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Review: Kanex DualRole Gigabit Ethernet + 3-Port USB Hub

After meeting a Kanex representative at CU Exposed in March, they have kindly sent us some of their devices to review and today is the turn of the Kanex DualRole.
This is a handy 3-port USB 3.0 hub and gigabit adapter all thrown into one.  It is clear from the box that it is geared towards Mac users, however it does work perfectly well on Windows and Linux computers as well.
The device itself is compact, with the USB connector fitting into a cut away part of the body and connected by a short length of cable. It is also very light, so you wouldn’t think twice about throwing it into your laptop bag when going on your travels.

As a USB hub, it is USB 3.0 compatible and so will provide fast data transfer speeds with USB 3.0 enabled devices, as well as the usual backwards compatibility with older USB devices. It is worth noting that it does not provide powered USB sockets straight out the box, but it is capable of doing so by plugging it into a standard 5V wall power adapter (not provided).  The overall result of having two additional USB ports is certainly a welcome one (particularly in the case of the 11” MacBook Air which only has two built in).
The gigabit Ethernet adapter functionality requires a little bit of setting up by downloading and installing the appropriate driver from the Kanex website. But this is simple enough, and once that is done it works like a dream.  

Overall the DualRole does exactly what it says on the tin.  The combined functionality is very attractive, especially to people who regularly travel about and are looking to cut down on the number of devices they have to carry.


For more information or to buy the Kanex DualRole, visit their website at:

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