USB-C to USB-C Dock/Hub

[mac_in_tosh]

For some reason it is hard to find what we want. We have s a recent MacBook Air with only two USB-C ports that are normally used and we would like to also have other USB-C devices (SSD drives, etc.) attached. So we searched for a dock/hub (I'm not sure of the difference) that connects to the Mac with a USB-C cable and provides a number, say four, of USB-C ports. Everything available seems to provide USB-A ports, HDMI, etc in addition to maybe a couple of USB-C ports.

An inelegant solution would be to get a USB-A dock/hub that provides four USB-A ports, which seems to be readily available, and use a bunch of USB-A to USB-C cables. We were hoping to avoid that.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[SierraVista]

What devices are going to be connected to the additional USB-C ports? Do you need Thunderbolt connectivity or only USB? You’ll need to consider the speeds and bandwidth required for your devices. Plugging i.e. 4 displays into one USB-C port will exhaust the capacity of the port and won’t work.

This dock has 3 USB 3 Type C ports and 2 Thunderbolt 4 over Type C ports (not counting the connection to the computer): https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-station-4/

 

[Grumpus]

Any suggestions?

Could this Anker usb-c hub work for you?

 

[mac_in_tosh]

Thanks all but our need is not what I thought. My daughter told me she was looking for what I originally posted but it turns out the things she wants to connect (printer and SSD drive) both are USB-A. So I suggested a simple USB hub that can connect to her laptop with just one USB_A to USB-C cable of which there are plenty of items available and I even have one just like that.

Grumpus - thanks, good to know of such a thing if needed in the future.

SierraVista - thanks also for your comments (that quickly went over my head) and I know now that the item you suggested was way more than we need at this time.

 

[drrich2]

So we searched for a dock/hub (I'm not sure of the difference)

Think of it as a continuum.

There are hubs, 'dongles,' such as for notebook computers, that tend to be bus-powered and provide several ports. These are small and easily carried around, with nothing to plug in, just the dongle's (likely USB-C) cable to your notebook USB-C port. It's a good way to get an SD card reader slot, a few USB-A ports, etc... These are fairly cheap - you might find one on sale for around $30, etc...

At the other end are docks - there are larger devices with more ports that may have an external power adapter and thus their own power supply to plug in, and they can offer more substantial charging to devices hooked to them. They are commonly either USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, 4 or 5. These aren't intended to be as portable; they're often set up in one place. While they can be used with either desktop or notebook computers, they're an easy way for a notebook user to hook one cable to his notebook to 'dock' it, and instantly be connected to a system of peripherals that turns the notebook into a de facto desktop (e.g.: external display, speaker system, etc...). The USB-C docks are cheaper, and the Thunderbolt versions more expensive.

So hubs are more for people on the go.