While looking for an expandable hub to use for the Tab S8+ I stumbled on this hub made by DockCase. What got my interest piqued was the fact that it had a display. We have hubs with LED lights or just plain hubs with ports, but one with an actual display? That’s a first.
So without further thought, I ordered first the DPR01S 7 in 1 hub and a few days later the DPR91S 9 in 1 hub. So far, I’m impressed by both hubs and their performance. The DPR01S will be mainly used to connect the Tab S6 to an old Dell 24” monitor (have to use a HDMI to DVI adapter as it has no HDMI ports). Works well without any issue, just no sound as expected since DVI can only receive video and no audio. No issue, just have to arrange the tab under the monitor in such a way it acts as speakers. Yeah, it sounds odd, but for my mom’s purpose, she’s not used to a multi-window setup and this will work perfectly well for her. LOL
The DPR91S will be used with my Tab S8+. It’ll be setup with my main workstation that has access to gigabit ethernet. Yes, that’s right, say goodbye to wireless and hello to good old wired/cluttered mess! Especially when I’m bad at cable management at times. LOL
Aside from all that, let’s start off with the specs for both hubs:
DPR01S
1. Display: 1.3”; 16 bit colour; 261 PPI
2. Host port (port connecting to PC/notebook/tablet): USB-c 3.1 Gen 2; 10 Gbps
3. 3x USB-A 3.0 ports; 5 Gbps
4. 1x HDMI 2.0 port; up to 4k @ 60Hz; supports 1080p 75Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz
5. 1x USB-c PD 3.0; 100w; against high voltage 24v CC protection (dedicated power delivery – no data)
6. 1x SD/uSD dual card reader; UHS-I with support up to 2TB
7. Dimensions: 12.2 x 4 x 1.4 cm
8. Weight: 128g
DPR91S
1. Display: 1.5”; 16 bit colour; 221 PPI
2. Host port (port connecting to PC/notebook/tablet): USB-c 3.2 Gen 2; 10 Gbps
3. D-key: multi-function button (the DPR01S has something similar, but will discuss that later)
4. 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports; 10Gbps
5. 2x USB-A 2.0 ports; 480Mbps
6. 1x HDMI 2.0 HDR10 port; up to 4k @ 60Hz; supports 1080p/2k @ 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz
7. 1x USB-c PD 3.0; 100w; against high voltage 24v CC protection (dedicated power delivery – no data)
8. 1x SD/uSD dual card reader; UHS-II with support up to 2TB
9. 1x Gigabit ethernet port; 10/100/1000 compatible network
10. Dimensions: 15.2 x 5 x 1.6cm
11. Weight: 201g
They can be used powered or unpowered. However, if using unpowered, be aware that it may or may not work dependent on the power draw from the tablet to the hub to multiple devices/drives. I was able to run a mouse, HDMI out and gigabit ethernet unpowered with no major issues for a few minutes while testing. I didn’t use it for too long due to battery drain on the tablet. I also experienced an unstable USB connection when I started to attach more devices. Understandable as the power draw was probably becoming a burden for the tablet to handle.
In terms of portability, that will dependent on what it will be used for. As a simple unpowered hub, there are limitations already dependent on the power draw it will have on the host and if the host can properly manage it. It’s pretty blocky but still amazingly compact. Though the DPR91S does have a bit more heft to it.
Another issue to be aware of is heat. As with many things, you can’t escape it and this unit is no exception. But there is one advantage this has over other hubs. A built-in fan which means it should be able to dissipate heat much more efficiently and quickly keeping it moderately warm. The fan is automatically set off by default, but you can turn it on or set it to a certain temperature that is set in the unit. Without using the fan and utilizing Gigabit ethernet, HDMI, backlit mechanical keyboard, mouse, 65w PD and connecting Note 10+ for file transfers, the display showed most ports peaking at 60-64’C and quite warm/hot to the touch. I immediately went to the control panel and immediately turned on the fan. Be warned though, for the change to take place, the hub does need to restart. So make sure you don’t have any file transfers going on or anything that may disrupt what you are doing since you will lose connectivity with the hub for a few seconds. Once I got the fan going, the temps went down to a moderate 50-57’C. Still warm to the touch but not as hot as with the fan off. It is also not silent and can be heard as ambient noise, but a fair tradeoff if you ask me.
