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USB 3.0 not working thru UASP

M

mrken218

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 23, 2015
5
0
My laptop is mbp 15" of early 2011.

I linked it to an external drive with usb3.0 support through AKiTiO Thunder Dock, a hub which provides multiple host ports, including USB3.0, eSATA, Firewire 800, and thunderbolt as well.
However, the transfer rate is almost as low as USB 2.0.

This is from the System Information Hardware Overview:

USB 3.0 High-Speed Bus:

Host Controller Location: Thunderbolt
Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBXHCI
PCI Device ID: 0x1100
PCI Revision ID: 0x0010
PCI Vendor ID: 0x1b73
Bus Number: 0x10

besides, I found out my external drive is working through BOT (IOUSMassiveStorageClassic.kext) instead of UASP (IOUSBAttachedSCSI.kext).
and even when UASP is loaded manually, it's still not working.

is it possible that my external drive linked to hub works under UASP?
or on an mbp 15" of early 2011 it just doesn't work?
 
I can't answer about UASP other then it does sound like the dock is the culprit, perhaps its not using a chipset that is as efficient or is causing issues.

Did you reach out to the vendor and ask about it?
 
It's the Mac. You'll need actual 3.0 on the system. The hub will not "Cheat It" for you.
 
I did ask the vendor, and he was sure that the dock supports UASP and told me the speed would get higher once I clean it up... I thought he was talking nonsense..
 
thank u thedeske,
the vendor has a test on transfer rate with an external SSD on Mac mini of mid 2011, which has only USB2.0 system.

This is the result:
DlvY@.jpg

Through built-in USB 2.0: write 25.7 MB/s ; read 34.7 MB/s
Through Dock's USB 3.0: write 251.5 MB/s; read 351.3 MB/s
 
Last edited:
Fyi, my caldiget thunderbolt dock works with UASP, and I only have usb 2 on the native (non dock) usb 2.0 interface.

It hasn't gotten a bunch of publicity, but you need UASP to be supported in the entire chain: usb controller on computer/expansion card/thunderbolt dock; usb hub (if you use one); and finally the usb case containing the hard drive.

If UASP is not listed in the specs for a drive/hub/controller, assume it does NOT have it, usb 3.0 was first released without support, and it costs manufacturers extra license fees to include it, so many don't bother with it.

My guess would be that something, perhaps the thunderbolt dock or drive doesn't have UASP to begin with. If you are sure both do, try it without the usb hub, as most docks do NOT support UASP that I have seen. I would then try the drive with a native usb 3.0 mac, to help rule out if it is your dock or drive casing that is the issue.

Edit: I did some googling, it looks like your Akito dock supports UASP.
http://www.akitio.com/accessories/thunder-dock

Maybe a hub without UASP is blocking it? What drive case are you using? It has UASP, correct?
 
Last edited:
Thank u, Richdmoore

I figure out what the culprit actually is...
my external drive doesn't have UASP though with USB3.0

but does it make any sense that my drive runs at the same rate through dock's USB3.0 and built-in USB2.0, sometimes even lower through the former..
 
ActionableMango said:
No, a USB 3.0 drive even without UASP should be far, far faster than USB 2.0.
Click to expand...

True, but only if it's connected to a USB3 host computer. Mid 2012 laptops & late 2012 iMacs were the first to enable UASP on the bus.

Seems like there were a number of threads in the past like this one - people hoping Thunderbolt would boost a 3.0 external on a 2.0 host.
 
mrken218 said:
Thank u, Richdmoore

I figure out what the culprit actually is...
my external drive doesn't have UASP though with USB3.0

but does it make any sense that my drive runs at the same rate through dock's USB3.0 and built-in USB2.0, sometimes even lower through the former..
Click to expand...

I agree, the speed should be higher than usb 2, but less than full usb 3 due to the spinning hard drive.

Your thunderbolt dock is usb 3, so shouldn't be an issue if the computer originally is usb 2 or 3.

Maybe they used a cheap slow hard drive in the external enclosure?

