Dock/hub with same footprint as Mac mini?

[Cave Man]

I've been looking for a dock/hub for an M1 Mac mini that has the same footprint. So far, the only one I've come across is this one from Satechi. Surely, there are others? I'd really like space for a 3.5" SATA hard drive, SD slot and at least 3 USB3 ports. What is everyone using for your mini?

 

[InuNacho]

I was looking into a similar dock with a SATA connection but opted for the octopus external drives.

I would not recommend one with a SATA connection if you sleep your Mini, it looks like just about every dock/drive combo has some kinda of bad controller in it that force ejects the drive.

 

[N9JIG]

I have the Satachi dock shown above and it has worked great for me. I use an external USB-C hard drive so do not need a drive bay in the dock.

I just wish it had a couple extra USB-A and USB-C ports on the rear so that I could eliminate the need for a separate hub. Between the webcam, mic, Watch, iPhone, mouse, keyboard/mouse and headphone charger I need more ports.

 

[hfg]

Qwiizlab USB C Hub with Hard Drive Enclosure (2.5" and M.2)​

Qwiizlab USB C Hub with Dual Drive Enclosure, Docking Station for Mac Studio Mac Mini M2/M1/Intel, Type-C 10Gbps, Card Readers 104MB/s, Fits M.2 NVMe NGFF SSD & 2.5'' SATA SSD (Silver)

Qwiizlab UH25 Pro is an innovation of combining a USB 3.1 Type-C hub with a SSD/HDD enclosure in a sleek casing made of aluminum alloy. It is a surprising compact accessory for you to resolve expansion issues of Intel/M1/M2 Mac mini and M1/M2 Mac Studio. It features with a USB-C data port up to 1...

www.amazon.com

 

[adam9c1]

I have this in Space Gray (or very similar to it)

Type-C Hub with Hard Drive Enclosure, AGPTEK USB-C Docking Station & Stand for Mac Mini M1 with SATA SSD/HDD Slot, TF/SD Card Readers/USB Ports for New MM M1 M2

Type-C Hub with Hard Drive Enclosure, AGPTEK USB-C Docking Station & Stand for Mac Mini M1 with SATA SSD/HDD Slot, TF/SD Card Readers/USB Ports for New MM M1 M2

www.amazon.com

 

[KnickFan]

Qwiizlab USB C Hub with Hard Drive Enclosure (2.5" and M.2)​

Qwiizlab USB C Hub with Dual Drive Enclosure, Docking Station for Mac Studio Mac Mini M2/M1/Intel, Type-C 10Gbps, Card Readers 104MB/s, Fits M.2 NVMe NGFF SSD & 2.5'' SATA SSD (Silver)

Qwiizlab UH25 Pro is an innovation of combining a USB 3.1 Type-C hub with a SSD/HDD enclosure in a sleek casing made of aluminum alloy. It is a surprising compact accessory for you to resolve expansion issues of Intel/M1/M2 Mac mini and M1/M2 Mac Studio. It features with a USB-C data port up to 1...

www.amazon.com

View attachment 1829840

Do you have this? Any issues?

I am returning Satechi because it doesn't support NVMe

 

[hfg]

Do you have this? Any issues?

I am returning Satechi because it doesn't support NVMe

Yes, I have this one ... it seems to be the best available at this time for my needs. There are some speed limitations with the Mac Mini M1 which I was aware of when I ordered it, but they do not hinder my usage of it.

From the user comments on Amazon:
Due to hardware solution used on this product, it can work in UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) mode with transfer speed around 900MB/s on Intel Mac mini, while it can work only in BOT (Bulk Only Transport) mode with transfer speed around 600MB/s on M1 Mac mini.
By Qwiizlab SELLER on August 9, 2021

 

[N9JIG]

Qwiizlab USB C Hub with Hard Drive Enclosure (2.5" and M.2)​

Qwiizlab USB C Hub with Dual Drive Enclosure, Docking Station for Mac Studio Mac Mini M2/M1/Intel, Type-C 10Gbps, Card Readers 104MB/s, Fits M.2 NVMe NGFF SSD & 2.5'' SATA SSD (Silver)

Qwiizlab UH25 Pro is an innovation of combining a USB 3.1 Type-C hub with a SSD/HDD enclosure in a sleek casing made of aluminum alloy. It is a surprising compact accessory for you to resolve expansion issues of Intel/M1/M2 Mac mini and M1/M2 Mac Studio. It features with a USB-C data port up to 1...

www.amazon.com

View attachment 1829840

Looks nice but it takes both a USB C and A port on the computer, so there is only a net increase of two USB-A ports and no additional USB-C.

The Satachi, while it does not have the drive bay, at least gives a net increase of 3 USB-A ports.

I don't understand why they do not add additional USB-A and C ports on the rear of the dock for things that might stay plugged in all the time. This would help reduce wire clutter.

The front panel ports are fine but my streaming cam, mic, Lightning cable etc. all stay in all the time and with a few USB-A ports on the back I could eliminate my USB hub. If they could power the dock with the USB-C connection or had rear panel USB A ports to replace the one they use to draw power from it would be worthwhile.

 

[nobullone1964]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096R9GV17/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[hfg]

Looks nice but it takes both a USB C and A port on the computer, so there is only a net increase of two USB-A ports and no additional USB-C.

The Satachi, while it does not have the drive bay, at least gives a net increase of 3 USB-A ports.

I don't understand why they do not add additional USB-A and C ports on the rear of the dock for things that might stay plugged in all the time. This would help reduce wire clutter.

The front panel ports are fine but my streaming cam, mic, Lightning cable etc. all stay in all the time and with a few USB-A ports on the back I could eliminate my USB hub. If they could power the dock with the USB-C connection or had rear panel USB A ports to replace the one they use to draw power from it would be worthwhile.

You don't have to connect the USB A port to your computer. It is intended to attach to a power supply cube to provide higher power to the front panel ports and possibly the disk drives. The second rear USB C looking port is for power input only via the included cable (USB C to USB A) if required for your attached devices. Normally, you probably won't need to power the hub with additional power.

 

[DKO110]

You don't have to connect the USB A port to your computer. It is intended to attach to a power supply cube to provide higher power to the front panel ports and possibly the disk drives. The second rear USB C looking port is for power input only via the included cable (USB C to USB A) if required for your attached devices. Normally, you probably won't need to power the hub with additional power.

Have you experienced any issues with your Qwiizlab dock that are similar to those in posts #15-20 of this thread?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/qwiizlab-uh25-max.2380169/?post=32001236#post-32001236