Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub

I purchased this hub for use with my very large desktop display (Apple Thunderbolt 27″) and, specifically, with USB drives that I frequently need to attach and detach from my system. This device promised a small and unobtrusive, but attractive solution to the problem of constantly having to reach around to the back of my display to plug devices into the internal USB hub. The hub has performed wonderfully in this regard.

The hub is very small and unobtrusive, so it stays out of the way when you need it, and can quickly be called in for connectivity when I want it. It is very hefty and has a solid, “well constructed” feel which makes me want to actually touch and use it (sadly, the tactile experience is lost on so many commercial products, but Anker nails it in this department). Aesthetically, the hub looks quite at home with my various Apple products, with a similar fit and finish. The rubbery pad on the bottom of the hub protects my desk surface, but it is not as effective at holding the hub where I position it on my desk (see more below on this point). Thankfully, the USB cable is long enough to provide flexibility in placement on my desk.

As a hub, I’ve not had a single issue with this hub being able to either accept a USB device (which means to actually mount the device for use), or in powering a device, such as an external USB hard drive (e.g. WD MyPassport USB). It has proven reliable and is used every day without issue. I do have to use both hands to plug and unplug devices (one to hold the hub, the second to hold the USB device), but this is a minor issue.

I have only two suggestions for improvement of this hub:

1. Pad and Position: Even though it is hefty, the industrial-strength USB cable exiting the rear of the hub is thick and stiff enough that it tends to exert some “memory”, and it tends to pull the hub to where it wants the hub to be, versus where I want the hub to be. A micro-suction pad on the bottom of the hub would anchor the hub in place on my desk so that the hub would not only stay in place, but where I could also plug and unplug USB devices as a one-handed operation. The micro-suction pad would also allow the hub to be easily repositioned if needed, without destroying my desk surface.

2. Status Lights: The hub has a single green LED indicating that it is connected to my master hub. While I appreciate the status, I would prefer a port-by-port status LED arrangement that actually indicates when the device I’ve plugged-in is connected. This would be similar to the blue LED status lights on my other Anker 7-port USB hub. By providing port-based LED status (blue, please), I can tell when a device has been properly seated and registered. I’ve got a couple of finicky USB devices that don’t always seat well when plugged in…

So, all in all, this is an excellent hub that really compliments my Macbook/Thunderbolt Display system, and it has proven to be a reliable and effective solution to my need to frequently connect USB devices without having to reach around the display to do so. While I do have a couple of minor nits with the product, it easily rates as a five-star device.

This is my third Anker purchase and review.

The build quality and functionality of this product is great. It is much smaller than the picture shows and very compact. As soon as I connected it to my laptop, I checked each and every port and confirmed that when connected to a usb 3.0 port, it gives an average speed of about 400 MB/s, which is quite good. Anker are usually of the highest quality. It is more expensive than the other hubs, but I liked its styling and it looks good on my desk.

Remember that you won’t get full USB 3.0 speed if:
– You have connected it to USB 2.0 port on your computer
– You are using all 4 port simultaneously to transfer files to your computer.

The AH430 aluminum hub works very well with my 2012 iMac running OS X 10.9.3 Mavericks. When both USB 2 & USB 3 devices are plugged into the hub, it will appear in the System Information app as two hubs, one on a “USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus” with the USB 3 items attached to it, & the other on a “USB Hi-Speed Bus” with the USB 2 items attached to that.

Blackmagic Disk Speed Test shows that it can deliver USB 3 speeds to USB 3 devices even when both USB 2 & 3 ones are plugged into it. I saw no difference in transfer speeds between plugging a fast USB 3 hard drive into the hub & directly into one of the iMac’s ports.

Since the hub does not have a separate power supply, it is limited to supplying a maximum total of 900 ma (0.9 amps) to all the devices plugged into it, & no more than 500 ma (0.5 amps) to any USB 2 device. This means it will charge my iPhone 5s, but at only half the rate of Apple’s 1 amp “cube” charger. For those using a wired Apple aluminum keyboard, note that the USB ports on the keyboard’s built-in hub can supply more than 500 ma to an iPhone to charge it, but only if the keyboard is plugged directly into the Mac. If the keyboard is plugged into this (or any other) hub, the iPhone will only get 500 ma.

However, unlike the keyboard this hub still supplies power when the Mac is asleep (the green light stays lit) so it will continue to charge an iPhone when the Mac is asleep, if slowly.

The fit & finish of the AH430 is excellent & the supplied USB 3 cable appears to be a rugged, high quality one. However, the one I got was a little stiff & 22″ long, slightly less than the advertised two feet.

On a final note, I want to mention that Anker’s customer support was great. I had some questions about their hubs & my email about that was answered promptly & completely.

Alas, after 2.5 years of nearly flawless performance, my AH 430 (to avoid any confusion, the “Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Portable Aluminum Hub with 2-Foot USB 3.0 Cable” model) has died from what I believe to be a manufacturing defect. I rarely unplug the supplied 2 foot cable from the back of the hub, but today when I unplugged it & later tried to plug it back in it went in with no resistance & fell out as soon as I set it down.

Since it is 1 year out of warranty I took it apart to see what happened. What I discovered is the micro B socket inside the hub has two metal tabs that should be soldered to the PC board to secure it. There was no solder on the tabs, so the socket was held in place only by the very tiny wires connecting the 9 contacts in the socket to the circuits on the board. By themselves, they are not sturdy enough to withstand many insertions of the cable or the stress the inserted cable places on the body of the socket. So without the added support of the metal tabs, the socket simply tore away from the board & fell into the case when I tried to plug the cable in.

I now know that had I been unplugging & reattaching the cable more frequently, it would have failed during the warranty period & I am sure Anker would have replaced it — their customer service really is among the best there is. As it is, I am not sure if I will replace this one with another of the same model or with one with a more sturdy looking socket, or perhaps one with a permanently attached cable, which should avoid this potential problem.