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macOS Monterey Users Report Connectivity Issues With USB Hubs
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I run a MBP 16" Intel 2.4 with two 4k displays. After the upgrade I had consistent freezing... meaning system permanently frozen and hard shut down. The displays were hooked up through a hyperdrive 18-1 hub and were using the DP ports. After a few different tests, I don't have freezing if both monitors are plugged directly into the MBP with a USBC to HDMI connection. The minute I go DP in any configuration, the system freezes. My hyperdrive USB still works, but this is clearly a Monterey issue. I had zero problems under Big Sur. Hopefully this helps someone out and of course a fix from Apple is quickly needed.
Some Mac users who upgraded to macOS Monterey this week are experiencing problems getting USB hubs and other USB-based devices to work properly with their machines, based on scattered online reports.
There have been several reports on Reddit, Apple's Developer Forums, and Apple's Support Communities about the issues. In some cases, users say the the USB 3.0 ports on their hub no longer work since upgrading to Monterey, while HDMI, USB-C, and other hub ports continue to work as expected.
In other user reports surfacing online, the USB hubs fail to work at all. Some of the problems even relate to Apple certified hubs. Reddit user Flyersny81 relates their experience:
In other cases, the USB hubs work except for the power delivery port. For some, it's the additional connectivity provided by external displays that no longer works, with the power delivery affected in particular. From Apple's Developer Forums:
Many of the reports are from owners of M1-powered Macs, but not all. Some users have reported similar issues on Intel Macs. Based on user discussions, USB issues were reported in early beta versions of Monterey, suggesting this could be due to a legacy bug that Apple has still not patched.
As such, the problems appear to be evident in all versions of Monterey, including the latest 12.0.1 version. Suffice to say, anyone who has yet to upgrade to Monterey and relies on a USB hub is advised to hold off upgrading until Apple issues a fix.
Article Link: macOS Monterey Users Report Connectivity Issues With USB Hubs
This is the correct course of action. NEVER do a big OS update on Day 1... or even Day 30.
I’ve read this a lot… question is though, if everyone were to take this advice, no one would ever update… no one would find bugs and there wouldn’t be any updates…
Prediction: it’s USB-4 ****ery. They have new security checks in place for the standard, and these docks likely don’t meet the requirements.
How is the track record for other computer manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, HP, Huawei, LG, etc? Do they ever have bugs that take a long time to fix?
Irrelevant.
Apple presents itself as the best and we expect the best. The fanboys for the other companies you listed rant about their issues with them too.
I'm pissed at the USB Type-C PD connectivity issues I'm having with a brand new 14" MBP w/ M1 Pro. Spontaneous reboots in panicked sleep state are not cool.
Outside of that, bluetooth mouse just being connected at all will prevent the machine from staying in sleep, EVEN when not connected to thunderbolt and running completely on battery. NOT COOL.
My favorite today was the screensaver freezing and nothing would stop it except the power button. Not the mouse, not the keyboard, not the trackpad, not the ESC button. Even seen a mouse cursor zoom around a screensaver? It's an unholy abomination; reality is cracking.
So glad this isn't just me - I'm on 12.0 and have a Caldigit TB3 Plus Dock into a M1 Macbook Air - I have hard drives into the back of the dock in the USB A and USB C ports and an external 5K monitor - upon plugging in the computer to the dock the whole thing freezes up and the monitor is on but doesn't work and through process of elimination determined that if I unplug the time capsule hard drive I have plugged into the USB A port the whole thing works perfectly. The second that thing is attached it goes haywire. Hope Apple fixes ASAP, this is such a stupid bug.
There's a certain amount of Apple buttlicking going on in these comments. If someone buys a hub, it works fine for months or years, the return period expires, then it suddenly stops working because of Apple's software update that's hardly the fault of the owner? Apple broke it. Apple will fix it no doubt. But it shows a certain lack of beta testing on their part not to have tried many different USB chipsets (or ignoring beta testers).
Likely they know, didn't have chance to fix it, but had to get Monterey out because new MBPs were here. But it's still a bit crap to suggest people could happily upgrade to stuff which would be known to cause some people a lot of pain.
Likely they know, didn't have chance to fix it, but had to get Monterey out because new MBPs were here. But it's still a bit crap to suggest people could happily upgrade to stuff which would be known to cause some people a lot of pain.
I discovered this issue yesterday with my (old) Logitech Harmony One. My 2016 MBP does not recognise it since I upgraded to Monterey.
Relax. No, hardly irrelevant. Unless you're expecting 100.0% perfection 100.0% of the time. Perhaps that exists with the other computer manufacturers? Or maybe somewhere else other than planet Earth?
Maybe finding another computer manufacturer and rewarding them with your currency would help make you un-pissed?
This explains will my external webcam stopped working. It worked fine on Monterey RC but now I have 12.0.1 on my M1 MacBook Pro....?
As someone in the music world, the most important things for me are stability and compatibility when it comes to a production/performance laptop. People in the music world are often a full year behind on their macOS, to ensure that all the hiccups are ironed out, and all of their plugins and equipment are working as intended.
If you want the latest and greatest, then by all means, update right away.
Same problem, audio devices (DAC) connected through a usb hub have stopped working as soon as I updated to Monterey 12.0.1. I am on an Intel iMac 27" mid-2020.
There is a known problem with Realtek RTL8153 Ethernet chip which many docks use. Big Sir introduced DriverKit architecture and Realtek hasn't released DriverKit compatible driver for almost a year now. The default Big Sur Apple driver isn't reliable. I encountered this problem with 2 separate docks from 2 manufacturers. Both use RTL8153 chipset.
Worth reading https://overengineer.dev/blog/2021/04/25/usb-c-hub-madness.html
The author has researched this issue extensively.
I am currently using the new OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock which also contains RTL8153 chipset. Predictably, the same issue occurs: Ethernet unexpectedly stops working requiring the dock to be power cycled. OWC is aware of the problem and I shared with their technical support team my own research about RTL8153 chipset / lack of DriverKit compatible driver from Realtek.
Worth reading https://overengineer.dev/blog/2021/04/25/usb-c-hub-madness.html
The author has researched this issue extensively.
I am currently using the new OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock which also contains RTL8153 chipset. Predictably, the same issue occurs: Ethernet unexpectedly stops working requiring the dock to be power cycled. OWC is aware of the problem and I shared with their technical support team my own research about RTL8153 chipset / lack of DriverKit compatible driver from Realtek.
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Folks - I have a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro and my Logitech StreamCam USB-C webcam stopped working after updating to macOS Monterey. I don’t any hubs or adapters - webcam’s usb-c cable plugs directly into macbook’s usb-c port.
Woah! I thought it was my hub!! My HDMI out only works sporadically, but it hasn't been isolated to only Monterey; it started happening back in the latest builds of Big Sur...
