Mokin – Terence Eden’s Blog

Gadget Review: Mokin 17 Port USB-C Tower ★★☆☆☆

Terence Eden — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:34:36 +0000

The good folks at Mokin have sent me their new USB-C hub and it is a beast.

This is the MODK2403 - the latest in their line of high-tech USB-C docks. It does close to everything you could want and has an LCD monitor for showing the weather.

Errr… What?

OK, a quick product shots, then on to the specs.

On to the ports:

Triple display
- Either 3x HDMI or 1x HDMI and 2x DisplayPort
4x USB-A
- 2x 2.0 480Mbps, 1x 3.0 5Gbps, 1x 3.1 10Gbps
2x USB-C
- 1x 3.0 5Gbps, 1x 3.1 10Gbps
USB-C PD input
- 100W
USB-C to host computer
- USB-C to C cable included
Ethernet port
- 1Gbps
SD and microSD
3.5m Audio Jack
Suction cup

Yup! At the bottom of the tower is a silicone surround which allows it to firmly plant on any flat surface. It's strong enough to take any gentle nudges without toppling over, but easy enough to lift off if you need to move the unit.

It is slightly cheeky to describe this as 17 ports. The two DisplayPorts are tied to the HDMI ports - so you can only have 3 screens active at a time, not five. But as each screen can do 4K @ 60Hz, I'll let it slide.

Screen

There's a black and white screen included which can show you a bunch of information. Tap the power-button on top to cycle between them.

Which ports are connected:

Screen resolution of attached devices:

Total power draw:

WiFi set up:

Wait? What! If you connect to the hub's WiFi, you get this set-up screen.

Once it is connected, it'll show you the weather in your area:

I'm not entirely convinced about whether that's useful. Although you can change the units from ℉ to ℃, and show or hide your area, there's no other customisation available. No 24 hour clock, no date formatting, nothing. There's also no privacy policy or indication of which weather provider it is connecting to.

The screen switches off after a few minutes - so it isn't a constant distraction. Tapping the top button turns it on again.

Double-pressing the power-button switches the external monitors off. Which is useful for privacy I guess?

Linux Info

Worked perfectly with my Linux laptop. I drove two external screens via DisplayPort, a bunch of USB peripherals, Ethernet, etc.

A full read-out gives:

0bda:8153 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
0bda:0411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Hub
2109:0822 VIA Labs, Inc. USB3.1 Hub
2109:8822 VIA Labs, Inc. USB Billboard Device
0020:0b21 Generic AB13X USB Audio
0bda:1100 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. HID Device
0bda:5411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5411 Hub
1a86:8095 QinHeng Electronics USB Hub
303a:1001 Espressif USB JTAG/serial debug unit
2109:2822 VIA Labs, Inc. USB2.0 Hub

Speed

I have 1Gbps broadband, and I was able to get 850Mbps through the Mokin's Ethernet port. That's pretty much what I'd expect.

Copying files via USB-C to a Pixel phone topped out at about 200MBps, which was a little underwhelming, but fast enough for my needs. I tried a variety of cables, including the bundled one.

Sound

The AB13X USB Audio presents as both analogue and S/PDIF. There was no meaningful difference between the two in terms of sound quality. There was minimal hum on output when nothing was being played.

WiFi and Security

I'm slightly uneasy about the built-in WiFi connection this hub offers. It is primarily used for showing the weather on screen, but it can also be used to upload new firmware.

Worryingly, it has a weak default password set - mokin123. I think that might be against the law. The password can be changed by the user - but I wonder how many people will bother?

When I mentioned this to Mokin, they replied:

After the initial password is set, the user can change the password themselves rather than continuing to use a fixed default password.

I don't think that's good enough to protect users.

Similarly, the SSID can be hidden and is randomised, but I wonder if that's suitable defence against a determined hacker?

I'm glad that the unit doesn't hijack the Ethernet connection - but who knows what a future firmware update might do.

There's also a 303a:1001 Espressif USB JTAG/serial debug unit exposed on the hub. I tried connecting to it with esptool and the hub crashed! I had to pull out the power to get it to restart. I'm not smart enough to probe it further, but I can't help wondering why it is there.

Finally, there's a mysterious 0bda:1100 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. HID Device. I thought that was used for blanking the external screens when the power-button is double-pressed, but that didn't register on evtest. So what is it for? I don't like the idea of a random Human Interface Device (usually a keyboard or mouse) being attached to my computer.

I spoke to Mokin about it and they said:

our technical manager confirmed that these two entries are reserved for future firmware updates.

Personally, I would expect these to be disabled if they aren't going to be used.

