Why is it always so difficult to buy computer parts that actually work properly?
I have a computer that has USB 3.2 Gen2x2 built in. This is a recently modern version of USB that supports transfers at up to 20Gbps (twenty giga bits per sec). That is quite fast. It has USB type A sockets (the rectangular ones) that run at 5 Gbps or 10Gbps and Type C (the modern reversible sockets) that run at 20 Gbps. Some on the back of the case and some on the front. And they work. Really well. I have an 1TB external SSD that really works at 10 Gbps and file transfers are faultless.
I could do with more sockets on the front and as I have fast USB I bought a fast USB hub from The People’s Tat Palace, eBay. It’s Gen 2x1 so 10 Gbps with 2x type A and 2x type C. Ideal. If only it actually worked. It runs fine at 5 Gbps and sometimes at 10 Gbps. Essentially 10 Gbps operation is unreliable and often fails during a file copy. That makes it useless because I cannot trust it. I’ve started the return and refund process with eBay but the vendor (like many modern Chinese drop shippers is being awkward.)
So I am looking for a Gen 2x1 hub with A and C sockets. Do you have one that actually works reliably? If so what is the make and model. The motherboard USB 3.2 Gen2x1 works perfectly so it must be possible to buy a hub that works?
Firstly I never bought anything…but I looked in the past for one and concluded it was a minefield, unless I wanted to pay a fortune for a Thunderbolt 4 one…
The next cheapest option was a “docking station” style usb c hub. Anker make some and generally an okay brand. Particularly if bought from amazon so you can return it easily if it doesn’t do what one expects. An Icydock one looked nice, quite compact and I’ve had icydock things in the past (15 years old) and they were good. I can’t find/remember the model number, and perhaps these days they’re all the same with a different logo on the front.
But as I say, I never bought anything so this is as good as you’re own internet research…
I think that info is exceptionally valuable and incisive. Minefield is probably the best description. Anyway there’s full refund on its way and the offending item on its way back.
I have a Dell Thunderbolt docking stage for my work laptop. It works perfectly driving multiple 5Gbps USB ports, 2x DP monitors, 1Gbps Ethernet and audio and … and … But when I first started using Thunderbolt back end of 2018 I think there were Thunderbolt driver updates and firmware updates weekly. It took a while to settle down.
I have another Gen 2x1 hub to try from The People’s Tat Palace. If that is no good then I may buy a USB3.2 Gen 1 hub and live the snail like 5Gbps performance
