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M1 Macs: Ethernet working on USB-C Hubs/Docks?

dukee101

dukee101

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 17, 2009
294
147
I'm using a VAVA USB-C Docking Station to expand ports on my new M1 MBP, but the ethernet port is not working (despite all other ports working). The ethernet port does work however when I connect this dock to my 16" MBP, so it's definitely an M1 incompatibility of some kind.

Is there anything I can do to get this to work? Are M1 Macs incompatible with certain hubs/docks in ways that right now aren't fully documented/known? Do Thunderbolt docks have the same issue?
 
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I have this dock I use with a M1 mini and the Ethernet port works OOB.

Screen Shot 2020-12-20 at 5.15.03 AM.png
 
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I had my dock plugged into a windows machine then switched to my air and it wouldn’t work. Even renewing didn’t help. What I did was unplug everything including the router. Then made sure when I turned the router on the first thing I plugged in was the Mac through Ethernet. Then It worked.
 
kitenski said:
Mine works, I think I read something about renewing the lease if it doesn't work??
Click to expand...
I tried that but it didn't work. I also tried manually assigning an IP, but that didn't work either.
Mcdevidr said:
What I did was unplug everything including the router. Then made sure when I turned the router on the first thing I plugged in was the Mac through Ethernet. Then It worked.
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Interesting solution. Not sure it would work in my case because the hub and port work so readily with my other Mac. I suspect a stronger incompatibility here.
 
dukee101 said:
I tried that but it didn't work. I also tried manually assigning an IP, but that didn't work either.

Interesting solution. Not sure it would work in my case because the hub and port work so readily with my other Mac. I suspect a stronger incompatibility here.
Click to expand...

I read about it somewhere else and it worked for me. My problem was that the Mac couldnt find an ip or some crap. I looked up the solution and that’s what it was and it worked. It’s worth a try. Everything else i plugged in worked though it was just the Mac that couldn’t find an IP. Now i can interchange it though and it works fine.
 
Make sure that the Dock is listed at the top under Network Preferences, and then renew DHCP, reboot.
 
I use a small satechi c2 in one hub. This works fine for me and shows me the full 1000baseT lan.
 
I hope you wont't mind me hijacking this thread instead of making a new one, but I've also got a question about the Satechi USB-C-hub. I can't seem to get my M1 MBA to recognise my Touch T7 through it. Anyone else struggling with this? Now I have to disconnect my screen via USB-C to connect my T7, and it really Fs up my workflow.
 
I also experienced the OPs issues: no Ethernet using a dock. What's more: the MBP (M1, 16G) failed to wake up the monitor (4k, attached via dock's HDMI port) when waked up from sleep.

I tried again today, the issue with ethernet is gone. Not sure why, my assumption is that the 11.1 update fixed it. Dunno about the display wakeup yet
 
09872738 said:
I also experienced the OPs issues: no Ethernet using a dock. What's more: the MBP (M1, 16G) failed to wake up the monitor (4k, attached via dock's HDMI port) when waked up from sleep.

I tried again today, the issue with ethernet is gone. Not sure why, my assumption is that the 11.1 update fixed it. Dunno about the display wakeup yet
Click to expand...
The Wake from Sleep issue I’m also having. There’s another thread in the forum regarding that. Supposedly 11.1 was supposed to have corrected that, but not for me. Also doesn’t seem to matter what type of monitor you’ve got.

As for the Ethernet/Dock issue, Check in System Preferences/Network and make sure that the Dock is listed at the top (You can adjust the order) and make sure to renew your DHCP once your do that, and then reboot.
 
Caldigit TS3 works great as a docking station for a macbook m1. Occasional, external screen issue, but it is resolved by simple unplugging and plugging. It doesnt happen enough for me to care, takes 3 seconds to fix.
 
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Q:
My M1 Mini Ethernet is connected thru the back of my 27" Thunderbolt display - I noticed it does not say "Display Ethernet" like it used on my old Mini, instead it says "Ethernet Adaptor (en4)"

Anyone know why??
Screen Shot 2020-12-22 at 7.18.47 AM.png
 
dukee101 said:
Update: I got a CalDigit TS3+ instead, restarted my Mac, and it worked perfectly. I'll be returning the VAVA soon.
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Great to hear. I also have the VAVA dock which worked perfectly with my intel pc, but I'm too chicken to even try it with the M1. I don't want to upset it lol
 
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Crz10 said:
Great to hear. I also have the VAVA dock which worked perfectly with my intel pc, but I'm too chicken to even try it with the M1. I don't want to upset it lol
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I have a few VAVA hubs at home and they're generally really good, and certainly work quite well with Intel Macs. It could've been the case that restarting and plugging/unplugging cables in the right order may've made this work. But I think I was looking for an excuse to buy a CalDigit TS3+ 🙃 -- I'm super happy with mine right now. Price dropped to $220 on Amazon so I pounced on it. (Still at that price btw if anyone's interested)

I tried all of the following with the VAVA docking station but it did not resolve the issue for me:
  • renew DHCP lease
  • assign manual IP address with DHCP
  • change network interface order ("Set Service Order")
  • clear DNS cache
 
gank41 said:
The Wake from Sleep issue I’m also having. There’s another thread in the forum regarding that. Supposedly 11.1 was supposed to have corrected that, but not for me. Also doesn’t seem to matter what type of monitor you’ve got.

As for the Ethernet/Dock issue, Check in System Preferences/Network and make sure that the Dock is listed at the top (You can adjust the order) and make sure to renew your DHCP once your do that, and then reboot.
Click to expand...
Thx for trying to help. Luckily the ethernet issue is solved. The adapter wasn‘t even recognized, so it wasn‘t listed at all in system preferences.

The display wake from sleep issue is gone gone as well.

I’ll keep an eye on that...
 
09872738 said:
Thx for trying to help. Luckily the ethernet issue is solved. The adapter wasn‘t even recognized, so it wasn‘t listed at all in system preferences.

The display wake from sleep issue is gone gone as well.

I’ll keep an eye on that...
Click to expand...
FWIW I’ve had to completely reboot and remove power to my Dock what seems like every couple too tree days. Definitely something going on.
 
gank41 said:
FWIW I’ve had to completely reboot and remove power to my Dock what seems like every couple too tree days. Definitely something going on.
Click to expand...
Indeed. The external display sometimes wakes from sleep, sometimes it doesn‘t. At least ethernet is functional now
 
Just one thing I have noticed. I have a couple of hubs and If I plug the power into either of them the ethernet stops working. I only figured it out because I have two of them
 
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