Privacy

With any device which connects to the Internet, you have to be concerned about what data it is collecting, storing, and transmitting. I asked Mokin if they had a privacy policy related to their weather service. They said:

There is no need to worry about your personal or location information being uploaded or stored remotely. The relevant user information is stored locally on the device.

The weather/location information is provided through Google services, and no personal information is uploaded or stored by us. Therefore, there should be no privacy or data security concern from our side.

I don't find that terribly convincing. At the very least they should tell users who their weather provider is and what their privacy says. I assume that the device is doing a GeoIP lookup before sending the request to Google - again, that should be explained to users.

I've no evidence that the hub is collecting data about what is attached and then sending it off somewhere - but without a privacy policy from Mokin, who can say?

Cracking It Open

The suction cup at the bottom is only lightly glued on and peeled off easily. Underneath are four screws.

The base removes easily, exposing the three circuit boards.

Here's a close up:

I couldn't easily get them out, and the front plastic was held on securely. I'm sure it would be possible to snap off, but I didn't want to damage it.

Price and Final Thoughts

It's usually about £90 from the manufacturer or around £70 from Amazon.

You can get a basic hub for less than half that price - but what you're paying for here having all the ports. It's an attractive package, well designed, quiet, and unobtrusive.

The screen is moderately useful - being able to see which ports are in use was handy, as was seeing the total power draw. The screen debugging was also handy. I'm not that interested in the weather, but I can see how it would be helpful as a single-use screen.

I have significant concerns about the always-on WiFi, especially given its easy to guess password. I've contacted the manufacturer to see if anything can be done about that but they don't seem interested in fixing it. The lack of privacy policy is also worrying.

Similarly, the HID and JTAG are also something I wouldn't expect to see on a hub like this. Ideally they should be disabled if not in use.

In terms of ports and performance, this can't be beat. But I would be reluctant to connect it to my home WiFi network.

Review: Another USB-C Hub from Mokin - 14-in-1 ★★★★☆

Terence Eden — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:34:01 +0000

The lovely people at Mokin keep sending me their USB-C hubs to review, and I'm happy to do so. They work splendidly with my Linux and Windows machines, and they provide more ports than I ever thought necessary.

This one is positively festooned with extra ports. Let's take a look.

USB-C

Plug your power adapter into the hub, and then the hub into your laptop. With most hubs, that's it; you've lost a C port. This has an extra USB-C port - so you don't lose anything. Personally, I'd prefer more USB-C ports.

Instead, you get 3x USB-A 3.0 ports, and 2x USB-A 2.0 ports. That's a lot of room for peripherals. They're all well spaced out, so you should be able to cram everything in.

Storage

All these sorts of hubs tend to have an SD slot and a microSD slot. Read and write speeds hit the limit of the cards I had - but you may be better off using the USB 3 ports if you really need speed. Speaking of which...

Speed

Obviously, if you have a hundred gadgets plugged in - and only one USB-C cable - there's a limit to the total throughput. That said, the Ethernet port topped out my 650Mbps broadband - and I don't have anything much faster than that!

Video

There are two HDMI ports and a legacy VGA port. I'll be honest, I can't remember the last time I needed to plug my laptop into an analogue video cable. But I guess if you go to lots of crappy conference venues it might be useful?

My old laptop was able to drive two monitors at the same time, which was pretty useful. You're limited to one at 4k@60Hz - if you're using two HDMI, you'll only get 30Hz. But if you're happy with 1080p, you'll get 60Hz on both.

Apparently MacOS doesn't support triple display.

Power

USB's Power Delivery mode is a still a bit confusing. I used a 100W Dell charger and, USB-C PD tester saw that about 80% of the power was making it to the laptop.

With the power unplugged, the hub drew electricity from the laptop in order to charge all the gadgets.

Sound

Weirdly, the analogue sound out didn't show up for me in Linux. I'm not heartbroken by that - either my laptop has a speaker out or the HDMI device does. But it is a bit weird that it didn't show.

Linux info

As with all modern devices, it is plug-and-play. All my gadgets worked fine with it. This is what Linux sees:

ID 0bda:8153 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
ID 2109:0817 VIA Labs, Inc. USB3.0 Hub             
ID 2109:0817 VIA Labs, Inc. USB3.0 Hub 
ID 1a40:0801 Terminus Technology Inc. USB 2.0 Hub
2109:8817 VIA Labs, Inc. USB Billboard Device   
ID 2109:2817 VIA Labs, Inc. USB2.0 Hub             
ID 2109:2817 VIA Labs, Inc. USB2.0 Hub

Verdict

There's a lot packed into a fairly small box. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, you'll pay about £60 on Amazon for it.

