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uncleMonty

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 8, 2012
111
0
I have the piece of gear mentioned in the title. And I have the problem on bootup that not everything plugged into the adaptor is recognized. For example my keyboard is plugged into a Belkin 7-port USB 2.0 hub that I have connected to the Kanex DualRole. But on bootup, I have to unplug and replug the Belkin hub from the Kanex before my keyboard is recognized. Other connections work fine on bootup - the ethernet connection, and the USB part of a dualLink DVI adaptor for my 30" ACD, are live immediately.

Any ideas?
 

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
Dunno, but anything that's not officially supported by Apple, there is always a chance they don't play nice.

USB plug-all devices like these, you always have to worry about power drain, meaning we are kind of used to the USB port is self-powered but we don't pay attention that they put out a LIMITED amount of power, usually 1 amp and that's it. At turn on, there is always a SURGE of power drain that devices may not like.

On a site note, perhaps the Mac expects everything connected to it to be FULLY powered when it asks, Are you there, Are YOU there. Devices come up, at time not full synchronized.

All these mumbo-jumbo means, I would try to make sure all my peripherals are fully powered (turn them on first), give it few seconds, THEN power/wakeup the Mac.
 

uncleMonty

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 8, 2012
111
0
Thanks for the suggestions - it's hard to have these USB things turned on first, because they are powered by the USB connection! In any case that may not be the problem, I received the following answer from Kanex (following my question below) - I guess I'll just have to unplug it and plug it back in again, even in 2013:

===>Question:
I bought your DualRole ethernet/USB 3.0 hub/adaptor. I
have the following problem: on rebooting my MacBook
Air (2012) it doesn't automatically recognize everything
that's plugged into the DualRole. It recognizes the USB
part of a dualLink DVI adaptor, and the ethernet connection,
but not a Belkin USB 2 hub ("Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-port
Lighted Hub F5U700") that I connect to the DualRole for my
keyboard and usb sticks etc. Do you have any solution for
this? $70 is expensive for this product, I would have hoped
it would work properly. Thank you!

===>Answer:
Thank you for contacting us the DualRole acts as a USB hub Host and by adding the Belkin hub it will not be detected during the boot process, since now you have 2 hosts, and only the primary Hub host connected to MacBook Air will be detected. Thank you and best regards.
 

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
Or plug hubs on separate USB ports on the Mac? I know, you are trying to do less "plugs." U got a spaghetti there Mister. ;)
 

uncleMonty

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 8, 2012
111
0
spaghetti - yeah, tell me about it. One USB port is dedicated to my audio interface (Apogee Duet 2), so that's why the Belkin hub has to get plugged into the ethernet adaptor hub. The other thing that's not ideal about this Kanex thing is that the cable between it and the laptop is too short, and I can't find a natural angle for it on my desk. The spaghetti looks terrible - from the Kanex I have an ethernet cable, the USB part of the dualLink DVI adaptor (which is also plugged into the Thunderbolt port), an external HD in a USB 3 enclosure, my Belkin hub, and a power adaptor because supplying the external HD on top of everything else is too much for the Kanex adaptor. The Belkin hub is connected to my keyboard, USB sticks with licences for audio software, and the receiver for my Logitech wireless mouse.
 
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