I use a USB-C hub with my laptop for work, and lately it keeps dropping the connection to my external SSD for like 10-15 seconds at a time. It's really annoying when I'm transferring files. Is this a hub issue or could it be my cable? I've tried different drives and the problem persists.
Cable swap is solid advice, but before you do that, check if the hub itself is getting enough power. A lot of USB-C hubs are underpowered and start dropping connections under load, especially when you're doing active file transfers to multiple drives at once. If your hub is bus-powered (drawing all its power from the laptop's USB-C port) and your laptop's throttling its output, you'll get exactly those intermittent dropouts. Try plugging the hub into a powered USB-C adapter if it supports one, or test it on a different laptop to rule out whether your machine's port is the weak link. Then yeah, grab a new cable if none of that changes things.
Start by swapping the USB-C cable first - it's cheap and often the culprit, especially if you've been using the same one for a while. Frayed or damaged cables cause exactly this kind of intermittent dropout, and since the problem happens with multiple drives, the hub itself might be fine.
If a new cable doesn't fix it, check your hub's power supply. Many USB-C hubs need external power to maintain stable connections to high-bandwidth devices like SSDs. If yours is bus-powered (drawing all power from your laptop), that could be why it's dropping. Try plugging it into a powered hub instead, or if you already have one plugged in, make sure the power adapter isn't underpowered. Also check the hub's firmware - some manufacturers release updates that fix connection stability issues. Look up your specific hub model and see if there's a driver or firmware update available.
If you've ruled out the cable and the hub still drops, it might be a port issue on your laptop itself. Try using a different USB-C port if you have one. The laptop port can wear out or have loose internal connections that cause dropout problems. If the hub works fine on another device, that confirms the issue is with your laptop's port rather than the hub.
You've already ruled out the drives themselves, which narrows it down nicely - but here's what both previous answers might be missing: check your laptop's USB-C port for debris or lint, because a dirty connection port causes exactly the intermittent dropout pattern you're describing and gets overlooked constantly. Grab a flashlight and peek inside, then gently clean it with compressed air if needed. After that, yeah, test with a different cable and verify the hub has a separate power adapter (not just bus-powered), since those two issues account for most flaky connections - but the port itself is worth ruling out first since it's free to check.
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