It's a neat little halfway house between a small adapter with a couple of ports and a massive docking station. But if you don't need all those ports, there's probably something cheaper.

I guess this is aimed at people plugging in to all sorts of weird screens on their travels. I think a DisplayPort would have been a better choice than double HDMI.

So a bit of a mixed bag. If you need these options, it is close to perfect. But it may be excessive for some.

Discount

Readers of this blog can get 25% off at https://mokinglobal.com/ using code TERENCE25. Offer expires 2024-03-31

Gadget Review: Mokin USB-C to USB-C & USB-C & USB-C & USB-C & USB-C ★★★★⯪

Terence Eden — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 12:34:28 +0000

You can never have too many USB-C ports, right? It's rubbish having a cheap laptop with only a single USB-C port. So, the good folks at Mokin have sent me a gadget which turns your single and lonely USB-C port into FIVE USB-C ports.

Along the side you get 4 USB-C 3.1 ports which are theoretically capable of 10Gbps in aggregate.

At the bottom is a USB-C 3.0 Power Delivery port which can take up to 100W of power.

There's also an obligatory blue LED to let you know it is working.

Speed

As will all modern hubs, there's nothing to install. Plug it in and it starts working. Copying a large file from a USB 2.0 phone got a respectable 90mbps.

When plugged into ethernet, it got up to 660Mbps - which is about as fast as my broadband goes.

And I don't think I have any faster devices than that to check!

Power

I used my USB-C PD tester. I plugged in a 100W capable charger into the hub's PD socket, and the output into my laptop. The hub passed through about 80% of the power I got when I was plugged in normally. So there is a bit of a hit in the power delivery.

That said, it happily charged the laptop and all the devices attached to it. Even without power attached, the hub drew power from the laptop and charged the gadgets.

It doesn't support "Fast Role Swap". So if you disconnect the power from the hub, your devices will briefly disconnect and reconnect again. Usually not a problem unless you're in the middle of a file transfer.

Downsides

The major issue is that there's no monitor output.

This is a USB 3.1 hub. As I've mentioned before, in order to do video over USB, you need 3.2 capable hubs and cables.

Feel free to supply your own rant about USB-C versions here.

Linux info

This shows up as 05e3:0610 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub and is supported by modern Linux kernels. I tried it on Ubuntu and Android and it worked just fine.

Verdict

You can get this for about £20 on Amazon depending on whether the algorithm likes you or not.

For the price, I think it is excellent. I can't find anything so cheap or slim which does support video. Or has as many ports.

If all you need are a bunch of extra C ports, this is perfect. Speeds are good, power transfer is good, and it works on Windows and Linux flawlessly. If you need video, try Mokin's USB-C Docking Station.

Discount

Readers of this blog can get 25% off at https://mokinglobal.com/ using code TERENCE25. Offer expires 2024-03-31

Gadget Review: Mokin USB-C Docking Station (+ Linux information) ★★★★★

Terence Eden — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:34:19 +0000

I've been looking for this rare beast for ages - a hub which has multiple USB-C outputs!

You see it is a truth, universally acknowledged, that computers don't have enough ports on them. And laptops? Pah! A couple of USB-C if you're lucky, and one of them has to be used for power. What a world!

This is the MOKiN USB-C Triple-Display Docking Station - MODK1402. It's a bit over £100 depending on the deal you get.

Shiny! This turns one USB port on your laptop to fourteen extra ports.

So, what's it packing?

On the back is:

Ethernet.
USB 2.0 - for your slow gadgets.
HDMI.
2x DisplayPort.
USB-C host. Take the included 1 metre long C-to-C cable and connect your laptop to the hub.
USB-C power input. Shove a 100W adapter in there and it will power your laptop, gadgets, and toaster.
There's also a Kensington Lock port on the side if you're worried about theft.

On the front is:

2x USB-C. Yes! This is what I'm here for! They won't do PD levels of charging, but you can happily plug in your phones to charge, transfer data, or anything else.
USB 3.1. The highest speed USB-A port. Plug in a drive and watch the bits fly
3.5mm TRRS port. Stereo audio out, mono mic in.
Bright white LED. Stick some tape on it and never have it bother you again.
SD & MicroSD slots. A bit weird, but I guess useful to some.
2x USB 3. Another couple of USB slots.
Power button. Hold to toggle.

Testing

On both Windows 11 and Linux, everything worked just fine. Sorry there isn't anything more interesting to report there! No drivers to install. No weird command-line incantations. The promise of Plug-And-Play is met.

Well... Mostly. See the niggles section.

