Both USB-C and Thunderbolt use the same USB-C connection. The difference is that a “generic” USB-C connection typically provides 10Gbps of bandwidth, and Thunderbolt provides 40Gbps, with a road to 120Gbps with 2024’s Thunderbolt 5. On the hunt for a USB hub? We bought the top 11 models to test in a head-to-head showdown to see which are the best for various applications. These devices come in a vast array of designs and styles for all kinds of different purposes. Over the course of several weeks, we used each hub in the lab and at home to carefully inspect them for their ports and features, how well they travel, and their looks. In the end, we identified which models are the best overall, which is the best bargain, which is best for travel, and which are the best for specialized purposes. If you're using an external storage device – perhaps an NVMe drive you've put in one of the best SSD enclosures– you’d benefit a great deal from using a hub that supports 10 Gbps connections – alternatively known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 or USB 3.2 Gen 2. Unfortunately, very few USB hubs actually support these higher speeds and even fewer still support the 10 Gbps speed when it comes from a Type-A, rather than a Type-C, port. The self-powered USB hubs don’t have this problem for a pretty obvious reason. On the other hand, they are never cheap. Plus, you’ll have to deal with one more cord on your desk and go for a mission of finding a vacant power outlet every time you will be using it in a new location. So much for the portability, huh? But once you resolve these issues, you can use your hub to power and charge your devices with no concern over their impact on your computer.

The durable aluminum shell rounds out the features list and offers a sleek look. It matches particularly well with aluminum Chromebooks, laptops, and most MacBooks.Overall, Anker’s hub is well designed, with adequate spacing between the two 5Gbps USB-A ports. There’s also a 5Gbps USB-C connection for data, plus a second USB-C port for power input at up to 85W rated. (The charger allows up to 100W in, but supplies 85W.) An HDMI port allows for 4K/30Hz video or 1080p/60Hz video to a single external display, standard for the category. Ethernet is excluded, however, so you’ll need to use Wi-Fi instead. Cord length is about 8.5 inches, above the standard 6-inch length. Yes, but you must update to the latest version of the iPadOS. And due to the power input limit of iPad Pro, the maximum pass-through charging speed is 30W for an 11-inch iPad Pro and 35W for a 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Note: Almost all USB devices (especially printers) come with cables so short you'll need to buy longer USB cables, a.k.a. USB extenders. Choosing the best USB extender over cat5e for your scenario isn’t easy and depends mainly on the type of USB device you’re going to connect and physical distance. The standard USB/Ethernet extender cables commonly used for secure and fast data transfers are rather short. The reason for keeping USB extenders short is that the connection becomes less effective as the distance between devices increases. The range for effective communication can be increased with additional hardware. You can extend USB through Ethernet using cat5e or cat6 cables, network converters, and extension cables to allow more distant connectivity to USB devices.

IoT business automation requires communication with various IT assets and peripherals located across an enterprise. Digi AnywhereUSB® Plus remote USB hubs give users the simplest and most direct connection options for existing equipment with a variety of USB 3.1 Gen 1 port options. FlexiHub: Windows host device only, but any platform can remotely access the USB of the Windows host. Easiest setup. Cost-effective as it is priced by active connections, not total number of devices FlexiHub is installed on. Secure with 256-bit encryption. The USB-C Power Delivery input port supports up to 53W pass-through charging to your connected laptop when used with a 65W charger (not included). This means you can fully refuel a 2020 MacBook Air 13ʺ in just 2 hours.The TS3 Plus allows you to maximize the capabilities of a Thunderbolt 3 connection. It features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one DisplayPort 1.2 port, five USB 3.1 Type-A ports, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, an SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II), a Digital Optical Audio (S/PDIF) port 1x Gigabit, Ethernet, an Analog Audio In, and an Analog Audio Out port. Best of all, you get three display outputs, with a single 4K/60Hz HDMI 2.0, a lower-spec HDMI 1.4 and a 1440p-capable DisplayPort, giving you the option of using two or three screens at the same time. It might have been nice to have a faster 10Gbits/sec Type-C or Type-A port for your storage, but for connecting a laptop to a desktop setup, this is one of the best hubs around.