Mac Pros and late model MacBook Pro owners with Thunderbolt ports that need a hub for additional connectivity have a new great option. That option is the Thunder2 Dock from AKiTiO. The hub easily fills the need by adding a group of much needed high-powered ports. Gone are the days of having to unplug one device for another.
Overview
AKiTiO makes some of the most innovative storage and connectivity devices for Mac users. Their Thunder2 Dock continues that tradition with a hub capable of adding an additional Thunderbolt port, two eSATA host ports, a 7-watt bus-powered FireWire 800 host port and two bus-powered USB 3.0 host ports.
All together, the thin hub provides a connection point to daisy chain up to six Thunderbolt enabled devices and it supports 4K monitors. It can do all of this via its Thunderbolt 2 ports that can provide up to 20Gbps of throughput.
The Box Includes:
- Thunder2 Dock
- Power Adapter
- Thunderbolt Cable ($29 value)
Continue to use legacy FireWire 800 devices and USB 2.0 gadgets with the Thunder2 Dock and Macs running 10.9.2 or above with applicable drivers. It has two independent eSATA 6Gbps controllers with a maximum transfer rate of up to 370MB/s for PC users that need access to those types of storage devices.
Its USB 3.0 ports support the USB attached SCSI connection protocol for increased performance. The hub provides connection speeds of up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and up to 20 times more performance than with USB 2.0.
Features
- Two Thunderbolt 2 ports for lightning fast speeds up to 20Gb/s
- Daisy chain up to 6 Thunderbolt devices
- Two eSATA host ports (up to 6Gb/s)
- One 7 watt bus-powered FireWire 800 host port
- Two bus-powered USB 3.0 host ports (supports UASP)
- Durable and rugged aluminum casing
- Supports 4K monitors and displays
Imagine using only one Thunderbolt port on a Mac Pro to daisy chain connect high capacity storage devices like RAID towers and legacy external hard drives at the same time. This hub saves the user from having to purchase new Thunderbolt enclosures for older but necessary drives.
Beyond adding fast storage, the Thunder2 Dock provides enough Thunderbolt bandwidth to drive the latest 4K monitors. Use the dock to charge and sync high drain Apple gadgets like the iPad. It provides 2.1A of power and enough juice to run an Apple Keyboard or an external Apple SuperDrive.
Use the hub to extend the distance at which you run a Mac Pro from your monitor and other accessories. The Thunder2 Dock will be a great addition for MacBook Pro users that need more than one additional port of connectivity to get work done. Or simply use this hub to connect all of your devices by plugging in one cable at a job site.
Final Thoughts
AKiTiO’s Thunder2 Dock can simultaneously connect up to six Thunderbolt enabled devices, like RAID storage disks and a 4K monitor. The hub is capable of 20Gbps of throughput over a single cable.
Use it in an office or at home to connect legacy devices or charge up high drain tablets like the Apple iPad. PC users should also consider the Thunder2 Dock for use with eSATA drives.
This hub is all about performance by providing 12x more than FireWire 800 and 20x more than USB 2.0. At $279.99 from their Amazon store, it will connect devices from the past, present and future.
Rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Provides 2.1A of Power From USB Ports
- Backward Compatible With Thunderbolt
- Fast Thunderbolt 2 Connections
- 20Gbps of Throughput
- Connect a 4K Monitor
Cons:
- None observed
Disclosure: I was provided a Thunder2 Dock from AKiTiO at no cost for review. I was not compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are mine. All photos are courtesy of AKiTiO.
