this is the only forum i'm on , on the net and i need an external usb dock recommendation with a mixture of added usb ports ie...

..includes 2 ports to install 2 x m2 'chewing gum' ssd's.
..5 x usb 3 ports that can also default to usb 2 for slower usb 2 devices.

or maybe 2 hubs/docks ??

what are others useing in this age of 'too few ports on host computers' whether laptops or desktops.

ideally i would like something that not only works on pc's but also (as i'm getting very excited about the possibility of apple m2 processors in a mini.) on macs.
(i figure as apple goes from m1 to m2 to m3 to mn etc etc there will be deals if one stays back a generation.)

any ideas ?

happiness.

om

All USB hosts and hubs have to work with the lower specification devices. It's one of the things that makes writing software for USB "fun".

I would suggest that any USB 3.x hub with sufficient ports should be fine. If you want five ports, you'll likely have to buy a 7-port hub with external power, but you'll likely want external power anyway if you're using 3 USB 3.x devices.

Beyond that I doubt it matters that much whose you buy, as they likely all use an off-the-shelf chip-set anyway. I've designed a couple of USB 2.0 hubs and I just used TI parts. The most likely places to cut costs are the plastics and the power supply.

As Gordon said it really doesn't matter what brand you purchase. Whatever you choose make sure that it has an external power supply. In our house we have 6 Anker powered USB hubs with three on my music computer. I have had problems with hubs without power supplies, even a three non powered hub.

I highly recommend Anker powered USB hubs. This is what I am using:

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-7-Port-Adapter-Charging-iPhone/dp/B014ZQ07NE/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2Y001NI4KN01E&keywords=anker+Powered+Usb+Hub&qid=1666207951&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjk0IiwicXNhIjoiMy4xMiIsInFzcCI6IjMuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=anker+powered+usb+hub%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-3

I don't believe that what you specify exists. There are plenty of USB 3.2 Gen 2 external storage boxes but none I know also function as hubs. OTOH, USB 3.2 Gen 2 over USB-C hubs are cheap.


Get the largest single m2 blade you can afford. Multiple blades are slower, even if configured RAID 0. On the other hand, unless Thunderbolt is an issue, slow blades such as the inexpensive Crucial P2 (rated 2000MB/s) are faster than the 1500MB/s speed limit imposed by USB 3.2 Gen 2. You're limited by 4 Lane imposed PCIe 3 x4 so anything faster is a waste of money.

Thunderbolt 3/4 has a maximum speed of 2800MB/s over the 4 Lanes but if your PC does not have TB3 or 4, again, it doesn't matter. Again, it's a 4 Lane pipe and multiple blades are slower than a large single.

Two blades in a single enclosure set up JBOD or RAID 1 run at less than half the speed as each uses only 2 lanes. 4 blades each use a single lane running at less than 1/4 speed. RAID 0 combines multiple drives so that they appear as one, of course, and recovers much of the speed in the process but due to those darned laws of physics, does not recover all. It's never as fast as a single—ever.

So, all those PCIe4 x6 m2 blades you see can realize those speeds only in a PCIe 4 x6 lane enclosure. Some expensive PCs have these inside as does the Mac Studio (only Apple product that does, so far). Though such SSDs are backward compatible, there is no USB or Thunderbolt external capable of this kind of speed. Perhaps TB5 and USB 5 someday.

All.

thanks for kindly responding.

the problem being not only are computer manufacturers offering limited numbers of usb ports in their products but also limited numbers of internal drive slots or often only one m2…thus forcing an external solution.

for example it used to be one used to be able to install several ssd's in a desktop.

thus what i'm grappling with is what external hub//dock or combo would give the fastest throughput to the host pc or mac.
eg would this work ?

viz a dock/enclosure eg orico that takes 2 m2/nvme eg 'gum' drives into >> the anker product mario cites into >> the host pc or mac ?

best
om

I don't see a single enclosure/hub on the Orico site. Show a link and I'll look at it.



I answered that already but without knowing the host computer, I can't make a specific recommendation.


Anker 7-Port USB 3.0 Data Hub with 36W Power Adapter bla, bla, bla…

This is a USB 3 hub only—the 36W charging ports are 12W x3 and don't pass data very well. I have the exact model sitting on my desktop and it's good. Again, need to know the host computer.

I still have never seen an m2 dock/usb hub combo.

Mike.

heres the dual orico m2 enclosure.

https://www.orico.cc/us/product/detail/7843.html

happiness

om

Was nothing resolved?
Threads that tease at offering something useful but end up hanging in the air are a form of click bait.

All.

i was waiting to see if anyone else had any ideas...
and still researching my need all this week.

i agree with mike , after too much googling, this week what i want i dont think exists.

however one possible way to add more m2 ssd's to a rig to overcome the limitations of pc's that only allow one internal ssd is the following ??

one of these into a powered usb port extender ? eg marios anker or another usb extender ?
then usb extender into host pc or i guess one could direct hook into a usb port on host pc if a user had a spare one ?

https://www.amazon.ca/Docking-Tool-Free-Enclosure-duplicator-Function/dp/B08LPDTZGQ?th=1

there are various on amazon.
i guess another way is to put each ssd into its own enclosure etc....but that means taking up 2 usb ports on the usb multi port extender.

anyone got anymore ideas ? please post them

ymmv etc etc

om

I've been out of touch for over a week but am back.

The 1000 claimed speed is USB 3.1 (aka 3.2 Gen 2) which is pretty slow these days. In fact, it's barely faster than a pair of 2.5" SATA III SSDs configured RAID 0. If used with a pair if m2 blades not configured RAID 0, the speed of each one drops to less than 50% of the maximum. One blade only will use both lanes and maximize speed.


If storage capacity is the goal and not speed, this doesn't look bad. Likewise, if the host computer is rated USB 3.1 (oops, I mean 3.2 Gen 2 — where are my manners?), then spending more for speed is a waste of money.

This would be a good match:
Crucial P3

The only way to maximize its speed is to mount it internally on a PCIe 3 x4 bus. Externally, you are limited by your housing and your PC's USB or Thunderbolt bus.

I just saw that other thread on your new PC. Congrats.

The best thing to do is ignore the desire for an m2 housing. With that empty slot, you don't need it. If you need more storage, slap one of those Crucial P3s in there—over 3.5x faster than any external and you have an internal fan.

All of your USB ports are USB 3.0. Type A or Type C doesn't matter at all—they're just ports, not protocols. Anything you hook up to them runs at USB 3 or slower which is fine. This assumes a USB 3 type A or USB-C cable that supports USB 3. Read the fine print — any cable rated 480mb is really USB 2.

That Anker hub is good. As I posted earlier, I have the same one on my desk.