# Got this thunderbolt usb-c little dock for Mac mini M1 but....



## berto (Jun 14, 2021)

Hello, i bought this:








SITECOM CN 386 USB Type-C to 4-port USB Type-C Hub


Charges USB devices




www.currys.co.uk





which seemed to be a great deal. But i realised it has a problem.
When i plug my samsung t5 drives, it works properly.
If i plug my Presonus 2626 or my second monitor (with Tb to HDMI or Tb to DisplayPort adapters) they will NOT work. - 
instead both WORK if i plug them directly to each of the 2 TB4 ports of my Macmini m1.

is there something i need to look for in the product descriptions that will tell me: it will work for data transfer AND for monitors or audio interfaces? what would be a good HUB that has at least 3 TB3 ports, and/or displayport/HDMI that work with a second monitor or audio interface? (would not want to spend 400£ for OWC as it is the price of the Mac mini itself, almost)

thank you


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## Paulogic (Jun 14, 2021)

I think the hub may need power and is in fact made for MacBooks/iPad Pro's with a TB charger.
I connect my 40" monitor using HDMI to HDMI cable. Use 1 TB for a T5 drive and 1 TB for my
Steinberg audio interface. Alle the other equipment (Master keyb, mouse dongle, Mach Mikro 3,
Skulpt, Cubase dongle, cable to charge i-devices, backup T5) are connected through a single powered hub
with 3 x USB3.0 and 4 x USB2.0 ports.


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## berto (Jun 14, 2021)

could it be that the hub i linked is actually TB3 to 3 USB-c ports, so my Presonus 2626 needs TB3 port not USB-c and as well my monitor adapter is a TB3 to HDMI, not USB-c to HDMI ?


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## berto (Jun 14, 2021)

could this be the solution?









Stone Pro


Stone Pro for Thunderbolt 3 acts as a natural extension of your MacBook, precisely matching the aesthetic and functionality of your notebook. With its comprehensive set of port expansions, Stone Pro is the simplest and most powerful way to connect your MacBook with all of your external devices.




www.brydge.co.uk


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## rnb_2 (Jun 14, 2021)

The Stone Pro will work, but I have a Caldigit Element Hub for my M1 mini, and I think it will do what you need for a bit less (£169.99).


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## SupremeFist (Jun 14, 2021)

berto said:


> Hello, i bought this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's confusing because they are the same physical connector, but that hub is only Usb-c, not Thunderbolt.


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## berto (Jun 14, 2021)

rnb_2 said:


> The Stone Pro will work, but I have a Caldigit Element Hub for my M1 mini, and I think it will do what you need for a bit less (£169.99).


are you plugging a TB3 to HDMI or a TB3 audio interface to the USB-c type ports in your HUB?
because i found out (i don't know why) if the ports are USB-c my TB3 Presonus won't work. Same for my video adapter.

in other words are those USB-c or TB3 ports?

thanks

EDIT:

well it looks you can hook it to :


Thunderbolt Monitor
USB-C Monitor
NVMe SSD
RAID Storage
USB-A Hub
10GbE Adapter
SD Card Reader
Video & Audio IO
USB-C Speaker/Headphones
USB-C Hub
USB-C Dock
Thunderbolt 1/2/3/4 Dock
Thunderbolt Hub
so i guess it will work


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## berto (Jun 14, 2021)

SupremeFist said:


> It's confusing because they are the same physical connector, but that hub is only Usb-c, not Thunderbolt.


thanks that's what i thought


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## Paulogic (Jun 14, 2021)

TB3 is a protocol that gets the maximum out of a USB-C connector.
But it should be compatible with USB-C. If your audio-interface is TB, than
connect it straight to you Mini. I don't remember the brand of my USB3.0 hub,
but any could do for all other equipment.
TB3 hubs do exist but cost a little more in comparison.


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## berto (Jun 14, 2021)

Paulogic said:


> TB3 is a protocol that gets the maximum out of a USB-C connector.
> But it should be compatible with USB-C. If your audio-interface is TB, than
> connect it straight to you Mini. I don't remember the brand of my USB3.0 hub,
> but any could do for all other equipment.
> TB3 hubs do exist but cost a little more in comparison.


my presonus 2626 definitely does not work with a USB-c type connector if it is not true TB3... the same for my monitor... so i guess i need to get something like the Caldigit as suggested... since it is less money than the Stone pro...


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## Paulogic (Jun 14, 2021)

Yes, that would be a solution to your problem. Does your monitor needs the tb3 or is HDMI 2,1
or displayport 2.0 also available. You could save a TB port in that case. Mu 40" is a 4K and does
just fine with the HDMI.


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## berto (Jun 14, 2021)

My monitor has both hdmi and dp. But my adapters are tb3 to hdmi or tb3 to dp. The usbc adapters did not work.


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## rnb_2 (Jun 14, 2021)

berto said:


> are you plugging a TB3 to HDMI or a TB3 audio interface to the USB-c type ports in your HUB?
> because i found out (i don't know why) if the ports are USB-c my TB3 Presonus won't work. Same for my video adapter.
> 
> in other words are those USB-c or TB3 ports?
> ...


Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. The ports on the Caldigit Element Hub are technically 3 x Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 and 4 x USB-A 10Gbps. There is very little difference between TB3 and TB4 - all of your TB3 peripherals will work exactly as intended, but one of the nice things is that the Element Hub is one of the first hubs to support multiple Thunderbolt ports (vs the 2 daisy-chain ports of previous Thunderbolt docks like the Stone Pro). This effectively brings something like an M1 Mac up to better than Intel iMac/Mac mini levels of connectivity, since it adds 4 USB-A ports plus two extra Thunderbolt ports (since one of the 4 TB ports comes in from the computer, and is then split into 3 ports).


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## berto (Jun 15, 2021)

rnb_2 said:


> Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. The ports on the Caldigit Element Hub are technically 3 x Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 and 4 x USB-A 10Gbps. There is very little difference between TB3 and TB4 - all of your TB3 peripherals will work exactly as intended, but one of the nice things is that the Element Hub is one of the first hubs to support multiple Thunderbolt ports (vs the 2 daisy-chain ports of previous Thunderbolt docks like the Stone Pro). This effectively brings something like an M1 Mac up to better than Intel iMac/Mac mini levels of connectivity, since it adds 4 USB-A ports plus two extra Thunderbolt ports (since one of the 4 TB ports comes in from the computer, and is then split into 3 ports).


thank you i think you convinced me


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## rnb_2 (Jun 15, 2021)

berto said:


> thank you i think you convinced me


I already have one of the OWC Thunderbolt 3 docks, which is nice, but for the money, I think the Element Hub is a better option now, especially if you already have the adapters you need for running a display off of Thunderbolt.

Also, the Element Hub was in short supply for a long time - I ordered mine in March and didn't get it until May - but I believe they're now in stock at their European distributor.


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