sasmimo
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Way of working of chains - HD order

Hi,

 

I've googled a bit, but I've not been able to understand well the way thunderbolt chains work. My need is this: I have a Thunderbolt Display, and I would like to connect 2 thunderbolt external drives (1st as a working drive and 2nd as a time machine drive). Due to "logistics" on my desk, my ideal configuration would be: macbook Air on the left, connected to the thunderbolt monitor at its right, then from the monitor connection to the 1st (working) drive, and from this drive connection to the second (backup) drive.

 

1) is this feasible, or is there any reason why I should arrange it differently? Usually. I work by using both the thunderbolt  monitor and the MacBook Air display active.

2) is there for thunderbolt drives the need for a removal procedure like for USB ones, or I can simply detach the MacBook Air from thunderbolt connection when I need to use the MacBook as a standalone?

 

Thanks,

 

Sasmimo

Posted on Aug 23, 2016 12:11 AM

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sasmimo

Q: Way of working of chains - HD order

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  • by stuckboss,

    stuckboss stuckboss Aug 23, 2016 2:16 PM in response to sasmimo
    Community Specialists
    Aug 23, 2016 2:16 PM in response to sasmimo

    Hi sasmimo,

     

    I understand that you have some questions about using a Thunderbolt Display and multiple external hard drives in a Thunderbolt chain. I know it's nice to be able to easily connect all of your devices, so I'm happy to clarify this further for you.

     

    For the configuration that you've described, which is from a MacBook Air to a Thunderbolt Display to two external hard drives, you should have no problem. While multiple devices on a chain may impact performance, this few devices should present no noticeable problems. You can read more about using Thunderbolt in this way here:

    OS X El Capitan: About Thunderbolt

    About connecting multiple Thunderbolt devices

    You can connect multiple Thunderbolt devices to each other, then connect the chain of devices to the Thunderbolt port  on your Mac.

    Only the device directly connected to your Mac receives power from the computer’s Thunderbolt port. The other devices in the chain must be powered by separate power adapters.

    A DisplayPort device must be the last device in a chain of connected Thunderbolt devices. For example, if you want to connect both a Thunderbolt hard disk and a DisplayPort display to your Mac, connect the display to the hard disk and then connect the hard disk to your Mac.

     

    Apple Thunderbolt Adapters: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Apple Support

    Are there other requirements for using these adapters?

    If you are connecting multiple devices ("daisy chaining"), at least one computer on the Thunderbolt chain needs to act as a host.

    Can other devices on the Thunderbolt chain affect the performance of these adapters?

    Yes. Mass storage and other high-bandwidth devices can affect the performance of these adapters. If you have issues mixing the Thunderbolt adapters with such devices, connect devices directly to another Thunderbolt port on your computer, or connect them to low-bandwidth devices on the Thunderbolt chain.

     

    As for the external hard drives, they are mounted in OS X in the same way as a USB hard drive would be, so it is best to eject them as you would normally.

     

    Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities, cheers!