I tried using a single 1080p external monitor over HDMI and that was picked up. My 4K DisplayPort monitor also worked. I also tried a 720p TV on HDMI - and it happily displayed on all three screens.

I don't have a Mac to test with, but it all should work⁰.

The Ethernet maxed out my 500Mbps Internet connection. I was able to quickly transfer files from between the SD card and the drives. All the USB gadgets I plugged in worked. Again, super boring - which is just what I wanted.

The volume from the audio output was loud and stereo separated.

I had a dozen things plugged in and it kept on chugging.

There's no fan, so there's no noise from it. Basically, it is a small and boring box which does its job extremely well.

Now, a quick disclaimer. I am not a particularly demanding user. I don't have 3x 4K displays which are streaming live video from a USB stick while I download all of Wikipedia via Ethernet onto an SD card at the same time as blasting 5.1 audio and charging a dozen laptops. There's always going to be a limit to how much data and power you can squeeze through a single cable.

Niggles

I found that after my laptop went to sleep it sometimes didn't detect the HDMI output. I pressed the power button on the hub to turn in off. Then - and this will shock you - turned it back on again. HDMI sprang to life without a complaint. Perhaps it's my laptop, or my monitor, or the HDMI? Either way, not a show stopper.

Windows complained that the cable wasn't providing enough power and I should use the original Dell®™ charger. But it charged up quickly. I don't have a PD cable tester to see how many Watts it is actually delivering.

It did get a little warm after a few hours use. Nothing to be concerned about, but don't cover it with a cloth.

The audio out is louder than I was getting via HDMI and there is a bit of cross-chatter. If your speakers' volume is up high, you'll hear a bit of an electronic squeal / hum when no sound is playing.

The white LED is - like all modern electronics - bright. I'd have preferred something a bit more subtle.

Personally, I'd rather have extra HDMI than DisplayPorts. But I get that it is more efficient and better future-proofed.

It takes up a small amount of desk-space. A tower-design might have been nice. But I suspect the heat dissipation might have been an issue.

These are weak complaints. In terms of price:port ratio, it is excellent.

Linux Info

For nerds like me, this is what lsusb spits out:

Bus 004 Device 014: ID 0b95:1790 ASIX Electronics Corp. AX88179 Gigabit Ethernet
Bus 004 Device 013: ID 0bda:0326 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Card reader
Bus 004 Device 012: ID 0bda:0411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Hub
Bus 004 Device 011: ID 0bda:0420 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub
Bus 001 Device 042: ID 0bda:1100 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. HID Device
Bus 001 Device 041: ID 0d8c:0134 C-Media Electronics, Inc. USB PnP Audio Device
Bus 001 Device 039: ID 0bda:5411 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5411 Hub
Bus 001 Device 037: ID 1b3f:2008 Generalplus Technology Inc. USB Audio Device
Bus 001 Device 035: ID 1a40:0101 Terminus Technology Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 034: ID 0bda:5420 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub

Lots of hubs just smushed together! I didn't bother cracking the case open. If you do, please leave a picture in the comments.

Triple monitors?

The MODK1402 can drive 3 external monitors. But, again, there's a limit to how much you can squirt down a single USB-C cable. They aren't magic!

Here are the configs that it lists. I don't have an 8K monitor to test(!) so please report back if you do have a suitable set of monitors.

In DP1.4	HDMI	DP 1	DP 2
Single display	8k@30Hz 4K@120Hz
		8k@30Hz 4K@120Hz
			8k@30Hz 4K@120Hz
Dual display	4K@60Hz	4K@60Hz
		4K@60Hz	4K@60Hz
	4K@60Hz		4K@60Hz
Triple display	4K@60Hz	4K@30Hz	4K@30Hz

In DP1.2	HDMI	DP 1	DP 2
Single display	4K@30Hz
		4K@30Hz
			4K@30Hz
Dual display	2K@60Hz	1080P@60Hz
		2K@60Hz	1080P@60Hz
	1080P@60Hz		2K@60Hz
Triple display	Only can light up two displays

Verdict

If you need multiple USB-C ports out from your hub, this is one of the few devices which is capable of doing so. Having 4 extra USB-A ports is excellent. Three monitors is overkill for me - but it is good to be future-proof. The long cable makes it easy to swap between laptops which have their ports on different sides.

At the end of the day, one cable turns into 14 working ports. All for a bit over a hundred quid. Nice!

Although MacOS is prevented from using more than one external monitor, as decreed by The Word of St Jobs. Anyone wanting to use more without buying an Apple-blessed device is a heretic and must be shunned. ↩︎