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Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock review

Harry November 3, 2024

When it comes to docking stations, Belkin is one of the household names to go for; It offers options for all needs, from those who just want to use one monitor to those who connect to a mega desk setup. The Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a good fit for the latter, and it sort of hits the mark? But not exactly.

12 ports and capabilities are really good; dual HDMI outputs make connecting monitors (for Windows) a breeze, an SD card slot makes up for what’s regularly neglected on laptops, and Gigabit Ethernet ensures fast, durable connectivity. Pair this with a bunch of USB-A and you’ve got a great all-in-one for all your peripherals.

Also impressive is the aura of this useful monolith. This aluminum and gloss black aesthetic stands proudly on any desk and exudes power. It looks ready to go, just like your MacBook.

But this aura comes with a price. An expensive $299, to be sure. This is a bit disappointing considering two things. First, there are similarly priced options Ugreen Revodok Max 213 those that offer more than that, like two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (though it doesn’t have any HDMI). And second, you can find a very similar feature here: Pluggable TBT4-UD5So at half price.

And finally, if you come to this with any of the following best MacBooksPrepare for disappointment as you’ll have to use the single Thunderbolt 4 port for its second screen; There is no DisplayLink software workaround here.

This is all about the choices Belkin made to get here. Connect Pro has found a mix between simple display connectivity and pro-level I/O. If this is your bag, you’ll enjoy it. If you don’t need that HDMI and prefer more Thunderbolt, look elsewhere at this price.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station: Cheat Sheet

Why? This is a Thunderbolt 4 docking station.
For whom? This is perfect for laptop consumers with mega setups and high-performance peripherals to connect.
How much does it cost? You’ll find the Belkin Connect Pro priced at $299. But there are regular discounts – sometimes you can Find it for $249.
What ports do you get? This dock has an SD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 4 (upstream) port on the front, as well as 2x HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 4 (downstream), Gigabit Ethernet, on the rear 2x USB-A 3.1 and 2x USB-A 2.0 ports.
Are there any warnings regarding this docking station? For $299, you get a stylish box with plenty of connectivity, but there are some limitations. You can get similar features in cheaper options, Mac compatibility is very solid, and the inclusion of only a Thunderbolt 4 downstream socket will disappoint those who need maximum speed from certain peripherals such as multiple SSDs.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station: Features

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Price	$299
Dimensions	7.9×2.9×1.3 inches
Weight	1.7 pounds
Ports (front)	SD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 4 (upstream) port
Ports (rear)	2x HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 4 (downstream), Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB-A 3.1 and 2x USB-A 2.0 ports

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Improvements

Provided you have the right system for it (more on that later), Belkin Connect Pro brings some benefits to the table.

a lot of ports

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station

(Image credit: Future)

What’s the most important thing you need from a pro-level docking station? Obviously there are a lot of ports and Belkin has you covered. Dual HDMI 2.0 may be a space-consuming choice on the back, but you still get a good variety of input/outputs – from supporting older peripherals via USB-A to Gigabit Ethernet and USB-C for charging a separate device. device, this can do it all.

And when I checked the company’s promise with my wattage tester, the claimed 90W power delivery was accurate, so it will support silent charging of most laptops in the background while working.

quite stylish

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station

(Image credit: Future)

The aluminum shell is curved on the outside to give you a sense of confidence about its durability, and the glossy black front and back exude a premium nature despite being fingerprint magnets.

It looks pretty nice on your desk, and its low, wide profile means you can hide it in your setup pretty easily. Plus, I’m not exactly sure what kind of wizardry Belkin is up to here, but while you’ll see many docks feature tons of vents to keep them cool, this one doesn’t have any, and it’s the coolest port to touch. I felt it.

Port placement matters

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking station

(Image credit: Future)

So when it comes to where to place ports, some companies get it wrong. Sometimes you’ll find that the front of some stations gets a little heavy with I/O, which introduces cable clutter.

Belkin has been sensible about placing the most used ports on the front to keep them organized and allowing for cable management of the many cables on the back. It definitely helped keep the visible part of my desk less cluttered.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Negatives

Wait before you click buy! While I enjoy the Belkin Connect Pro more, I know it falls into a certain category among its features. M3 Pro MacBook Pro. If you’re an Apple user (or someone who owns multiple Thunderbolt 4 accessories), there are some things you need to know.

Mac support is weird

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking station

(Image credit: Future)

Apple is acting a little weird when it comes to seeing a dock with two HDMI ports. If you’re on a Windows machine this doesn’t concern you so scroll down.

I could go into depth about how Macs don’t support Multi Stream Transport (MST) technology, which allows a single stream of data to carry multiple displays like Windows. But simply put, this causes one of the HDMI ports to become obsolete. You will need to use this Thunderbolt 4 port and an adapter for the second display.

This is more like a kick in the teeth to Apple (not actually to Belkin), but also a bit like that The problem with Belkin is that there is no chance of a DisplayLink-based workaround since the dock does not support this software.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that for me (and most of you reading this) two monitors will be enough. But knowing I can’t go any further leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and on top of that, I lost my only other Thunderbolt 4 port when I got back. Speaking of…

Only one Thunderbolt 4 downstream port

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station

(Image credit: Future)

For Belkin’s asking price, you can get a second, or even third, Thunderbolt 4 downstream port to support higher-speed accessories. It’s disappointing that you can get one for only $299.

I’m talking about SSDs, streaming decks, music recorders, and even external GPUs in some cases. When only one of these ports is available, you need to be strategic about what you use, but that’s not a factor when it comes to competition.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station: Verdict

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Docking station

(Image credit: Future)

I wanted to like the Belkin Connect Pro. It looks so cool! But the situation is complicated.

Some of these are not on Belkin; There are indeed host limitations thanks to Apple’s decisions on multi-monitor support. But the company’s final port choices here may give you some connectivity, but not enough in the Thunderbolt category.

Speaking to Belkin right now, I’d suggest either ditching the second HDMI and taking a more hybrid approach by giving us a few extra Thunderbolt 4 sockets, or giving us DisplayLink compatibility. All Users enjoy triple monitor support.

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Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock review

Harry

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Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock review

Harry

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