USB 3.0 on Mid-2011 Mac Mini

[emieczko]

Google, in it's infinite wisdom, has led me to an (approx) $80 adapter by Kanex that'll connect to the Thunderbolt port on my mid-2011 Mini. It provides a USB 3.0 port and an eSATA port. However... In addition to being a bit pricey, it's not well rated.

Can any of you guys recommend options here for connecting a USB 3.0 device (at USB 3.0 speeds) to said Mac Mini? FWIW, I don't need the eSATA support

 

[keeper]

I use one and have a usb3 hub connected to it for my 2 external drives, works fine for me, however it's another box hanging off an EOL machine.

May be worth looking at a small form factor PC rather than spending money it. I'm giving Apple till new year and I'll replace mine with a PC with a couple of internal drives, will be neater and faster.

 

[emieczko]

I use one and have a usb3 hub connected to it for my 2 external drives, works fine for me, however it's another box hanging off an EOL machine.

May be worth looking at a small form factor PC rather than spending money it. I'm giving Apple till new year and I'll replace mine with a PC with a couple of internal drives, will be neater and faster.

My Mini is still doing the job I bought it for without complaint. I really don't want to go through the hassles of setting up a new machine on a different OS just to get USB 3.0. I just want a faster means of moving data between it and a USB 3.0 hard drive that I use to backup a laptop...

 

[keeper]

My Mini is still doing the job I bought it for without complaint. I really don't want to go through the hassles of setting up a new machine on a different OS just to get USB 3.0. I just want a faster means of moving data between it and a USB 3.0 hard drive that I use to backup a laptop...

The reviews are mostly good on Amazon. I'm more than happy with mine.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/KANEX-Thun...?ie=UTF8&qid=1481486156&sr=8-2&keywords=kanex

This is another version
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thunderbol...id=1481486571&sr=8-9&keywords=thunderbolt+hub

 

[emieczko]

Intersting... The Amazon reviews are definitely better than those on the Apple Store.

 

[Boyd01]

I just want a faster means of moving data between it and a USB 3.0 hard drive that I use to backup a laptop...

Can you just use a gigabit ethernet network connection to the laptop? I have file sharing enabled on a mini that I use as an iTunes server and get over 100MB/sec copying files over my LAN.

Direct-connected USB 2.0 drives only get around 30-35MB/sec. My small bus-powered USB 3.0 drives (like WD MyPassport Ultra) are also about 100 MB/sec. My larger desktop USB 3.0 external drives clock around 180MB/sec. however.

How fast is the drive that you need to connect?

 

[wlossw]

the kanex adapters work well.

 

[emieczko]

Can you just use a gigabit ethernet network connection to the laptop? I have file sharing enabled on a mini that I use as an iTunes server and get over 100MB/sec copying files over my LAN.

Direct-connected USB 2.0 drives only get around 30-35MB/sec. My small bus-powered USB 3.0 drives (like WD MyPassport Ultra) are also about 100 MB/sec. My larger desktop USB 3.0 external drives clock around 180MB/sec. however.

How fast is the drive that you need to connect?

Ya know... Yeah, actually, that's an option, and maybe a pretty decent one, really. I had envisioned using an external drive as a mobile backup device and then syncing the drive to the main archive on the mini, but there's no reason I can't sync the laptop instead. The drive in question maxes out around 100 MB/s, so gigabit ethernet would be equivalent...

and I already have that... Huh. Boyd01, you may be on to something here, lol!
[doublepost=1481504483][/doublepost]

the kanex adapters work well.

That's two positive reviews (and none opposing so far)! I think I'm gonna give the ethernet workflow a shot, but if I decide I want my originally envisioned setup I think I'll give the Kanex a shot.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Old thread, but helpful to me.

I still love my 2011 Mac Mini and I can reboot into Snow Leopard from High Sierra when I need legacy Rosetta compatibility (admittedly, less and less often now)

 

[mrkapqa]

hello michaelLAX, i thought the MM11 is only Lion upwards?(as listed by www.everymac.com) How Are you able to use SnowLeopard with it?

 

[Spectrum]

hello michaelLAX, i thought the MM11 is only Lion upwards?(as listed by www.everymac.com) How Are you able to use SnowLeopard with it?

There were workarounds with kext files that were discovered and posted here in autumn/winter of 2012 I believe. I ran a 2011 Mac mini i7 server for 5+ years on Snow Leopard with no problems usign this kext mod.
Then, when Dropbox dropped support for 10.6.8, I finally moved to a 2018 mac mini (Mojave), and run SL server in a VMWare VM for occasional tasks.

 

[mrkapqa]

thanks, is it possible to use a USB3 adapter with an additional Thunderbolt Port integrated? for an external SSD for example. not sure if one could boot through an esata attached storage on a mac.

 

[MichaelLAX]

hello michaelLAX, i thought the MM11 is only Lion upwards?(as listed by www.everymac.com) How Are you able to use SnowLeopard with it?

