MacBook pro USB-c hub problem

[Elaine_paw]

Hello, I'm a long time mac user, photographer and graphic designer. Love my 28"iMac, but it was time for a new MacBook pro for on the road. I immediately worried about the new USB-C situation, but Apple assured me I'd be ok with adapters until USB-C becomes more widely used. So I bought an adapter, with a single output, and used a hub that I had. it worked, but would often eject my external HD and mouse and wacom would randomly stop working, I'd have to unplug and plug it back in, which I know is not good for the hard drives. Looking at it closer, I remembered I'd had the hub many years, and was USB2. So I decided, my fault, using old equipment, so I ordered a hub that goes into USB C but has 7 USB 3 ports.
It works great with my external hard drives ( one for time machine backup, and the other for large working files) but the cordless mouse and my Wacom Intuos (Model CTH-480) doesn't work at all with that hub. They work fine with the first adapter I bought, but that means not using both a mouse and a wacom, unless, I plug and unplug, or maybe buy yet another adapter!!!! SCREAM! My iMac is older and USB2. All works fine directly into that machine.
I purchased the 7 port USB on eBay. I know, I know, it was $15 and no manufacturers name on it. , when most of the hubs are $75. I emailed the seller and they said I could send it back, or they would reimburse me half of the purchase price.
Does anyone have any idea why my HDs work but not the mouse and wacom?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

It really just sounds like an issue with the low cost hub.

-Is it a powered or non-powered hub?
-Do the mouse and Wacom work without the USB drives connected to the hub?

C

 

[Elaine_paw]

Thanks for your response. It's a non-powered hub. I just did a back-up off the hub successfully. The other day, I tried all different combinations as well as each device alone, and neither the mouse nor the wacom worked. This morning, after hearing your reply I tried the mouse with my back up drive, and it worked! But not the wacom. When I complained to the company I bought it from, they offered me a half price refund, and keep the device. I'm guessing it's not a big seller, a problem, or they are getting them for little or nothing and don't want to be bothered with returns. I think I'll take the half off, and watch it.
If it continues to be a problem, I'll probably buy one at an Apple Store, and with the MacBook Pro still on AppleCare, they will make it work. I think I'll stay away from Ebay, I haven't had any problems with off brands on Amazon. I'm just annoyed, because there seems to be no end to having to buy new adaptors

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries.

Because it is a non-powered hub, that may be part of the issue. When connecting external drives, it is always recommended to use a powered USB hub. You can run into issues when too many higher powered devices are connected to a non-powered USB hub.

Try just the mouse and Wacom with no drives...my guess is that it may work. It may be best to disconnect all devices, disconnect the hub, restart your MBP, then connect the hub, then the mouse and Wacom.

C

 

[Elaine_paw]

Interesting, I've never even seen a powered hub. The funny thing is that when I was using my old hub, I would get a message (the little alerts in the upper right) - which went away so fast, I wasn't sure I read it all- that said something about having too much of a power draw, and that I should disconnect USB devices. I called Apple Care about that, and that is when I realized that it was a USB2.0 hub. The apple care rep suggested I buy a newer hub and make sure it was USB3. When I wasn't getting the power messages anymore, I figured the 3.0 hub fixed that. I guess I just have to disconnect anything I'm not using at the time which is fine. I only need one backup a day on that machine. One the machine I use for graphics, I love the constant backups, because I'm always saving over a file by mistake, or someone calls and says "on second thought, go back to the version you sent me earlier today!"