Today we’re going to talk about USB Type-C docks — and the advertising fallacies that come with them.

First and foremost: any USB or Thunderbolt dock can only connect to one USB or Thunderbolt controller at a time. That’s a hard limitation baked into the design. And that one controller can only do so much.

Now, USB-C as a connector supports a wide variety of protocols — USB, Thunderbolt, and several “Alt-Modes” like DisplayPort or HDMI. So in theory, a USB-C dock should be capable of supporting all of these protocols, even at the same time. And some do — technically.

But here’s the catch: just because a dock supports multiple protocols doesn’t mean they can all run at full performance simultaneously. That’s where manufacturers start lying by omission.

Most USB-C dock manufacturers (and retailers) never tell you the limitations of their products. Instead, they show sleek diagrams and flashy product shots: displays, SSDs, Ethernet, keyboards, power — all plugged in at once, running smoothly. But what they never mention is that those performance numbers don’t happen all at the same time.

Let me give you a real example.

I have a Thunderbolt 4/USB 3 dock with Ethernet, two USB-A ports, and a USB-C “PD” port. The manual says that in order to charge the host device, you must use the PD port with a compatible charger and cable. What it doesn’t mention is that if you plug in Ethernet and power at the same time, both can become functionally useless — depending on the device you’re connecting to. The dock will rapidly switch between charging and Ethernet, sometimes disabling one entirely.

Why does this happen?

Well, without tearing it down and hunting for datasheets, here’s my best educated guess: “PD-only” ports aren’t real. According to USB-IF standards, any port that supports Power Delivery should also support data. But this dock breaks those rules. It only allows power — no data — through the “PD” port. Which strongly suggests that the controller inside is either underpowered, misconfigured, or simply the wrong choice for the job.

And this brings us to another major problem: the controllers themselves.

Most docks don’t tell you what controller chips they use. You won’t know until after you buy it — and in many cases, until you physically open the dock. And even then, the chip might not have public documentation. Which means unless someone online has already tested it, you’re in the dark.

Sure, the box says “Supports 4K60, USB 3.2, and 100W PD” — but how many of those work together? At full speed? Will your USB ports silently downgrade to USB 2 when HDMI is active? Will your screen flicker? Mouse lag? External SSD cut out? Who knows. Because the dock won’t tell you — and neither will the manufacturer.

One last thing — and this is important.

There’s a myth floating around that spending more money gets you a better dock. That’s simply not true.

My sub-$20 dock supports USB 2, USB 3, SD cards, 4K HDMI over both DP-Alt Mode and SlimPort, and Power Delivery. And it handles multiple functions simultaneously without issue.

Meanwhile, my $90+ Thunderbolt 4 dock — with brand-name packaging and a thick instruction manual — only works under very specific combinations. USB 3 and HDMI. But Ethernet OR charging — but not both. More expensive doesn’t mean more capable.

At the end of the day, the best dock for you depends on your use case — not your budget. And the only way to know what you’re really getting is through real-world testing, not marketing promises.

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