Thunder3 Dock Pro (Thunderbolt 3 Docking Station with 10Gbps Network, CFast Reader, and More)

This thing is SOLID! Feels like it's built like a tank and heavier compared to another brand that I had. Plug and play, it just works as it should. I had issues with the other brand (see my reviews for more info) and bought this as a replacement.My setup: 2 1440p ultrawides connected via dock to 2017 MacBook Pro. No issues at all, MBP sleeps and wakes up monitors, etc without breaking a sweat. One is connected via displayport @ 144Hz, the other is connected via thunderbolt to HDMI @ 60Hz. 85Hz is available on the thunderbolt / hdmi display but flickers like crazy when enabled. I think I could swap some cables or get a thunderbolt to displayport to get this one to 144Hz as well (the monitor is capable). Not a huge concern atm.Fan in unit is whisper quiet as far as I can tell, this is while running two monitors, 10GB capable network and USB.Very happy with this purchase!

The big differentiator of this dock vs. the vast competition out there are:1) advanced card slots in the front, 2) 10GB N-Base-T networking, 3) a true Port-Multiplier eSATA port, and 4) the fan inside. Other features (like displayport++, USB3.1) can all be had via existing solutions such as the TS3 dock from Caldigit, for example.1) If you process CFast2 of SD 4.0 content, having a fast means of transferring the content to your computer is a real nice-to-have. Media files are only getting bigger thanks to 4K content, so anything helps. The stylish dock also looks a lot better than the usual industrial dongles one has to deal with.2) NBase-T networking is finally coming to mass-market, dramatically lowering the cost of 10GB/s networking. In the past, standalone Thunderbolt dongles of this sort cost upwards of hundreds of dollars. As long as your wiring runs are short, you might even achieve high speed connections on older CAT5e wiring. All in all, this is likely the standout feature of the dock.However, just because your computer has a Thunderbolt 3 port does not mean that you can use this networking adapter. It will not work on Windows machines without a download from Akitio (their web site hosts the required Aquantia driver), but for OS X users who aren't at High Sierra 10.13.4 or above, you are out of luck. Akitio buries this information in 5pt type on their specifications page, where no one will ever think to look given how they advertise the dock. FWIW, all other dock features will work in OS X Sierra, just not Networking.3) The eSATA port features Port Multiplier capability, which is great if you want to host an external disk array with a port multiplier card. For example, the Addonics 5-Port HPM-XU works just fine with Akitio's dock (which doesn't work with the TS3).4) Like other folk that have reviewed this dock, I can't hear the fan either. The fan does a great job of keeping the dock cool. The CalDigit TS3 can get hot because it doesn't have a fan, relying on the die-cast Aluminum housing to dissipate heat instead.Then there are bunch of features that you can find in other docks, like a displayport and USB 3.1 outlets. I'd argue that the closest competition is the TS3 from Caldigit, so here are some differences and similarities:Both support Thunderbolt 3 daisy-chaining. While the TS3 can charge a laptop at 85W, the Akitio makes it to 60W. I doubt many users will notice the difference. In terms of Networking, the TS3 only offers Gigabit (but it offers it to all computers). The TS3 theoretically has 2 eSATA ports but the compatibility with PM-dependent devices can be spotty. Even a $25 USB 3.0 stick from Addonics is more reliable. The Displayport capabilities may be similar - Caldigit lists 5K support, Akitio 4K support but I bet either solution has caveats attached (i.e. refresh rate, for example). The TS3 doesn't offer a card reader but it does offer sound in/out ports, which the Akitio does not. The TS3 gets hot while the Akitio stays cool when the fan is on. Lastly, the Akitio is much wider than the TS3. This is good if you like having room to insert and extract cables - the TS3 back can be very cramped.Last but not least, while I respectfully disagree with some of the replies I got from tech support, I will note that they replied quickly. This is a big step up from other companies like CalDigit. So, there is a lot to like, especially if your laptop is running a recently-released OS.But, there is a significant premium associated with this unit, and I'm not convinced it's worth it given that good eSATA port multiplier USB sticks can be had for $25 and the cost of standalone Thunderbolt 3 N-Base-T adapters has also dropped below $200. If this is your first dock, the bundle may be worth it. If you already have a thunderbolt 3 dock, then I'm less convinced that the marginal benefit is there.

At work, we had a Lumaforge Jellyfish server installed and we have 10g lines ran to all of our desks. We are all running 2018 MBP's so we need to convert the 10g. We were sent Akitio's 10g thunderbolt 3 converter boxes but due to the MBP's not so great busses, the Akitio box didn't work correctly since it would constantly disconnect. I'd say spend the little bit extra and get these guys since it also offers other great features. Akitio makes great stuff, it's a shame Apple's busses on the MBP's aren't great or that 10g to thunderbolt 3 box would've been great.

The dock works great. The issues are the size and the gigantic power supply attached to it. But it's the only thunderbolt 3 dock with a 10G ethernet port. Also... seems like a mistake to use Display Port instead of HDMI.

Brand new windows install on a new i9 Dell 7540 with fresh win 10 pro and fully up to date drivers, bios and firmware.The SD card reader doesn't even show up in Device manager, the SATA controller, USB hubs and ethernet controller all require drivers that are not available. The only one I could find was the ethernet driver on the Manufacturers' web site. But installing that caused laptop to BSOD with every reboot = disconnect dock and it boots up fine - re-connect - BSOD. Uninstalled drivers - no BSOD but no ethernet. Only thing that did seem to work is the Display port out.

