Reduce cable clutter and maximize peripheral performance
Version 1.2.1, updated November 21, 2022
Frustrated with your peripheral cables? Tangled up in standards and compatibility? Glenn Fleishman figuratively cuts through the mess of ports, cables, and protocols with his new book, Take Control of Untangling Connections. The book sets out to answer the most common questions and troubleshoot frequently occurring problems. Youll learn how to buy the best cable, identify the cables you have, and recognize and research ports. You get all the answers on how to connect USB, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, DisplayPort, HDMI, and audio at the fastest, best, or highest-fidelity method available.
We spend our lives plugging stuff into our computers, smartphones, tablets, and other hardware. Why is it so hard to make it all work as we expect? Glenn Fleishman knows the answer to this: standards dont develop in lock step, and whenever anything is out of sync, we wind up with frustration. He also knows the questions! As a writer about all things Apple for decades, he has used multiple generations of interface and connection standards, and he reads hundreds of questions a months from readers wrestling with their gear.
Take Control of Untangling Connections is his attempt to put power (and video and data and more) back in your hands by helping you cut through cable clutter and confusion and find the right plug for the right jackand the right cable.
Glenn posted an 11-minute video on YouTube about cables and connectors to answer some common questions, and it also serves as a preview of the book:
The book covers data networking with USB, Thunderbolt, and Ethernet; audio and video over DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB-C; and all the ins and outs of recognizing ports, researching your requirements, and finding or buying the right cables, adapters, and converters. Theres even a chapter on physical decluttering: how to organize your cables in your home and office.
Youll learn the answers to questions like:
- How do I ensure I have the fastest connection between any combination of USB and Thunderbolt standards?
- Whats the fastest computer-to-computer connection?
- Why is my USB-C cable handling data only at 480 Mbps?
- How can I make sure my 1080p, 4K, 5K, 6K, or 8K display can show its maximum resolution?
- Why cant I connect more displays to my computer?
- How do I know how many watts a given port can offer a device I plug into it?
- I plugged my laptop (or tablet) into a USB-C portits only charging at a trickle, but the port says it should offer up to 100 W. How can I fix this?
- Whats the fastest generally available computer-to-Ethernet connection?
- I have an unmarked cable with USB-C on one end and a Type-A connector on the other. How fast can it transmit data?
- This cable isnt marked, but it has USB-C at both ends. What kind of cable is it?
- What sort of adapter, dock, hub, or switch might I need to connect this thing to those things?