In terms of file transfers, I couldn’t say if it was fast. All I know is that it did work transferring files from the phone to tablet and vice versa. The only problems I did encounter is the Note 10+ disconnecting and not completing a transfer. I believe this is more a Samsung issue than the hub itself. The phone tends to disconnect when it times out and locks after a period of ‘inactivity’. I have no issues though if I launch a game to keep the device deliberately awake. I was also able to transfer files from the SD card to my OneDrive. You can only use My Files for this though and may not work using other file management apps as it’s tied directly to My Files app immediately when connected and allowing access.
Okay, so with all the basic hub stuff out of the way, let’s delve deeper into what makes this hub much more unique and stand out from the others. Its display and user adjustable hub settings. It’s time to let that inner geek out in all of us. LOL
First off, the display can act as a general diagnostic tool. It gives you general information on all the ports and what is connected. For example, if you’re using a keyboard, the USB port will show 2.0 @ 480Mbps. Plug in my Note 10+ and it’ll show the USB port 3.0 @ 5Gbps. Cool right? Well, then there’s the HDMI out which shows the size of the monitor, manufacturer, resolution and Hz. It’ll show whether SD and/or uSD is inserted. PD will show you the version, voltage, amp and hub wattage being used. And for the 9 in 1, the ethernet will show the network connection it is using. So if you got a bad cable, this will give a general idea from the display info.
Furthermore, there is an easily accessible D-key located beside the dual card reader on the DPR91S that you press to rotate the screen. Yeah, if you need to see the screen in a certain orientation, you can simply rotate it with a press of a button. It rotates 90’ clockwise with each press. I would wait for the screen to fully load and display though. I did it quickly a few times and bugged the PD port that it couldn’t read properly and gave a reset error. In which case you needed to restart the hub. If you press and hold the D-key it will cycle the menu selection for HDMI info, PD info (both give more detailed information than what’s generally displayed and will only display for a few seconds), Control panel (for changing certain hub settings), About me (give detailed information about the hub) and CFG & DFU (used to update firmware). Yes, this does come with firmware that can be updated. Unfortunately, the DPR01S does not have the D-key. However, it does a have a pinhole with a button housed within it. The button works in the same manner as the D-key. However, the downside is it is not easily accessible and the location of it can make it difficult to get to. You’ll need a paperclip to insert into the pinhole that is located under the second USB-A port that is on the same side as the PD port.
The hub also has a temperature sensor and will display the temperature of the ports one by one in the upper right corner of the display. No need to burn yourself if the hub gets too hot as you will be able to visually see the temperature reading in real time.
Lastly, we have the control panel. This is where the user is free to adjust certain settings in the hub to suit their needs. To navigate through the panel, simply press the D-key to move the cursor. To make a change, simply press and hold the D-key until the top bar says OK and depress the key. If you continue to press and hold the D-Key you will see the bar go from green to red with Restore. This will basically restore the control panel to default (it saves time if you don’t want to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the menu to do it). I haven’t done much here except to enable the fan to cool the hub as it was becoming a little too hot for my taste. The hub wattage is adjustable between 5 to 25w. The DPR01S is defaulted to 15w while the DPR91S is defaulted to 20w. I haven’t found the need to adjust the wattage as both defaults seem to operate fine. There is a nice greeting splash screen you can enable and change as well (if you are into that sort of thing) as well as a screen saver. Mind you, you can’t change the dialogue in the greeting, just the image. Of course, the DPR01S and DPR91S will have most of the same options with some differences. Like USB battery charge in the DPR01S and USB 3.2 speed in the DPR91S. It’s also interesting to note that the DP Lane No. is greyed out in the DPR01S, but not in the DPR91S.
Personally, I found these to be great and have not had any issues with them to date. In terms of durability, the materials used feel like a premium product. Components… well I can’t say for sure, only time will tell in that department. Other than that, I’m quite happy with it. Does what I need and more than what I expected. I mean, when I first got the unit, I wasn’t even aware that the user can change certain things in the hub. That’s an added bonus.
Is this hub right for you? I guess that all depends. If you only want basic necessities; without any bells and whistles, you can easily skip this and go with a cheaper hub. If you’re looking for something a little more robust or just a tech geek in general, this may fit the bill.
Both units can be found in Amazon.ca. They are not cheap hubs and are moderately priced for good reason. The 7 in 1 is currently on sale for 79.99CAD and you can clip a 20CAD coupon to bring it down to 59.99CAD. The 9 in 1 is currently 159.99CAD and you can clip a 20CAD coupon to bring it down to 139.99CAD.
