Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Belkin Launches New USB-C Multiport Hub Designed for Macs

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,120
38,875


Belkin today announced the launch of a new $70 Connect USB-C 6-in-1 Multiport Hub with Mount, which is compatible with the iMac, Apple's MacBooks, PCs, and other USB-C devices.

multiport-hub-belkin.jpg

The Hub is designed to be mounted to the back of a monitor, computer stand, or monitor base, and tucked away from view. It features two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, one SD card slot, and a microSD card reader.

It mounts to the back of an iMac or other computer using two 3M Command strips, and there's a quick release button in case you need to use the hub on the go. It supports transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s.

Belkin today also introduced the $80 USB-C 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter. Though designed for Chromebooks, the adapter is compatible with Macs, offering two USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port that supports one 4K display at 60Hz, and an 86W USB-C power delivery port.

multiportadapterbelkin.jpg

Both the new Connect Multiport Adapter and Multiport Hub can be purchased from the Belkin website.

Article Link: Belkin Launches New USB-C Multiport Hub Designed for Macs
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/08/23/belkin-mac-multiport-usb-c-hub/
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: SFjohn, kurtster, neongrau and 5 others
Hopefully it doesn't suck.

I may have to resort to something like this if Apple doesn't release an M2 Mac mini with more USB ports than the current M1 model. (The $2000 Mac Studio doesn't count.)
 
Maybe Apple should have put magnets on the back of the iMac so devices like this could clip on without needing adhesive strips.
 
Doctor Q said:
It's not very "tucked away from view" when you see cables sticking out of the side of the monitor.
Click to expand...
I have a hub on my M1 iMac, and I stuck it back in the middle, above where the stand attaches. It's a little more of a pain to get back there to plug things in, but it doesn't look like ass with cables jutting out from the side of the machine.
 
krakenrelease said:
Quick search on Amazon shows many hubs with more ports. This is def not worth the price.
Click to expand...
It's not just about the number of ports. A lot of hubs out there with a ton of ports suck, because of the reliability and compatibility (or lack thereof).

I'm not saying the Belkin is good. I wouldn't know, since I have never tried that one. However, what I am saying is a lot of hubs you see on Amazon and eBay are just bad.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: addamas and cjgrif
Overpriced, under-ported Belkin hub. Hubs are ridiculous these days. Not many have multiple USB-C ports, much less enough ports like ethernet and HDMI. It is joke finding a decent one anymore. Apple’s lack of ports is really annoying.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tozovac
How are these any better than the options from Anker or StarTech at a fraction of the price? Those at least have options to match the finish of some machines.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ixxx69
ignatius345 said:
Why is it so hard to find one of these with multiple USB-C ports? Is there a technical reason?
Click to expand...

Yea not sure why it’s so rare. I want a hub for my iPad that has a 90 degree cable (so it hangs down instead of out from the iPad). Then 3 or so USB-C ports (one with PD fast charging) and an SD card slot. Don't need USB-A.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SFjohn and jhfenton
Modern technology is really odd. It seems obvious that all these hubs are the same boards repackaged because they always have the same spec. 1 usb c , 1 card reader etc.

So what is actually going on here? If you find a hub with more than 1 usb c it’s ridiculous money. And usb c doesn’t even mean thunderbolt 4. So how does all of this work? Is there only 1 company building the guts of these interfaces? Why is it so hard for someone to make multiple USB ports?

I’d love to know the story about this because it’s been going on for years now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: okieoutwest, Caviar_X, scottrngr and 3 others
A little comparison between the 2 hubs might be handy. I cannot get more detailed info on the 6-in-1 hub, however.

CONNECT USB-C 6-in-1 Multiport Hub with MountCONNECT USB-C 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter
Price$69.99$79.99
CableUSB-CUSB-C
Mount3M Command StripN/A
USB-C Ports1 (10 Gbps, not PD)1 (86W PD, requires USB-C AC adapter)
USB-A Ports22 (5 Gbps, 4.5W)
Ethernet1 (Gigabit)1 (Gigabit)
HDMI01 (HDMI 2.0 @ 4K 60 Hz)
SD Card1 SD, 1 microSD0

My favorite USB-C hubs remain Satechi's Stand & Hub For Mac Mini With SSD Enclosure ($99.99) for Mac mini and Mac Studio and their USB-C Slim Multi-Port With Ethernet Adapter ($79.99) or USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter with SSD Enclosure ($99.99) for MacBooks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DailySlow
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
  • Like
Reactions: jdclifford
Gherkin said:
Yea not sure why it’s so rare. I want a hub for my iPad that has a 90 degree cable (so it hangs down instead of out from the iPad). Then 3 or so USB-C ports (one with PD fast charging) and an SD card slot. Don't need USB-A.
Click to expand...
I had this grand idea I was going to replace all my USB-A cables with their USB-C equivalents when I got this iMac, but it's turning out easier to just keep using USB-A for non- speed dependent things like my Yeti mic, Logitech mouse wireless dongle, mechanical keyboard. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
  • Like
Reactions: DailySlow
threesixty360 said:
Modern technology is really odd. It seems obvious that all these hubs are the same boards repackaged because they always have the same spec. 1 usb c , 1 card reader etc.

So what is actually going on here? If you find a hub with more than 1 usb c it’s ridiculous money. And usb c doesn’t even mean thunderbolt 4. So how does all of this work? Is there only 1 company building the guts of these interfaces? Why is it so hard for someone to make multiple USB ports?

I’d love to know the story about this because it’s been going on for years now.
Click to expand...
I'm no expert, but from what I gather, it's the available chipsets that determine the feature set.

There are a limited number of chipsets available, but they are not all the same. Yes, the boards based off those chipsets are often repackaged and sold under a number of different brands, but bigger companies often roll their own with different designs and of course different firmwares. This is very important for Mac compatility. My guess is that a lot of the generic ones do minimal Mac testing because I often find them problematic on Macs in one way or another.

As for ones with multiple USB-C ports, apparently the chipsets available that supported that were few and far between, partially because there wasn't much call for them on the Windows side, at least until recently. Plus there are bandwidth and power delivery concerns that need to be addressed.

This is why I much prefer having the ports on board the Mac itself than having to rely on a third party hub. However, cost is of course an issue. If the choice for me is between a $1299 Mac mini and a $1999 Mac Studio, I'd buy the Mac mini with hub because I don't want to spend the extra $$$ on the Mac Studio, I don't need the power of the Mac Studio, and I don't like the size of the Mac Studio.
 
  • Like
Reactions: threesixty360
I just want to briefly call-out Belkin's ridiculous "CONNECT™ USB-C® 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter" page:

It is listed as "The Ultimate Chromebook Experience"

The images are of an Intel 16" MacBook Pro.

Lots more Chromebook optimizations headers and.. how many Chromebooks need 86W USB-PD?

It is nice that a newly released product already has NINE 5-star reviews, and better than that, it is apparently frequently bought together with TWO OTHER DONGLES... When? Who? What?

I do kinda wonder if anyone at Belkin reads their own site.

... but the best part is the Compatibility list attached:
 

Attachments

  • BelkinSilly.png
    BelkinSilly.png
    261.2 KB · Views: 77
Personally, I'd like something a bit more graceful than "two 3M Command Strips" but I guess the DIY aesthetic is in fashion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back