AUKEY’s CB-C55 USB-C Hub Now on Sale: Macbook Port Expander with Power and Ethernet
by Anton Shilov on March 29, 2017 5:00 PM EST- Posted in
- USB-C
- Apple
- MacBook Pro
- Aukey
- USB-C Hub
AUKEY has started to sell its latest USB Type-C hub for Apple’s MacBook laptops and other computers that need something more than USB-C and wireless interconnection technologies. The new CB-C55 hub expands the port allocation to provide outputs for displays, projectors, Gigabit Ethernet and traditional USB Type-A devices, along with supporting power delivery input to the main machine.
Modern notebooks are very thin, whereas legacy ports like 8P8C/RJ45 (Ethernet) and D-Sub were designed in the seventies and the eighties when PCs only existed in desktop form-factors. Even more modern ports such as the HDMI port were not designed for ultra-thin laptops. Today, it is either impossible or very complicated to install such ports into ultra-thin notebooks, and the opinion of some OEMs is to combine them into a single USB-C port and require additional dongles. As a result, various dock stations and USB Type-C hubs are gaining popularity because people still need their legacy devices/connections, but want to have the thinnest and lightest devices possible.
The AUKEY CB-C55 USB Type-C hub was designed primarily for road warriors who use modern ultra-thin devices such as Apple’s MacBook, MacBook Pro (2017), HP’s Spectre, Lenovo’s Yoga 900, Google’s Pixel and others. The CB-C55 has a two USB Type-A connectors, a D-Sub header (max resolution is 1920×1080), an HDMI output (max resolution is 3840×2160 at 30 Hz) as well as a GbE port. The unit is made of matte aluminum and weighs 120 grams.
| AUKEY 6-in-1 USB Type-C Hub | |||
| CB-C55 | |||
| Main Connection | USB 3.0 Type-C at 5 Gbps with power delivery | ||
| Display Outputs | D-Sub (max resolution is 1920×1080) HDMI 1.4 (max resolution is 3840×2160 at 30 Hz) |
||
| Ethernet | GbE | ||
| USB | 2 × USB 3.0 Type-A (5V 500mA - 5V 900mA) | ||
| Power Input | 5-12V 2A (up to 24 W) | ||
| Cable Length | 142 mm 5.6 inches |
||
| Dimensions | 102 × 58 × 18 mm 4 × 2.3 × 0.7 inches |
||
| Weight | 120 grams 4.2 ounces |
||
Like many other USB hubs from AUKEY, the CB-C55 has its own power connector and thus can power laptops as well as devices that can be charged using USB ports. The input of the CB-C55 is 5-12 V at 2 A, so, the maximum amount of power it can deliver is about 24 W. Meanwhile, since the CB-C55 only supports USB 3.0 Type-C interconnection, the maximum bandwidth it can provide to other devices is limited to 5 Gbps.
The AUKEY CB-C55 USB-C hub is currently available from Amazon for $99.99, down $30 from the typical price of the product, which is $129.99, according to the retailer. The hub is backed by a two-year warranty.
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BedfordTim - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
Luckily business laptops such as Dell's Latitude 5000 range still give you a full size chassis with plenty of ports etc.qap - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
No, real solution is to standardize connectors (preferably only one), that can fit thinner laptops. Not because everyone needs thinner laptop, but because some people do and such connector can be used even on thick notebooks.USB-C/Thunderbolt has potential to replace almost every connector out there. And i really hope that it will one day. Until then, you can either buy laptop with lots of different connectors or buy hub/port replicator. That's up to you to make a choice, what fits your (and only your) needs.
GhostOfAnand - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
Beware, I've had issues where Aukey shipped me a product different from that indicated on their Amazon page, and they wouldn't issue a refund without me going through an Amazon return process. I guess it's not a matter of money, but it is a matter of principle, and of course, my time.I've had better luck with Anker, but thb I'm growing wary of these Chinese companies. I remember the days when Belkin sold you a solid product at a good price. What happened to those days?
CharonPDX - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
What bugs me about these is that nearly all of them provide only one USB Type C port, meant to be the "power in" port. While it's great to have a dongle for "backward compatibility", it WOULD be nice if they ALSO had the current/future port as well. Especially for the MacBook, which only has the one port. What if you want to plug in a USB type C peripheral *AND* a USB type A peripheral *AND* power?bill44 - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
+1As I said it earlier.
damianrobertjones - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
"Apple’s MacBook laptops and other computers "Would you, by any chance, mean 'Windows' computers? Obviously Windows computers have FAR more market share than Apple machines but it's nice to know.
uhuznaa - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
Why have all these things such a short cable? It's totally annoying to have a brick with half a dozen cables sticking out of it in all directions a few inches next to your laptop.Being able to put the hub somewhere at the back at the desk and having only one cable running to the laptop would be great. But this way you have all that stuff snaking around the desk from right next to the laptop. This already was annoying with Apple's DP-to-DVI adapters, which gave you a huge lump of male/female DVI connectors a couple of inches from the Macbook.
DanNeely - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
I'm pretty sure I couldn't use it with my work laptop at all because of the cable length. It'd be dangling down from my laptop which is sitting on a pile of books to lift its screen to the height of my external monitors.gregounech - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
StarTech have a very similar product (2 USB-A, 1 ethernet, 1 usb-c PD, so no VGA) and I got that for 70GBP, it works very well.https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-USB-Multiport-...
Shadowmaster625 - Thursday, March 30, 2017 - link
Well it certainly has Apple type pricing.