome. Get the dock if they have it in stock; it's amazing.

[@thiswastaigemedia]

Kyle, thanks for making this video. Anker was a great suggestion!

[@KyleErickson]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!

[@laurielyon7740]

Another great clip! Info galore.

[@sulogno]

An important topic brilliantly done!

[@lesliew3971]

Good video, thanks. I appreciate that your music was very low, many people have it set too high and use an annoying loop.

[@theyeshhh]

Great explanation. Awesome video. I subbed :)

[@Nikolatetios]

Many precious data. Thank you!

[@alexadelaide]

3:43 RIP bottom outlet

[@naamamaria4188]

Anker 8in1 is indeed a good mid-buget choice. I got Anker 8in1 after going through exactly what you said: hours of research, decision paralizis, real headache))) One thing I don't like about it- it gets very very hot almost immediately and with any kind of use.

[@izraelsil]

im thinking of getting a similar hub, but what charger could you use to power the hub ?

[@naamamaria4188]

@@izraelsil I'm afraid to fry the MacBook, so I never connect charger through this hub.

[@Madhukirtan]

@@naamamaria4188 That's exactly my fear with this brand new MacAir M1 that I bought last week! I think I will not be brave enough to buy the Ugreen... I'm just confused why he did not mention Satechi and Belkin, the ones that Apple officially suggests! Any intake on it? Thanks!

[@MikexMorgan]

Thanks Kyle, this is a brilliantly helpful video. I appreciate it!

[@luciano.armani]

such a needed video. ive been going crazy to find something decent that can do 4k60 and have some functionality besides that.

[@KyleErickson]

Thanks for watching!

[@Galileocrafter]

For TB 4 also consider the CalDigit TS4 instead of the Razer dock. I've had the TS3 Plus for forever and the TS2 before that and they're solid and very reliable docks.

[@user-nn4yb6vv8u]

hey there I want to get the cal digit ts3 plus, would I be able to get 4k 120hz using dp 1.4 on this? Id like to pair my MacBook with an fo48u monitor.

[@Galileocrafter]

@@user-nn4yb6vv8u As far as I know, the TS3 Plus uses an Alpine Ridge Thunderbolt chipset. Which only supports DisplayPort v1.2, so no 4K@120Hz is not possible. Also I don't know which MacBook you are referring to, they too have different Thunderbolt chipsets. You at least need a MacBook with TB3 Titan Ridge chipset or TB4 and a dock with TB3 Titan Ridge chipset or TB4. Or said differently, your whole chain from MacBook to monitor needs to be at least DisplayPort v1.4.

[@user-nn4yb6vv8u]

@@Galileocrafter ah that's unfortunate, thanks for the info I think I should go for the TS4

[@blackice214]

Yup I just got the TS4 from my job and it’s a dream, have eth 2.0 and TB4 going to two 4K monitors from my mac and one other monitor for my iPad all the in the same doc charging 😂

[@user-nn4yb6vv8u]

@@blackice214 😂 you just sold me the ts4

[@BernardBertrand]

thank you , really informative

[@BryceDoesLife]

fantastic video

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Subbed! Excellent tips and need some USB C to USB hub for new MBP computer.

[@cryptosig283]

Rule of thumb, just stay away from pass through hubs …. If you need the extra thunderbolt ports, just get like a caldigit or something

[@markdjolly]

Clear, thorough, useful. Thank you.

[@mehradghast775]

Thx .Nice easy beginners guide. helped plenty!

[@cmgerner]

what about caldigit, owc or plugable?

[@aplanebagel]

Thanks for the info ! cheers!

[@zurvey]

Thank you for this video. My own research led to me buying the Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB Hub. I'm relieved you recommend it too. BTW,yYou talk as if transfer speed only applies to moving files. If you want to plug an HD or 4K camera into your Mac to use as a video camera using something like the Elgato Cam Link 4K, then you'll need a hub with fast transfer speeds for that as well. At any rate, great video. I liked and subscribed.

[@RayFusco]

Super helpful - thank you!

[@SebVEVO]

Thx for honest review. Even with good brands, I am still afraid of that passthrough charging option but I might go with the Anker option I think.

[@psimel14]

@KyleErickson can you make a new video about? Last 2 years and thunderbold 5 in macbooks pro. Update video!

[@KyleErickson]

I'm working on a thunderbolt 5 video right now! haha

[@laurielyon7740]

Good clip……well presented…….good info…….thank you!

[@montyksycki4092]

Thanks For Sharing!!! Have a GREAT DAy!!!