USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)

Summary

2021-04-25 2022-10-14 electronics, hardware Just to start this off on a fun note: this article is not a review. This fact will become clear later on, but I figured it’s worth highlighting that just in case somebody finds this text via their search engine of least distrust. I have one of those laptops lacking a lot of accessory ports. In fact, I’m writing this on an Apple MacBook Pro, and all I got was four lousy USB-C ports. If I want to connect pretty much anything, I need some sort of adapter or some sort of hub. USB-C hubs are a great idea: not only do they usually offer a power supply pass-through, but they also allow you to plug in some USB devices, an ethernet cable, and maybe even a monitor. Some even have fancy stuff like an SD card reader or a secondary audio output! And all of that over a single USB-C connection, which makes everything super comfortable if you frequently carry your laptop around your home, but you also have a desk with fixed devices set up. Unfortunately, since 2018, I’ve worked through three USB-C hubs, and they’re all kinda bad. To vent my frustration, I want to share a little1 rant with y’all! So let’s start. Satechi Multiport Adapter V2 So, the first hub in my possession was a “Satechi” branded one. I bought two of them; one for my desk and one for my cable pouch for mobile use. Mid 2018, I paid around 90 euros each on Amazon. Not particularly cheap, but Satechi is a brand that was and still is sold on the official Apple.com accessory store. Interestingly, Apple still sells one Satechi USB-C hub, but only one model without Ethernet. You’ll learn in a bit why I find that notable. But anyway, surely, if I buy something that expensive from a brand even sold by Apple, I’ll get something good? Here’s a photo. [full resolution] It worked great for about a year or so. Eventually, I experienced frequent HDMI cut-outs, the Ethernet connection was unreliable, and ultimately, both hubs just… died. The Ethernet issues were particularly annoying be...