Sporadic issue with USB-C hub; does choice of MBP port matter?

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Sporadic issue with USB-C hub; does choice of MBP port matter?

I have a 2019 16” MBP. This model has four USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Three weeks ago I purchased from Amazon an “AUKEY USB C Hub 8-in-1 with 4K HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, 3 USB 3.0, 100W PD Charging and SD&Micro SD Card Reader USB C Adapter”. I have numerous USB devices ... and I prefer a wired Ethernet connection — so I’m using the hub with my power plug, wired Ethernet, and one or more USB devices. I use one of the remaining ports on the MBP for video output.

The hub has been working great but for two incidents that resulted in the MBP no longer charging, the USB devices disconnecting, and network connectivity being disrupted. Both times, disconnecting and reconnecting the hub resolved the issue. I doubt it’s significant but the only thing I recall doing right before the incidents occurred was playback of some of my videos in the Photos app. OTOH, I’ve played back videos many other times from the Photos app, without incident.

So I’m now wondering if it’s the hub or the MBP that is at fault — or whether the choice of the MBP port I have the hub plugged into is important. The issue is so sporadic that’s it’s difficult to troubleshoot within the 30 days I have to return the hub to Amazon.

I recall reading somewhere that the MBP’s ports are not equal; e.g., the power plug is best placed in one of the two ports on either the left or right side. Does anyone recall reading that?

Posted on Feb 15, 2021 4:02 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 17, 2021 5:43 PM in response to cg_waters

Hey cg_waters,

We understand you've purchased a hub for your MacBook Pro, and it sporadically will disconnect without warning.

To answer your question regarding the ports, all 4 ports on your Mac are wired with the same capabilities so one port would not be better than any other. That being said, if you always plug into one specific port and notice the issue disappears when using another, it may be indicative of an issue with that specific port on your Mac.

Given the intermittent nature of the issue, and that it is isolated to the port or adapter, we'd recommend resetting the SMC on your Mac. Then, if possible use a different port to isolate the issue down to just the adapter. Should it present on a different port as well after a SMC reset, it's likely a problem with the adapter.

How to reset the SMC of your Mac

Feel free to reply to this post if you have any further questions.

Reply

Answer 2

Feb 17, 2021 5:43 PM in response to cg_waters

Hey cg_waters,

We understand you've purchased a hub for your MacBook Pro, and it sporadically will disconnect without warning.

To answer your question regarding the ports, all 4 ports on your Mac are wired with the same capabilities so one port would not be better than any other. That being said, if you always plug into one specific port and notice the issue disappears when using another, it may be indicative of an issue with that specific port on your Mac.

Given the intermittent nature of the issue, and that it is isolated to the port or adapter, we'd recommend resetting the SMC on your Mac. Then, if possible use a different port to isolate the issue down to just the adapter. Should it present on a different port as well after a SMC reset, it's likely a problem with the adapter.

How to reset the SMC of your Mac

Feel free to reply to this post if you have any further questions.

Reply

Sporadic issue with USB-C hub; does choice of MBP port matter?

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