Only just saw this question today. there were extensive discussions and directions from "newfoundglory" on the Apple Discussion Board about how to install Snow Leopard on the 2011 Mac mini. I have my Snow Leopard partition still functioning to this day.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3209335?answerId=17297662022#17297662022

 

[Chuckweasel]

Only just saw this question today. there were extensive discussions and directions from "newfoundglory" on the Apple Discussion Board about how to install Snow Leopard on the 2011 Mac mini. I have my Snow Leopard partition still functioning to this day.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3209335?answerId=17297662022#17297662022

Hello. I have a 2011 Mid July as well but that apple thread doesn’t really show you how to get snow leopard. It only discusses the possibility and that it works. Or at least that’s all I could see? I would love some help on if this can be done. Thanks.

 

[mrkapqa]

Hello ,
i have used a second MacMini that boot natively into SL and from there i hooked up the MacMini 2011 via Target Disk Mode using a Firewire Cable.
Then i have used a DVD installer with Snow Leopard to install Snow Leopard onto the MacMini 2011 and update it to 10.6.8.
Afterwards i applied from the aforesaid Mini the necessary driver package that has been shared here @MacRumors with the MacMini 2011 as target.

Mac Mini 2011 and Snow Leopard

Hello 1madman1 thank zou very much your share has been very helpful!

forums.macrumors.com

afterwards the Mini 2011 was ready to boot into SL; there are some minor issues with some kext that are complaining, but overall the system seems stable and functioning.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Hello. I have a 2011 Mid July as well but that apple thread doesn’t really show you how to get snow leopard. It only discusses the possibility and that it works. Or at least that’s all I could see? I would love some help on if this can be done. Thanks.

Do you mean how to obtain a copy of Snow Leopard, or just installing your copy onto your 2011 Mac mini?

 

[MichaelLAX]

Hello ,
i have used a second MacMini that boot natively into SL and from there i hooked up the MacMini 2011 via Target Disk Mode using a Firewire Cable.
Then i have used a DVD installer with Snow Leopard to install Snow Leopard onto the MacMini 2011 and update it to 10.6.8.
Afterwards i applied from the aforesaid Mini the necessary driver package that has been shared here @MacRumors with the MacMini 2011 as target.

Mac Mini 2011 and Snow Leopard

Hello 1madman1 thank zou very much your share has been very helpful!

forums.macrumors.com

afterwards the Mini 2011 was ready to boot into SL; there are some minor issues with some kext that are complaining, but overall the system seems stable and functioning.

Did you follow my link to the "newfoundglory" discussion? He has a download for all kexts and the only other problem remaining is the fix so that an external DVD drive will work with DVD player.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Google, in it's infinite wisdom, has led me to an (approx) $80 adapter by Kanex that'll connect to the Thunderbolt port on my mid-2011 Mini. It provides a USB 3.0 port and an eSATA port. However... In addition to being a bit pricey, it's not well rated.

Can any of you guys recommend options here for connecting a USB 3.0 device (at USB 3.0 speeds) to said Mac Mini? FWIW, I don't need the eSATA support

I purchased the Kanex last year and use it to access two USB 3.0 backup drives.

 

[mrkapqa]

can u use the Kanex with Snow Leopard?

 

[Amethyst1]

can u use the Kanex with Snow Leopard?

Nope. Mountain Lion and newer versions only.

 

[mrkapqa]

just checked, quite expensive ç99 USD, and hard to find here in Europe. Might wait another decade until finally might be able to take advantage of Thunderbolt ... best bet would be probably those akitio thunderdock pro or thunderdock 3 by caldigit, but those all need highsierra, and seem even more diffcult to obtain (plus extra thunderbolt adapter needed)... but at those prices it is not far away a new macmini i3 2018.

 

[Amethyst1]

just checked, quite expensive ç99 USD, and hard to find here in Europe.

I’m in Germany and got my Kanex eSATA/USB3.0 adapter for 30 bucks off eBay. But a used Thunderbolt 1 or 2 dock is another option if you can’t find the Kanex. Here’s my experience with one. (About using USB 3.0 with Snow Leopard — only a few select NEC chipsets have drivers for Snow Leopard IIRC and no TB adapter or dock I know of uses these. So that will be a no-go I'm afraid.)

 

[mrkapqa]

Amethyst1 30 is ok price if for new adapter, id say, even then, amounts to nearly 60 DM, not so cheap, for little dongle with very limited functionality. but price is over the top on Ebay or somewhere else, most of times. used items sometimes for a bargain, but Mac peripherals seem rare, or prices are inflated.
Was thinking of Caldigit TS2 (legacy) or TS3 Plus (which is available for around 300Euro), or better Akitio Thunderdock 3 Pro (which seems got rebranded in an OWC package), but again, find those prices over what id like to spend for similar functionality. .