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Why only a single USB-C port? Almost everything I buy these days has only USB-C ports/cables/charging. It's gotten to the point now that I am increasingly frus

Why only a single USB-C port? Almost everything I buy these days has only USB-C ports/cables/charging. It's gotten to the point now that I am increasingly frustrated with the fact that there are no good USB-C capable hubs that take a USB-C USB 4 and turn it into an 8 port USB-C hub. With a mix of 10 Gbps/5 Gbps/480 Mbps speeds. I can get plenty of USB-C to USB-A hubs, but that is not what I want.

stragies 5y ago
Yes, please! Ideally, also with POE .bt Power Supply possibility (upto 80W), and compliant to USB PerPortPowerSetting specification, to be able to toggle power to each port comfortably with uhubctl/Home_assistant/etc.
eatbitseveryday 5y ago
https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/ https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/ Gives you power and three usbc.
derefr 5y ago
I believe that when companies do this, it's because there's only a single Thunderbolt controller on-board the host, and they think that giving people two USB-C ports, where either port can do Thunderbolt, but you can't use two Thunderbolt devices (in actual Thunderbolt mode, where you're passing through PCIe lanes) at once, would be too confusing. So they force you to buy a hub or dock — pushing the consumer's blame for this confusing quagmire onto the peripheral manufacturer. > 8 port USB-C hub And I believe a major reason for the lack of these, is that, if a dock/hub/etc. that consumes a USB4/Thunderbolt host port, wants to be able to expose a full-speed USB4/Thunderbolt downstream port of its own, then that port isn't going to work for peripherals that are picky about speeds/lanes if you have any other USB devices plugged into the hub. So vendors choose "the ability to plug a single Thunderbolt device in, plus other things" over "the ability to plug a bunch of USB4/3.2 devices in."
kragen 5y ago
On the plus side it does have three USB A ports, and it has a barrel charging port instead of one of those shitty USB-C ports for power. And you can plug USB-C-charging things into a USB A port with just an adaptor cable.
- kelnos 5y ago
  It's funny; my reaction is the opposite. Yes, I think the barrel charging port is good to have, but only because there is just a single USB-C port. I don't want a barrel port! I have USB-C chargers littered around my house already! And that's how I like it! And I definitely don't want my default to have to be using adapters for my USB-C devices, so they can be plugged into the USB-A ports.
  - kragen 5y ago
    I guess my experience with USB charging ports is that they always break, and then they're a huge pain to fix, and my experience with barrel charging ports is that they almost never break, and then fixing them is pretty easy. So I think of a computer that can only be charged via USB as a piece of cheap trash. Maybe USB-C is different on this axis; I don't know yet. I really miss barrel charging ports on cellphones. I don't know, maybe I just abuse my hardware.
    - kelnos 5y ago
      Ah, interesting. I guess I've been much luckier; I've never had a USB-C charging port break on me.
      - pmontra 5y ago
        I never had problems with USB-A ports but I'm not using them much. All my laptops had barrel ports and I'm not using external keyboard or mice. A USB-B port started to get loose on a phone of mine after 6 years of use. I didn't use any USB-C port for more than 4 years yet. They look sturdier but time will tell.
    - 5y ago
stormbrew 5y ago
8 ports is high expectations, I don't think there's anything really there, but there is a 3 port tb4 hub by plugable[1], and you can I think daisy chain multiple together. Pretty expensive to get up to 8 though, never mind all the power bricks to get the power necessary. [1] https://plugable.com/products/tbt4-hub3c https://plugable.com/products/tbt4-hub3c

stragies 5y ago

Yes, please! Ideally, also with POE .bt Power Supply possibility (upto 80W), and compliant to USB PerPortPowerSetting specification, to be able to toggle power to each port comfortably with uhubctl/Home_assistant/etc.

eatbitseveryday 5y ago

https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/ https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/ Gives you power and three usbc.

derefr 5y ago

I believe that when companies do this, it's because there's only a single Thunderbolt controller on-board the host, and they think that giving people two USB-C ports, where either port can do Thunderbolt, but you can't use two Thunderbolt devices (in actual Thunderbolt mode, where you're passing through PCIe lanes) at once, would be too confusing. So they force you to buy a hub or dock — pushing the consumer's blame for this confusing quagmire onto the peripheral manufacturer. > 8 port USB-C hub And I believe a major reason for the lack of these, is that, if a dock/hub/etc. that consumes a USB4/Thunderbolt host port, wants to be able to expose a full-speed USB4/Thunderbolt downstream port of its own, then that port isn't going to work for peripherals that are picky about speeds/lanes if you have any other USB devices plugged into the hub. So vendors choose "the ability to plug a single Thunderbolt device in, plus other things" over "the ability to plug a bunch of USB4/3.2 devices in."

kragen 5y ago

On the plus side it does have three USB A ports, and it has a barrel charging port instead of one of those shitty USB-C ports for power. And you can plug USB-C-charging things into a USB A port with just an adaptor cable.

kelnos 5y ago
It's funny; my reaction is the opposite. Yes, I think the barrel charging port is good to have, but only because there is just a single USB-C port. I don't want a barrel port! I have USB-C chargers littered around my house already! And that's how I like it! And I definitely don't want my default to have to be using adapters for my USB-C devices, so they can be plugged into the USB-A ports.
- kragen 5y ago
  I guess my experience with USB charging ports is that they always break, and then they're a huge pain to fix, and my experience with barrel charging ports is that they almost never break, and then fixing them is pretty easy. So I think of a computer that can only be charged via USB as a piece of cheap trash. Maybe USB-C is different on this axis; I don't know yet. I really miss barrel charging ports on cellphones. I don't know, maybe I just abuse my hardware.
  - kelnos 5y ago
    Ah, interesting. I guess I've been much luckier; I've never had a USB-C charging port break on me.
    - pmontra 5y ago
      I never had problems with USB-A ports but I'm not using them much. All my laptops had barrel ports and I'm not using external keyboard or mice. A USB-B port started to get loose on a phone of mine after 6 years of use. I didn't use any USB-C port for more than 4 years yet. They look sturdier but time will tell.
  - 5y ago

stormbrew 5y ago

8 ports is high expectations, I don't think there's anything really there, but there is a 3 port tb4 hub by plugable[1], and you can I think daisy chain multiple together. Pretty expensive to get up to 8 though, never mind all the power bricks to get the power necessary. [1] https://plugable.com/products/tbt4-hub3c https://plugable.com/products/tbt4-hub3c