I am not sure, but after verifying that the drive really is usb 3, the first thing I would try is replacing the usb 3 cable.

I had a blue colored usb 2 cable come with a hard drive once, I remeber thinking how confusing it could get. I guess the usb 3 cable could break so it is only detected as usb 2, or the port itself might be broken?

It would help to list the usb drive and model number here, to verify it is actually usb 3.

EDIT: I had one more idea.

Hook the drive directly to your thunderbolt expansion. (Don't use a hub.) If possible, disconnect any other USB devices to all other USB ports, to make the system information easier to read/understand.

Then start the system information app, go to USB.

My Caldiget thunderbolt dock shows both a USB 3.0 High Speed Bus, and USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus.

In addition to the two listings of USB 3.0 (1 High, 1 Super) I also have listed two seperate USB High Speed Bus, which I believe is the internal stock USB 2 Busses. (Mine shows FaceTime Camera on one, and the Memory Card & IR reader on the other bus.)

Which bus is the drive listed under? A USB 3 drive should be under the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus, if the drive is detected as only a USB 2, it will be under the USB 3.0 High Speed Bus instead.
 
Last edited:
Richdmoore said:
I agree, the speed should be higher than usb 2, but less than full usb 3 due to the spinning hard drive.

Your thunderbolt dock is usb 3, so shouldn't be an issue if the computer originally is usb 2 or 3.

Maybe they used a cheap slow hard drive in the external enclosure?

I am not sure, but after verifying that the drive really is usb 3, the first thing I would try is replacing the usb 3 cable.

I had a blue colored usb 2 cable come with a hard drive once, I remeber thinking how confusing it could get. I guess the usb 3 cable could break so it is only detected as usb 2, or the port itself might be broken?

It would help to list the usb drive and model number here, to verify it is actually usb 3.

EDIT: I had one more idea.

Hook the drive directly to your thunderbolt expansion. (Don't use a hub.) If possible, disconnect any other USB devices to all other USB ports, to make the system information easier to read/understand.

Then start the system information app, go to USB.

My Caldiget thunderbolt dock shows both a USB 3.0 High Speed Bus, and USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus.

In addition to the two listings of USB 3.0 (1 High, 1 Super) I also have listed two seperate USB High Speed Bus, which I believe is the internal stock USB 2 Busses. (Mine shows FaceTime Camera on one, and the Memory Card & IR reader on the other bus.)

Which bus is the drive listed under? A USB 3 drive should be under the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus, if the drive is detected as only a USB 2, it will be under the USB 3.0 High Speed Bus instead.
Click to expand...

u r really brilliant, Richdmoore,
I finally went to a sales office to have all hardware tested, and found out all my blue colored cables coming with WD hard drives are actually USB 2.0 ones. My drive is right under USB 3.0 SuperSpeed now through a real 3.0 cable.

I appreciate all the insightful replies. Thank u all.
 
thedeske said:
True, but only if it's connected to a USB3 host computer. Mid 2012 laptops & late 2012 iMacs were the first to enable UASP on the bus.

Seems like there were a number of threads in the past like this one - people hoping Thunderbolt would boost a 3.0 external on a 2.0 host.
Click to expand...

Well post #6 would seem to prove that a USB 2.0 computer can in fact see USB 3.0 speeds, at least with that particular hub.
 
mrken218 said:
thank u thedeske,
the vendor has a test on transfer rate with an external SSD on Mac mini of mid 2011, which has only USB2.0 system.

This is the result:
Image
Through built-in USB 2.0: write 25.7 MB/s ; read 34.7 MB/s
Through Dock's USB 3.0: write 251.5 MB/s; read 351.3 MB/s
Click to expand...

Yes, the 2011 Mac Mini has only USB 2.0 (no USB 3) but that is completely irrelevant since the Akitio Thunder Dock connects to the Mac via its Thunderbolt port. You cannot get USB 3.0 speeds through a USB 2.0 port.

ActionableMango said:
Well post #6 would seem to prove that a USB 2.0 computer can in fact see USB 3.0 speeds, at least with that particular hub.
Click to expand...

See above.
 
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