Summary:
I’m having issues where my Elgato Pro Webcam that is the usb c 4k60 one does not switch across my 10gbps DP 1.4 dual monitor Level1Tech KVM PCs.
Setup:
Webcam>top usb port on asus 42” oled monitor>usb 3.0 port of L1T KVM> TB4 usb c cable to TB4 docking station>TB4 cable to M2 pro MacBook Pro
Webcam>top usb port on asus 42” oled monitor>usb 3.0 port of L1T KVM> TB4 usb c cable to TB4 docking station>TB4 cable to M1 Pro MacBook Pro
Webcam>top usb port on asus 42” oled monitor>usb 3.0 port of L1T KVM> TB4 usb c cable to Gaming PC
I have swapped cables and that has not solved the issue. Including shorter and high quality cables.
Steps to reproduce:
Have webcam working on one MacBook
Press keyboard shortcut to switch to other MacBook
Webcam may or may not be usable on the selected client. If it’s not available other usb peripherals like my Elgato wave 3 microphone still always work behind the same monitor usb hub.
It can be fixed for the selected client by unplugging the Elgato pro webcam from the top usb port and reconnecting it.
I thought I read somewhere about a toggle to reset the usb connections via a keyboard shortcut on the kvm but after rereading everything I cannot find that mentioned anywhere.
Ideally I’d prefer to not have to physically unplug and replug the webcam each time this happens.
I’d appreciate any guidance on how to overcome this annoyance.
the built-in monitor usb ports are usually jank city. have you tried it directly attached?
the elgato cameras also seem to be buggy usb3 devices in that sometimes they actually do work better via a usb3 hub. so can you try another different usb3 hub other than your monitor hub assuming not-via-your-monitors hub also doesn’t work
I switched to using a 10gbps usb type a port hub I already had on my desk and switched back and forth a few times and the webcam seems to properly switch over in the 3 times Ive done so already. I even tried having the camera feed running and switched and the camera switched properly. I guess my monitor usb ports are not as good as I initially thought they were. I ordered another 10gbps usb c hub so I’ll be able to test that new one works well too and I will have the same number of ports to use if I need to. Thankful for a rather easy fix, I’ll report back if it gets stuck again. out of curiosity which usb hubs work best with the 10gbps L1T KVM?
so far my testing of usb 10gbps hubs and cables has proven interesting to say the least:
Inatek 1.6ft usb a 10gbps hub
transmits full 10gbps speeds
reliable connection
blue LED easily covered
no usb c ports
usb a connection to kvm
Elgato webcam seems stable over a few days of using it with a Monoprice USB C to USB A adapter (probably the best adapters Ive tried)
SSD connects reliably with original cables and can transmits full 10gbps speeds my MacBook supports same as connecting directly to tb4 port on side of MacBook.
uni 10gbps usb c hub with 4 usb c ports and a longer cable
needs a usb c to usb a adapter (I used a Monoprice one)
slow speeds about a third to a tenth of 10gbps compared to directly connected. with same SSD from other tests.
does not switch Elgato Webcam over reliably and sometimes the webcam would just crash randomly.
returning it.
Belkin 10gbps usb c 4 port hub
USB C connector with really short cable length
must use 1 of the 4 ports to inject PD power or SSD was not able to be used.
not viable enough to test further for my use case. will keep using it for iPhone 15 pro max video rig instead.
Orico 10gbps usb c hub with 2 usb a ports and 2 usb c ports.
don’t even think about it, it was that bad.
out of the box most of the labels instructions and such are not in English.
The item looks like it would be nice weight online it is not, it is all plastic and has no weight to it.
The first usb c port I tried was DOA the second did not support 10gbps and I have up and put it back in the box to be returned.
Aceele USB A to USB C and USB A 4 port hub with USB C Power Injection
ordered to test if the reviews are accurate but looks like a good candidate.
Update after receiving 2 of these Aceele hubs:
Light is easy to cover but has some blue light bleed through the ports.
It is small and lightweight so does not stay put on top of the desk easily.
webcam has been disconnecting less often than monitor but more than I would like.
Im testing to see if power injection helps any with the disconnects since these have a usb c power input port for devices that draw more current.
speeds with my Samsung T9 reach 800+MBps read write performance in Black Magic Disk Tester on my Mac which is close to same as directly connected. It bursts the same speeds but does not seem to maintain it. That was without injecting usb c power to them so maybe that helps I can test that later. Cable and ports seems to all support the 10GBps speeds so that is nice.
Update after trying the Aceel Hubs for a few days. The webcam kept disconnecting no matter if I supplied PD usb c power or regular usb c power, it still disconnected.
I ordered a StarTech 3x usb a and 1 x usb c powered hub from amazon that supports 10 Gbps and it is working nicely.
StartTech 10 gbps usb hub
Its solid and stays put on the desk easily
Its powered so it should never overdraw power from the kvm
Power brick takes up extra outlet space.
It even works with the Innotek Hub connected through it. So that’s 4 hops and works well with macOS for m1 and m2 MacBooks. Windows is ok with it too.
speeds on all ports work reliably at the full 10Gbps speeds at least to what my m1 MacBook supports same as connected directly. 900Mbps or so with my T9 SSD
The ports feel very solid.
The light is easy to tape up and does not appear to have any light bleed through the ports.
the power switch on the back should make it easy to toggle connections on and off if I ever need to. This should remove the need to unplug and replug if I ever need to disconnect the devices behind the hub.
overall if you have the outlet space the StarTech hub has worked the best out of all of them. If you need a usb c port this is a good option I just wish it was 2 usb c ports instead of one but glad it works and makes a nice addition to my desk.
Working through this I was able to learn that usb c cables even more expensive ones that feel better still can cause issues. I got some flat cables for use with my iPhone and SSD and discovered that they are really bad and only work certain directions at both ends. There is no way they can achieve the claimed 40Gbps speeds and I will be returning them also. Thankfully my Samsung SSD came with cables that work and work well so thanks to them for that especially.
Why is my Elgato Pro Webcam not switching correctly between my MacBook Pros and Gaming PC through my Level1Techs KVM, even though other USB devices work fine? How can I fix this without having to unplug and reconnect the webcam each time?