Context:
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
- macOS Catalina 10.15.4
- usb c adapter 1 (link): Hub USB C Ethernet.
- Here I plug: ethernet, mouse (USB), keyboard (USB).
- usb c adapter 2 (link): S-Hub-9838 with HDMI/USB 3.0/usbc and power supply.
- Here I plug: HDMI for an external screen and the Mac charger
Problem
When I do not use the macbook, the power saving mode is activated. When I come back to the Mac, I press a key and it wakes up. Here is the problem:
- adapter 1 works fine
- adapter 2 does not work anymore! External screen does not receive any input and the mac charger seems unplugged.
In order to make the adapter work again, I have to unplug and replug the charger to the adapter 2.
Please note that this strange behavior does not happen with the official Apple adapter (link).
What I need
I need to avoid disconnections when the Mac enters the power saving mode.
Changing power saving configuration (e.g., avoiding the sleep mode) is not an option.
Is there a way to fix?
Best Answer
Basically, you have to reset the adapter. The problem sounds like the USB controller on the adapter doesn’t handle sleep well (or at least waking from sleep). This isn’t something that you can fix in macOS (or even should) as it’s an issue with the USB adapter itself - not a software configuration thing.
However, looking at your configuration, I would recommend you getting a dock instead of having multiple adapters (see this answer to a similar situation). The dock will give you a much more stable connection and being Thunderbolt, it will be connected to the PCIe bus rather than the USB bus.