Recently Apple launched its new configurations for its 16-inch MackBook Pro model. Now some of the users have come up with issues occurring while connecting MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to a USB. Several users have reported this issue to the company and most of the latest MacBook Pro 2020 and MacBook Air 2020 models have been afflicted by USB connectivity issues. According to the Apple Support community forums, only USB 2.0 devices have been facing the fault.
Various users took to Reddit as well as Apple Support forums to report this connectivity issue to all the devices that call for USB-A connection this includes a USB keyboard, mouse as well as other external accessories. Those who have reported the issue suggest that it is not with a particular device actually most of the complaints are coming from the users limited to USB 2.0 accessories instead of USB 3.0 and 3.1. This issue has widely impacted Apple’s new both 13-inch 2020 models of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
A user reported on Reddit, “When I use an external USB-C hub in any port of my MBP [MacBook Pro], and connect USB 2.0 devices that include a Filco keyboard and a Razer DeathAdder mouse… after a while (minutes or hours), the USB 2.0 devices will stop responding (keyboard dead, mouse not moving or clicking),”
According to a report by MacRumors besides the connectivity issue, may of the users are also complaining about disconnection and freezing issues when using USB 2.0 accessories that connect to a Mac through a hub, though there seems to be no clear pattern as to which accessories are affected or when the issue occurs, making it difficult to determine what could be causing the disconnects.
SMC resets, safe mode, Disk Utility repairs, different user logins, and operating system reinstalls have all been unsuccessful addressing the bug, which suggests that it may be something that Apple needs to fix in a future software update if it is a software problem, the report said
Until the company gets a fix for this problem, one of the Reddit users seems to have solved the problem by switching to Thunderbolt CalDigit hub which is quite expensive. However, it’s still unclear if this workaround will work for all the impacted devices.
“Apple has a USB 2.0 issue with either the chipset they are using, or a Catalina bug regarding the handling and refreshing of USB 2.0 devices.
However, this can be worked around.
USB-C hubs vary in their functionality and there are two types:
- USB hubs that are transparent proxies
- The Anker, Satechi and StarTech hubs
- USB hubs that are terminating proxies
- The CalDigit hub and anonymous person on the internet and their monitor hub
Transparent proxies take the USB 2.0 input and present it as USB 2.0 to the MacBook Pro. The Mac or Catalina then will do something wrong and the USB 2.0 devices will freeze / become unresponsive at some point (minutes or hours after being attached).
Terminating proxies take the USB 2.0 input, terminate it, and present it as a fresh input that is USB 3.0 to the MacBook Pro. Everything is good in this scenario.”
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