Guides
Plain-English guides to what your devices are actually doing. Cable speeds, USB-C Power Delivery, Thunderbolt vs USB4, and more — grounded in the data the Connection Information suite surfaces on Mac and Windows.
Practical references for anyone who plugs things in. Every guide is grounded in what your operating system actually reports — the same data the Connection Information suite surfaces on Mac and Windows for USB, audio, displays, and networks.
Today’s guides focus on USB and USB-C — the area where confusion and hidden bottlenecks cost the most time. More guides covering audio, display, and network topics will follow.
How to Check USB-C Cable Speed & Data Transfer Rate
Identical-looking USB-C cables can run at 480 Mbps or 10 Gbps — here's how to verify the real negotiated speed on Mac and Windows.
Read the guide →Why is my Mac Charging Slowly? Monitoring USB-C Power Delivery (PD)
Mac charging slowly? It's probably a Power Delivery negotiation mismatch. Here's how PD works and how to see the profiles your charger actually advertises.
Read the guide →Thunderbolt 4 vs. USB4: Identifying Your Connection Type
Same plug, same marketing buzzwords — but Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 are not the same. Here's how to identify what you actually have.
Read the guide →Is My iPhone Connected via USB 2.0 or USB 3? How to Check
Your iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro supports 10 Gbps transfers — but the cable in the box is USB 2.0. Here's how to tell which speed you're actually getting, and the ~20× real-world difference.
Read the guide →USB-C Cables With and Without eMarker Chips: What's the Difference?
The chip inside a USB-C cable decides whether you get 60W or 240W charging, and USB 2.0 or USB 4 data. Here's how eMarkers work and how to tell which kind you have.
Read the guide →Why Are Some USB-C Cables Limited to 100W? EPR and USB PD 3.1 Explained
100W used to be the top of USB-C charging. USB PD 3.1 pushed the ceiling to 240W — but only with new EPR-rated cables. Here's why, and how to tell which ceiling your cable hits.
Read the guide →Setapp vs. Mac App Store: Wo Sie USB-Verbindungsinformationen erhalten
Wir bringen USB-Verbindungsinformationen in den neuen Standalone-Store von Setapp. Hier ist eine Aufschlüsselung der Unterschiede zwischen dem Kauf im Mac App Store und bei Setapp.
Read the guide →Can You Charge a MacBook With an Old Apple iPad Charger? (Measured)
I tested an Apple 5W, 10W, and 12W USB-A brick against an M1 MacBook Air through a USB-C adapter. Spoiler: macOS falls back to USB BC 1.2 and caps at 7.5W regardless of the brick's rating.
Read the guide →Why Only Apple Chargers Show Their Name on Mac
Apple's chargers are the only USB-C chargers that fully identify themselves to macOS — name, model, firmware, serial. Here's why third-party chargers appear as generic 'Power Supply' and what the app shows in that case.
Read the guide →Guides
Plain-English guides to what your devices are actually doing. Cable speeds, USB-C Power Delivery, Thunderbolt vs USB4, and more — grounded in the data the Connection Information suite surfaces on Mac and Windows.
Read the guide →Guides
Plain-English guides to what your devices are actually doing. Cable speeds, USB-C Power Delivery, Thunderbolt vs USB4, and more — grounded in the data the Connection Information suite surfaces on Mac and Windows.
Read the guide →