USB 3 hub for Mac?

[Tanuki]

Does anybody know of a USB 3 hub that actually works on Mac? I've got a late 2012 Mac Mini and the ones I've tried are too lame to charge an iPad. They show up in the system info as USB 2. So I'll guess that it would require a unit that has external power. If you know about a brand which works, I'd appreciate hearing that.

Thanks

[zzm9980]

Does anybody know of a USB 3 hub that actually works on Mac? I've got a late 2012 Mac Mini and the ones I've tried are too lame to charge an iPad. They show up in the system info as USB 2. So I'll guess that it would require a unit that has external power. If you know about a brand which works, I'd appreciate hearing that.

Thanks

To charge an iPad you want a 2.1amp USB port. So just check the back of the box and see if the specs show that. It's generally something they will advertise. Also, sometimes only one one the ports will push out that much juice.

Also, you won't get USB3 speeds without a USB3 cable. It's the same form factor as USB and USB2, but blue (and has more wires).

Read this:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5172#3

The iPad should charge with a USB3 cable on the USB3 hub, but it'll be slower than the 2.1amp port.

[Tanuki]

To charge an iPad you want a 2.1amp USB port. So just check the back of the box and see if the specs show that. It's generally something they will advertise. Also, sometimes only one one the ports will push out that much juice.

Also, you won't get USB3 speeds without a USB3 cable. It's the same form factor as USB and USB2, but blue (and has more wires).

Read this:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5172#3

The iPad should charge with a USB3 cable on the USB3 hub, but it'll be slower than the 2.1amp port.

Yea, I've got USB 3 cables and all. Will look for the higher powered model.

Thanks!

[Steve1960]

If you find something please post back here. I bought a Belkin Thunderbolt docking station which claimed to have USB 3. Useful as my Mac is 3 years old and only has USB 2.

I thought USB 3 through Thunderbolt will be fantastic.....................little did I know. Rather little did I research before buying

The Belkin only supports half speed USB 3 and none of the ports have enough juice to charge an iPad

[Tanuki]

If you find something please post back here. I bought a Belkin Thunderbolt docking station which claimed to have USB 3. Useful as my Mac is 3 years old and only has USB 2.

I thought USB 3 through Thunderbolt will be fantastic.....................little did I know. Rather little did I research before buying

The Belkin only supports half speed USB 3 and none of the ports have enough juice to charge an iPad

Yea it's very difficult to tell for sure about some of the specs. I made sure the EpiCenter would refund my money if the one didn't work. As suspected it failed to register as 3.0 on my Mac Mini, but they did give me the refund. I haven't had time to head out shopping, but should get out later today. Will see what I can find and let you know.

[Tanuki]

If you find something please post back here. I bought a Belkin Thunderbolt docking station which claimed to have USB 3. Useful as my Mac is 3 years old and only has USB 2.

I took a look in Funan last night, though most shops were either closed or closing by the time I got there. Challenger has a ProLink hub that says it provides 900 mA to each port. That's a bit low and probably won't work as advertised, I'm guessing. A smaller shop on the 2nd floor had something the guy called a docking station. It ran HDMI, USB and other connections. Good power to the ports, but the thing costs $219 so I passed.

Most devices simply do not tell you the power specs on the box. I've searched a bit on QOO and found some that look like possibilities but there wasn't enough info to tell for sure. I guess the search will have to continue. Maybe I can make it over to Sim Lim next...

[zzm9980]

If you search Amazon for "iPad charging USB hubs" you'll find a few with power ratings listed. It might just be worth sucking it up and buying one + shipping.

[Tanuki]

If you search Amazon for "iPad charging USB hubs" you'll find a few with power ratings listed. It might just be worth sucking it up and buying one + shipping.

Good point! There seem to be some possibilities this way for sure. I'll be in Seattle for a few days next month so can try shipping it to my daughter's place. Amazon does have some good prices also!

I did get to Sim Lim yesterday. A couple places had hubs that "might" work, but they don't sell the power supply with them. I don't quite grasp the logic of selling the hubs and then trying to find a power supply later.

Thanks ZZM!

[Tanuki]

If you search Amazon for "iPad charging USB hubs" you'll find a few with power ratings listed. It might just be worth sucking it up and buying one + shipping.

After some more research, I found the following link to be a very helpful read:

http://plugable.com/2012/03/13/charging ... -a-usb-hub

So the Mac Mini, in my case, will deliver 1.1A charging to an iPad, but ONLY if it's plugged directly into the Mac itself. If the route goes through any other device, such as a USB hub, the power is less than that (which explains why the iPad says it's not charging. SO, I guess I'll grab one of these larger USB 3 hubs to use for everything other than the iPads. Not quite what I'd hoped, but it'll still work out.

Cheers!

[Steve1960]

Thanks for the updates. I am sticking with what I have. It is useful in terms of reducing the wires connected directly to the Mac and even at 50% of what it should run at the USB 3 ports are quite fast. Like you I just have to charge the iPad elsewhere.