Best way to add external USB ports - TB3, TB4, TB5, USB3, USB4? Additional USB controllers and root hubs?

[Havmac]

I am having some issues with my Kensington Thunderbolt 5 dock SD5000T5 as far as USB devices. Some don't work very well through one of my hubs (Anker 10 port) and generally they seem to disconnect sometimes or flake out requiring my to reconnect the dock to fix it. I'm not sure if it's the dock (there are no firmware updates for it) or if it's the M4 Max MacBook Pro or macOS or what. I have macOS 15.3.1. The Anker 10-port hub has always worked fine for me before.

Some possible solutions I've found:

Thunderbolt 3 dock or hub, because Thunderbolt 3 doesn't tunnel USB, the docks and hubs have PCIe USB controllers which should work fine
Different Thunderbolt 5 dock (perhaps Sonnet or CalDigit) because maybe the Kensington has the problem
USB 4 hub connected directly to MacBook
USB 3.2 hub connected directly to MacBook

Ideas/opinions?

 

[Bigwaff]

I am having some issues with my Kensington Thunderbolt 5 dock SD5000T5 as far as USB devices. Some don't work very well through one of my hubs (Anker 10 port) and generally they seem to disconnect sometimes or flake out requiring my to reconnect the dock to fix it.

Sounds like possible power issues to USB devices. More details of your set up might help.

Connections are...
MBP > TB5 cable > TB5 Dock > USB cable > Anker USB 10 port > USB devices
Questions:
- TB5 cable supplied with TB5 dock?
- What else is attached to TB5 Dock?
- Which port on TB5 dock is USB hub connected to?
- Anker USB hub model/specs?
- USB cable originally supplied with Anker USB hub? Specs of USB cable?
- What is attached to Anker USB hub? Model/specs? Specs of USB cables?

 

[joevt]

Have you mapped all the USB ports of the dock? Are there multiple USB hubs inside? Maybe the different hubs have different behavior.
Use IORegistryExplorer.app to see the USB layout of the dock and to see what hub each port of the dock is connected to.