Plug SSD into hub for Time Machine backups?

TidBITS Talk
1

With a MacBook Pro, can a bus-powered external SSD be plugged into a hub (powered or not) for Time Machine backups?

Thank you,

David

2

Well, the hub would have to be powered in order for a bus-powered drive to work at all. Given that, in principle it should work (my Time Machine backup of my Macbook Pro is connected to a Thunderbolt port on an Apple Display and works just fine) but research your planned bus (USB? TB?) and your targeted hubs carefully; consider buying from a source with a liberal return policy so that you won’t be stuck with a configuration that doesn’t work.

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Sure…anything that mounts on the desktop will work for TM…but whether you need a powered hub or not depends on the hub and the drive you select. I’ve got a non powered Anker hub that mounts drives just fine, but YMMV.

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Thanks for the tips, @mc38. I didn’t think a non-powered hub would pass through power from the computer but wasn’t sure. The SSD I’ll be using has a USB connection and I will most likely get the hub from OWC.

David