USB hub power with magsafe power - safe?

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USB hub power with magsafe power - safe?

Hi,

I have just purchased a macbook m4 max and have a wavlink usb hub connected for 2 displays, 2 hard drives, music MIDI instruments and bluetooth mouse dongle connected to it.

The hub works fine and is powering the macbook with 100watts of power delivery, but when I plug in the magsafe charger, the laptop crashes and restarts. I assume this is too much power going into the laptop that's causing the problem

Is it safe to just run the laptop with with the power delivery from the hub?
Will it damage the laptops battery/power system over time?
Is there any way that I can have the hub plugged in, and the magsafe charger plugged in at the same time?

Thanks for your help - obviously I'm very cautious about causing any damage to the laptop but really rely on having the hub to run all the equipment needed in my music studio.

MacBook Pro (M4 Max, 2024)

Posted on Nov 2, 2025 7:38 PM

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Answer 1

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Servant of Cats

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Nov 4, 2025 12:39 AM in response to Nickmack76

Nickmack76 wrote:

1. Hi,

I have just purchased a macbook m4 max and have a wavlink usb hub connected for 2 displays, 2 hard drives, music MIDI instruments and bluetooth mouse dongle connected to it.

The hub works fine and is powering the macbook with 100watts of power delivery, but when I plug in the magsafe charger, the laptop crashes and restarts. I assume this is too much power going into the laptop that's causing the problem

That doesn't sound like proper behavior to me. If this Apple Support article is correct, the MBP should handle this situation by drawing power from one source, and ignoring the other.

Charge your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro - Apple Support

"Your Mac charges over only one port at a time, so connecting multiple power adapters to the USB-C ports and MagSafe 3 port (if present) won't charge your Mac faster. USB-C charge cables support different maximum wattages (W), so ensure you choose the correct cable. If you connect more than one power source, your Mac charges only from the cable and power adapter or display providing the most power."

As you just purchased the MacBook Pro, it should be well within both its warranty period and its telephone support period, and I would suggest contacting Apple Support.

Official Apple Support

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