Mini DisplayPort to both HDMI & USB3?

[jimmyabcz]

Hi all,

I have an early 2011 MacBook Pro that features Thunderbolt 1 on a Mini DisplayPort connection. I'm looking to connect both an external hard drive (USB3) and my monitor (HDMI) to this connection.

So I essentially need a Mini Displayport that breaks out to both HDMI and USB.

Ive hunted high and low online for something that will do this, best I could come up with is a USB-C that breaks out to what I need but I don't have a USB-C port on my (old!) machine.

Why not just use one of the two USB ports on the computer for the hard drive I hear you ask? They are both USB2 I'm afraid, and I really need the speed of the external SSD over thunderbolt.

Many thanks!

 

[kschendel]

There's no such thing as a Thunderbolt Y cable, as far as I know, and I've not seen Thunderbolt adapters with that particular combination; they tend to be all-video or all-USB but not some of both. I suspect that your best bet is a Thunderbolt docking station and they are pricey; the cheapest I saw in a 30-second search was on the order of $250-$300.

By the way, don't confuse a miniDP cable with a Thunderbolt cable. They use the same connectors but the insides aren't the same.

 

[ZapNZs]

I do not know of a standalone TB splitter either, other than on some TB hubs, as it seems to be designed largely with daisy chaining in mind.

If you are OK with a TB hub, check out the AKiTiO Thunder 2 Dock. You can often find them for under $170 now (they come with a TB cable), and it has a TB bypass for MDP, two USB 3 ports, plus two (TRIM-capable) eSATA ports and a FW800 port to boot. Given the high price of TB accessories, it's probably the most economical option short of settling on USB 2 or FW800.

 

[jimmyabcz]

Hey folks, thanks for the replies and recommendations. As you've probably guessed based on the age of my computer, I'd like to avoid buying an expensive hub if possible. Best I've found is this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KiWiBiRD-M...93396470&sr=8-11&keywords=thunderbolt+adapter

If there is a way to convert the USB-C connector to fit the Thunderbolt (mini displayport type-connector) I could be back in business. Any thoughts on if that solution would work?

 

[DanDilla]

You won't find anything USB-c specified for a tb1 connection... and I don't think tb1/ minidisplayport is designed to carry both (data& viedo) simultaneously. But that's not based on research, just wasn't there until now as far as I know

 

[ZapNZs]

Hey folks, thanks for the replies and recommendations. As you've probably guessed based on the age of my computer, I'd like to avoid buying an expensive hub if possible. Best I've found is this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KiWiBiRD-M...93396470&sr=8-11&keywords=thunderbolt+adapter

If there is a way to convert the USB-C connector to fit the Thunderbolt (mini displayport type-connector) I could be back in business. Any thoughts on if that solution would work?

Most likely, you would need:

Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter
Thunderbolt 2 cable
female TB3-USB-C to female TB3-USB-C cable, if it exists, which I personally have not heard of

If this worked, which I have no idea if it would, it would probably cost almost as much as Dock...

 

[jimmyabcz]

Yeh, it was a long shot! Hub looks like the best bet.

Thanks for the replies!