StarTech.com USB-C / USB-A Hybrid Docking Station for MacBook Pro / Air M1 M2 M3 M4 & Windows, Universal Dual 4K 60Hz HDMI DP Dock, Thunderbolt Compatible, 60W Laptop Charging

With the Covid situation going on, I am working from home and I needed a docking station for configuring a dual display set up. I had a startech docking station in office and The office desktop support folks recommended startech for my personal macbooks. I got a loaner from office but it had a TB3 cable and didn’t support my MacBooks. I have a 2017 MacBook with USB C and a 2015 MacBook Pro with USB A. I needed a docking station that could support both. On a whim, I started a chat with the tech support on the startech website. The guy was very knowledgeable and really patient in answering my questions and recommended this docking station instead of buying a bunch of adapters. Although @ $300 this is on the high end and pricy, I decide to give it a try. I configured all peripherals and downloaded the displaylink beta 0.5 version(latest) for OSX 10.15.4. The display works like a charm. Although I am having some problems with the sleep(clamshell) mode of Mac( my laptop locks after a few second after I shut the screen and upon unlocking it, again locks it after a few seconds. The right configuration is done in the energy saver ) I don’t have any complains about the docking station so far. It does support both the 2015 and 2017 MacBooks. Also I have tested it with a windows laptop with TB3 port and it works fine. PS: I will post an update, when I figure out the issue with the laptop locking down. This does seem like a great universal docking station.

Bought this for a conference room hub with two large displays. Using a single high-speed type-C cable as the connection to laptops. Works great for Windows machines, with ability to split screens at high-def, but does NOT work for any of our Macs despite what the description promotes. We've tried several different Apple machines and none of them are able to see the displays when using this hub - so they have to either unplug and bypass with the HDMI directly, or use AirPlay.

Turns out this is not reliable. After less than two months the StarTech docking station suddenly stopped working. I have not found a solution.

"Universal" anything usually isn't, but this docking station truly lives up to its name. It works equally well with my work laptop (Microsoft Surface Laptop), home laptop (HP Spectre) and my MacBook Pro. My previous docking station was wonky at best with my home laptop and non-functional with my Mac. You can save a few bucks and go with another brand, but of you want a true plug-and-play docking station spend the money and buy this one.

I want to be upfront with this review. I do not own a 4K monitor. I cannot comment on how this unit performs with one, never mind two, but I did notice something that might impact that. I ordered this unit to serve as hub for my laptop. I wanted to be able to easily and quickly transition it to a full work station. This unit works very well in that regard. Here is what I was look for: Q - Will it switch you from wifi to hardwired? A - Yes. Q - Will it allow you to shut your laptop and use it like a desktop? A - Yes, you have to play with your display settings, but it can do this. Q - Can I run dual monitors? A - No problem at all. You get two HDMI and two Display Ports. Q - Will this charge my phone? A - Yes. Most of the plugs will work for that. Q - Can I hook up a keyboard and mouse? A - Very easily. Just use any of the USB ports. Q - Can you secure this unit? A - Yes. There are multiple security options to lock this down if you are in a non-private work area. Other things to point out: 1 - you get two plugs. One regular and one that looks like it's designed for a high draw outlet, like an oven. Could be an OS format. 2 - This thing is solid with a bottom that girps. 3 - Before using this unit, I would strongly recommend you go to the StarTechs website and download the driver. It tells you right in the instructions to do that. I did it upfront since hardware like this can drive you insane if you are not running it with a good driver. 4 - For the people running this for two 4K or a single 5K monitor - I noticed that windows could not detect the resolution when using an HDMI. I don't have a display port, so that might be the problem right there. I just wanted to mention that in case it is an issue. Is this worth it? Maybe. At this price point it's really hard to recommend for anyone not using 4K monitors. I gave it four stars because it's well built and does what I want it too, but I bet I could get the same results with a much cheaper unit. At least this is future proof for me. I do hope to get a good 4K or 5K cinema display for my office. When I do, I'll make sure to update this review with my experience with that.

It works perfectly!

