I bought this as a cheap alternative to the expensive Apple Hub. I am grudgingly rating it 5 stars after all the software issues I had getting it to work, only because I don't know if those issues were caused by Apple or Cable Matters, so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt.
First, it is nice and small for what it does, but the type C cable is very stiff and doesn't like to bend too easily. This is good for my setup, but might be an issue for some. I get a good reliable 1Gbps Ethernet connection, and I use the standard USB often, because my MacBook only has Type C, and I have many standard USB peripherals.
When I first got it working the HDMI wouldn't work, the Mac didn't see it as a monitor. I used this on my Dell and it worked so I knew it wasn't defective. It took a bunch of trial and error with drivers and then it just started working. You should know there is no exact match for the part on their web site, so I found the items that sounded the closest and tried them, and finally it worked.
So, this is basically my home base station. I have my monitor, Ethernet, and CD drive connected to it at all times. All I have to do is plug in a single cable and they all fire up, no issues, works great. Well, once the drivers were sorted out.
I can't see any lag in display, or bottleneck on Ethernet or CD drive. With all things running at once they all seem to run at full speed. I guess that is the benefit of the Type C connector? It is really great. At first I assumed I would need to have individual plugs for at least video and Ethernet to get full speed, but that's not the case. This thing is a fully functional base station for my new MacBook Pro with the graphical toolbar, the latest one.
So, if you are on the fence you should try it. If you have concerns about the driver just make sure you download the 4 or 5 items that sound close to what this thing is, install them all, and it will work.
[...]
| Brand | Cable Matters |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 201014-BLK-N |
| Operating System | Mac OS 9, Windows 7, Windows 10 |
| Item Weight | 2.5 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 7.3 x 2.1 x 0.6 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 7.3 x 2.1 x 0.6 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Manufacturer | Cable Matters |
| ASIN | B01C316EIK |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | May 31, 2016 |