Very easy to use and the fans are very quiet but you have the option to turn it off (30 min or less recommended). the Compact Flash 2.0 and SD 4.0 is amazing as I still use both in addition to the eSATA port. I have my 4K monitor running through the Display port 1.2 @ 4K 60HZ. CLEAN, this dock looks beautiful and matches the space grey on my MacBook perfectly. The light on top glows blue when connected to the MacBook and glows orange when sleeping. It's dark when not in use. No power button, this is 100% plug and play, no power button required.

Works almost perfectly - I actually get closer to 10Gbps on the network interface, which is great. Minor caveat that is a GoPro HERO8 with a Media Mod does not get recognized when plugged to its USB ports (but I won't be surprised at all if it turns out to be an issue with the camera, though it does work when plugged directly to my MBP).

Works great for also powering the laptop so I can't have to get out the power cord. Best of all it works well with my 10GB ethernet switch. However, I sure wish it had multiple USB-C ports like you get with a regular USB hub. This one only has 2 USB-C and even that is far more than most. I simply do not understand why it is so hard to find a dock or hub with say 4 or 4 USB-D ports. One other note is that unlike some docks, this one does not get hot. Thanks for a great product so far.

Ich habe drei dieser Docking-Stations gekauft;zwei davon sind im Einsatz an je einem intel NUC10i7FNH, der direkt ein Thunderbolt-3-Interface mitbringt.Sie funktionieren dort einwandfrei; ich habe sie vor allem wegen der 10GB-Ethernet Schnittstellle gekauft und habe daneben noch weitere USB-Ethernet-Adapter am Dock im Einsatz. Das alles funktioniert wunderbar; ich habe das schnelle 10G-Netz (an einem Zyxel Switch) und die zusätzlichen Erweiterungen für einen moderaten Auffpreis gegenüber einem reinen Thunderbolt-3 - zu - 10GBE Adapter.Passt für mich perfekt und ich bin sehr zufrieden.Die übrigen Thunderbolt-Funktionen habe ich noch nicht getestet; das dritte Gerät ist für den Anschluß an einen Windows-10 PC gedacht, den ich aber erst mal mit einer Thunderbolt-Karte des Boardherstellers aufrüsten muss; liegt schon hier, ggf. aktualisiere ich die Rezension noch mal.Etwas trickreich ist die Installation unter Windows Server 2019:Intel hat für die NUC Geräte eigentlich nur Windows 10 vorgesehen, aber man findet im Internet ganz gute Anleitungen, um die Geräte als Mini-Server zu nutzen. Nur gibt es von intel leider keine Thunderbolt-Triber für die Serverversion von Windows (mehr, ältere findet man schon noch). Kurz gesagt: Web-Anleitungen, die das Installieren älterer intel Legacy Treiber empfehlen, führen in die Irre.Man muss den Safe Boot im BIOS des Rechners deaktivieren und den neuesten Treiber installieren, nachdem man den Server vorher in den Test-Mode versetzt hat (schaltet die Überprüfung der Treibersignaturen aus, dann lassen sich auch Windows 10 Treiber installieren; Befehl bcdedit /set testsigning on; Kommandozeile im Admin-Modus, dann Reset). Mit den alten Treibern kommt man nämlich in den Genuss einer Überraschung in den neueren Windows Versionen: Da einige Hacker-Devices das als Angriffsvektor genutzt haben, deaktviert Windows alle entsprechenden Schnittstellen (mit direktem PCI Zugriff), zu denen auch Thunderbolt-3 und sowohl Netzwerk- als auch PCIe-Schnittstelle in diesem Dock gehören, so lange kein Benutzer am Gerät angemeldet ist.Das kriegt man nur - wichtig für einen Server, der ohne Monitor-, Tastatur- und Mausanschluss betrieben wird, wenn man wie oben beschrieben den neuesten intel Thgunderbolt Treiber und dann die mit der Dock gelieferten aber auch herunterladbaren Treiber des Herstellers benutzt.Abschließend kann man die beschriebene Sicherheitsfunktion mit dem Group-Policy-Editor (gpedit.msc) deaktivieren. Man findet sie dort unterAdministrative Templates\System\Kernel DMA Protection\Enumeration policy for external devices incompatible with Kernel DMA ProtectionNach einem erneuten Reboot funktionieren die Schnittstellen des Docks und alle angeschlossenen Geräte jetzt auch ohne Benutzeranmeldung.Warnung: Dann funktionieren natürlich auch wieder die Thundetrbolt-basierten Hacker-Angrifffe, vor denen Microsoft Sie hier beschützen möchte. Lassen Sie also niemanden eigene Hardware an das Dock anschließen, dem Sie nicht auch sonst Ihren ganzen Rechner anvertrauen würden...Das Gerät verfügt über einen Schalter für den eingebauten Lüfter. Laut Hersteller sollte er nie für länger als max. 20 Minuten abgeschaltet sein, also ist er bei mir immer an. Ich höre ihn nicht, aber ich habe auch noch etwas mehr Hardware im Einsatz...Fazit: Unter Windows 10 (sofern Thunderboolt-3 im PC vorhanden, USB3.1 sieht zwar kompatibel aus (gleicher Stecker), ist es aber nicht) für normale PC-Nutzung (Anmeldung am Desktop) einfache Plug-and-Play Lösung.Mit den oben beschriebenen "Bastelarbeiten" aber auch für einen Headless Server (Windows) eine tolle Erweiterung.Volle Empfehlung mit fünf Sternen; ich würde es jederzeit wieder kaufen.

One of the best Thunderbolt 3 dock on the market.10 GBE, CFast 2.0 and SD 4.0 UHS II card reader.