FlexiHub: Windows host device only, but any platform can remotely access the USB of the Windows host. Easiest setup. Cost-effective as it is priced by active connections, not total number of devices FlexiHub is installed on. Secure with 256-bit encryption.

USB Network Gate: Windows, Linux, or Mac host device. Most powerful, setup isn't complicated. Made by same developer as FlexiHub, so you can use the FlexiHub interface on top of this. Secure with 256-bit encryption. The standard USB/Ethernet extender cables commonly used for secure and fast data transfers are rather short. The reason for keeping USB extenders short is that the connection becomes less effective as the distance between devices increases. The range for effective communication can be increased with additional hardware. You can extend USB through Ethernet using cat5e or cat6 cables, network converters, and extension cables to allow more distant connectivity to USB devices.We looked at how SD cards were inserted—you’d be surprised how many don’t work unless they’re inserted upside down!

The vast majority of USB hubs are self-contained units one can use with any computer or laptop that has at least one USB port. They can be split into two broad categories: the self-poweredand bus-powered ones. Looking for other home-office gizmos and gadgets? We've got a number of guides that can help, like our Best Work-From-Home Gear, Best USB Flash Drive, and Best Portable External Storage Drives roundups. I have been using the Sabrent HB-BUP7, the nearly-identical 7-port sibling to the HB-B7C3, as my daily driver for more than a year, and having these buttons is a real game changer. Changing default audio devices in Windows is a royal pain, requiring one to go into the control panel to, for example, make sound come out of your headset instead of your speakers. But with the power switches, I just turn off my USB speaker and turn on the wireless headphone dongle, or vice versa.Best of all, you get three display outputs, with a single 4K/60Hz HDMI 2.0, a lower-spec HDMI 1.4 and a 1440p-capable DisplayPort, giving you the option of using two or three screens at the same time. It might have been nice to have a faster 10Gbits/sec Type-C or Type-A port for your storage, but for connecting a laptop to a desktop setup, this is one of the best hubs around. It's capable of outputting to dual 4K displays (or a single 5K display), has 10 GB/s USB 3.1 Gen. 2 capability, and can charge Thunderbolt 3 laptops with 85W power delivery. It's also designed to be used horizontally or vertically to better accommodate different setups.

The TS3 Plus allows you to maximize the capabilities of a Thunderbolt 3 connection. It features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one DisplayPort 1.2 port, five USB 3.1 Type-A ports, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, an SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II), a Digital Optical Audio (S/PDIF) port 1x Gigabit, Ethernet, an Analog Audio In, and an Analog Audio Out port. We also like the choice of cables, with a short, pull-out cable that stows inside the case for travel, plus a longer desktop cable for when you need to stretch a little further. It gives this unit a little more flexibility than other USB-C hubs. If you're in the market for a simplistic USB C hub that does everything you need, look no further than the Anker 341 USB C 7-in-1. This model has all the ports most people require for daily use without extras that you'll never use. It's small and portable, so you can toss it in your laptop bag. It even comes with its own fabric pouch to protect it in your bag. It has two USB C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, as well as a Micro SD and SD card reader. We found this was just the right amount of ports for most people — enough to connect an average amount of tech. IoT business automation requires communication with various IT assets and peripherals located across an enterprise. Digi AnywhereUSB® Plus remote USB hubs give users the simplest and most direct connection options for existing equipment with a variety of USB 3.1 Gen 1 port options.

Some USB-C hubs go further by incorporating USB-PD passthrough. Here the idea isn’t so much to power the connected devices as to power the laptop the hub connects to, so that you just connect the laptop to the hub, and it charges as you use it without the charger taking up the spare USB-C port. The key thing here is how much power the hub can supply. Most will deliver 80W or more when used with a 100W charger, which should more than cover any laptop. However, with some you’re looking at 50W or less, which might mean missing out on fast-charging modes on some of those laptops that support them.

When the hub is fully loaded, it may reach a surface temperature of around 122℉. However, this is normal for products of this kind.

Short of ports and crucial connections on your laptop, tablet or PC? Splash out on a USB-C hub and enjoy all the connectivity you need

The HDMI port supports a variety of resolutions up to 4K@30Hz and 1080p@60Hz, including 1080p, 1080i, 720p, and 480p. There are still a couple of caveats here. First, your device needs to support a DisplayPort 1.4 video output over USB-C, which will count out many Chromebooks and some MacBooks and Windows laptops. Second, the hub itself takes 15W of power, which means that – even with a 100W USB-PD charger – you may find some laptops not charging at their highest speeds. But if you’re happy to live with these compromises, this is one of the best USB-C hubs we’ve seen. Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.