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Issue:

I have a couple USB-C 3.0 hubs, and a 2016/2017 MacBook Pro 13" [Fn-Key]. The first hub, everything connected over USB 2.0, so I assumed it was just a shitty hub, so I bought one from Anker that is verifiably 3.0...

And all my devices connect over USB 2.0. Specifically, the device registers as both a USB 2.0 hub connect to the USB 3.0 controller, and as a USB 3.0 hub connected to the USB 3.1 controller. However, devices always default to the USB 2.0 device... — This is confirmed by System Information.

USB 3.0 BusUSB 3.1 Bus

I tested the same hub on a Windows PC with a USB-C port and it connected as a USB SuperSpeed (3.0) hub over the USB 3.1 controller...

So why is my MacBook connecting it as a legacy 2.0 device?

It's clearly not. The devices connected are USB 3 devices that do not require external power. The hub is a USB 3.0 SuperSpeed hub. But my MacBook keeps prioritizing USB 2.0 for whatever reason...

Is there a way to disable the 3.0 controller and/or the 2.0 hub device?

Update: One of the USB 3 devices randomly started connecting over USB 3.0 instead of USB 2.0, but another still connects over USB 2.0. Sometimes the flash drive (the one that started connecting right) still connects over USB 2.0 however. It seems... random?

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  • Can you show the screenshots with real devices connected? Or do you have a device called "Type-C"? what is it? And you may need to give more details of the USB hubs you are using. – Gilby Mar 23 at 6:21
  • My flash drive labels itself as "Type-C" in hardware because it's a combo USB-C/USB-A 3.1 flash drive from Samsung. The hubs I'm using are the Anker USB-C to USB 3.0 4-port data hub, and a MOKIN MacBook hub with thunderbolt passthrough, 3 USB-A 3.0 ports, and an SD card reader. – Urufu Mar 23 at 16:10
  • I found your Samsung flash drive and yes it should work at USB 3 speeds. Does it connect a 5 gbps if connected directly to one of your USB-C/Thunderbolt ports? Your Anker hub does not (if I have identified it correctly) have its own power connector. My experience is that getting power from the host computer can be marginal (at best) and can lead to USB2 speeds and/or errors. Can you try with a powered hub? – Gilby Mar 23 at 21:55
  • @Gilby it does work when directly connected. Oddly enough, it also works when facing one direction in the hub, but not the other way. It's like it's USB-C, but 2.0 "upside-down" and 3.0 "right side up" — The drive, not the hub. So it may be an issue with how Mac is reading the drive (it doesn't have this weird behavior in the same hub on Windows, and the power drawn is less than the max of the hub over USB alone). – Urufu Apr 8 at 4:11
  • At least you know that the flash drive works at USB3 speeds. As I said I find unpowered hubs marginal - sometimes they work at USB3, sometimes they don't. I strongly suggest you use a power hub for reliable USB3 connection. I would only use unpowered hubs for USB2 devices. – Gilby Apr 8 at 7:13

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