NOT sure what is wrong with these so called "Powerful" Docks. at this cost of the item, they don't even do the basic minimum job of a much cheaper hub that i have been using; This is the fourth dock i am trying out - having tried the caldigit, another stardock, and 2 dell docks; i am beginning to regret buying a USB-C based laptop; however the small ICZI 8-1 hub is working the most reliable of the lot!

I'll take you through my experience before getting into the nitty gritty specs. For this review, I grabbed my Dell Inspiron gaming laptop with thunderbolt port to test it out. It has a 7700HQ cpu so it should have new enough standards to do a good review on. I plugged in my keyboard and mouse, ethernet, and both my 4K monitors(both displayport). First, it took a minute or so for the displays or the laptop to even realize that they could communicate. The keyboard and mouse worked immediately and the displays did eventually figure out what was going on and turn on. Then I also got a pop-up saying that the cable I plugged in does not support charging. I suspect this is because the laptop knows it can pull more than the type c cable can supply, with it being a gaming laptop with a 1060, so the function is blocked by Dell. No problem. Now, lag. Definitely lag. I discovered that the thunderbolt port is not connected to the dedicated graphics card, meaning my cpu was hammering itself to supply dual 4K outputs and the included laptop display. So, no need to test it for gaming. Along with that is the inconsistency in performance on screen. It just doesn't feel smooth, and there's a little delay to it. I feel that that was from the cpu getting hit by everything I did, and the fact that the igpu has to pre-render the display and send that info over a usb connection. The ethernet on the hub did great, and was giving me the same latency as the onboard connection, and I had no issues with the mouse and keyboard. This hub does have a lot of features: 2x USB 3.0 Type A ports 1x Type C Gen 1 connection to laptop (Max 60W power delivery to laptop) 1x RJ-45 Ethernet 2x Displayport 1.2 ports 2x HDMI 2.0 Ports (Only 2 of the 4 display outputs can be used at a time) Powered by an external power brick to AC power 1x USB Type A charging port (Front) 1x USB Type C charging port (Front) Comes with AC power adapter and Type C to Type C cable to plug into laptop Build Quality: Build was pretty solid. It felt heavy and I have confidence that it will last. Definitely a strong side for this product. Ports felt nice and tight and captive connectors clicked in. The power cable, I think, is overkill. This thing looks nearly as thick as the power cable I got with my 850W power supply for my desktop. Use Case: So, who is this product actually for? Most likely Notebook users with macbooks or notebooks that just don't have other connections. I could see how having a station set up for a notebook with this would be hugely beneficial. Having full displays, keyboard and mouse, and an ethernet cable that might not be on the notebook at all bundled into a single package is pretty convenient. I know it's a hassle to hook up my gaming laptop when I have to take it somewhere and bring it back. Price: Here's the kicker. This thing is so expensive for what it is. At the time I'm placing this I believe it was $230. I have seen other Type C hubs for $100 that can do (almost) everything this one can do. Also, this hub is Gen 1, not Gen 2. The only real factor that could increase the value of this product over others is having all the display outputs. Looking at cheaper options I typically only see a single display output, or just a displayport and hdmi combo. If you NEED this feature, yes this could end up being what you need. And you will be paying to have it. For most users, I would say to shop for hubs around the $100 mark.

Works amazing with MacBook. It’s a go to docking station if you want to extend 2 screens on your macbook!! However, for my dell work laptop, connection is not so stable using the thunderbolt 3, I have to restart my laptop whenever I need it to connect. (Might be driver issues on this laptop) Overall super satisfied with this product, beyond my expectations! - have yet to tried all the ports to make sure it’s working! (Only downside is not sure how to activate the 3 years warranty)

I purchase the docking station, got help from one the technician to set it up to use with my new Macbook pro and two monitors. The set-up was fast and works well ever since. Startech products are very good.

HPのノートPC用に購入しましたが、安定動作しました。ノートPCからドックへType-C形状のサンダーボルトケーブル1本で、給電しながら2つのマルチディスプレイに接続し、3画面表示できました。 製品と関係ないですが、マルチディスプレイ側が高解像度過ぎるとカクつく場合があり、ノートPCにGPU積んでないとちと厳しいってことがわかりました。