Some devices not recognized on a TP-Link 7 port USB hub connected to a new Mac mini through a Dell Thunderbolt Hub monitor

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Some devices not recognized on a TP-Link 7 port USB hub connected to a new Mac mini through a Dell Thunderbolt Hub monitor

I just migrated from an Intel iMac running Ventura to a Mac Mini Pro 4 running Tahoe 26.3. The migration process went smoothly.

I have a Dell Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor U2725QE connected to the mini.

I am using the connections on the Dell monitor to connect the following devices to the mini:

Spyder Pro 5

Wacom Intuos BT S

I have 2 WD Elements 2tb drives connected to the mini through USB C connectors.

All of the devices are recognized and perform properly.

I have a TP-Link 7 port USB 3.0 hub connected with a 3.0 USB A to the Dell monitor.

I have the following items attached to the hub:

Crucial 2tb SSD USB C to USB A. Recognized and functioning properly.

San Disk Cruzer 64gb FAT 32 that is mounted and can be viewed in Finder. However on re-boot the OS changes the name to "No Name" instead of what I named it.

2 PNY 32gb FAT32 drives that will not mount or show up in Finder.

An Epson Perfection V850 Pro Scanner that is not recognized by the system and does not show up in the Printers and Scanners dialogue so I can add it.

The TP-Link hub is plug and play and according to their website, is compatible with Tahoe.

My dilemma is why is the name changing on one drive after reboot and why only two devices work on the hub and the others don't. This same set up worked for years on the iMac.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Connected TP-Link 7 port USB hub showing some devices but not all in finder, on new Mac Mini connected through ports on Dell Thunderbolt Hub monitor.

Mac mini (M4 Pro, 2024)

Posted on Feb 19, 2026 10:32 AM

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Answer 1

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Servant of Cats

Level 8

36,575 points

Feb 19, 2026 10:43 AM in response to rjserneels

Does the TP-Link 7-port USB-A hub have its own power source?

If not, that may be the problem. Many USB drives will draw nearly the entire amount of power available on a USB 2 or USB 3 port, leaving virtually nothing for an unpowered hub, and nothing for any other devices attached to it.

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Answer 2

Camelot

Level 9

58,851 points

Feb 19, 2026 10:46 AM in response to rjserneels

What's the model number of the hub, and more importantly, it is a powered hub? or passive?

I'm guessing with that number of ports it's powered, but you don't specifically say so. If it isn't powered, and it's retying on power from the host system, it may not have enough power to drive all the devices, especially the scanner, which is likely to have a much higher power draw than the flash drives.

One way to check is to unplug the devices that are working to see if the non-functioning devices 'wake up'.

You can also plug the devices directly into your Mac to see if that helps (may need a USB A-> C adapter?)

Another place to look in in System Information.app -> USB where you can see the USB device tree (what the OS thinks is connected), along with the power requirements for each device.

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Answer 3

MartinR

Level 7

24,774 points

Feb 19, 2026 11:06 AM in response to rjserneels

rjserneels wrote:

My dilemma is why is the name changing on one drive after reboot and why only two devices work on the hub and the others don't. This same set up worked for years on the iMac.

Take out the hub and connect each of the "problem" USB devices - one at a time - directly to the mini. If they all work that way, then the hub is the problem ... or the combo of the hub connected to the Dell monitor.

SanDisk Cruzer
2 PNY 32GB drives
Epson V850 scanner

Also, regarding the V850 you have to install the Epson drivers.

Why is it different on the new mini vs. your old Intel iMac? Could be for many reasons, potentially some arcane.

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