Three way Thunderbolt switch?

[mr_han_solo]

I recently purchased the Dell U4021QW 40" 5k2k. It is a beautiful screen and I absolutely love the increased productivity. I also really like the fact that it acts like a built in hub when connected via usb3/thunderbolt.

 

I currently run my M1 Mini via the usb3/thunderbolt. I also have a windows laptop that I use for GIS and other work that I cannot do on a mac. It is currently charged by a thunderbolt/usb3 and I use a usb3 to display port in the other port to connect it to the monitor. With ios16 bringing stage manager, I could also see utilizing my iPad on this monitor on occasion, which currently, would mean an additional usb3 to display port cable, and not being able to charge the iPad.

 

This brings me to my question. Is there a thunderbolt hub that would work with the U4021QW monitor allowing all three devices to be connected via usb3/thunderbolt and utilize the monitor to it's full potential (built in speakers, ports)? I guess what I am after is a three way thunderbolt switch. Additionally, I use dell display managers keyboard shortcut to switch between my Mac and the laptop. If there is a hub that will work, I figure I will lose this ability. Is the a software solution that will still allow me to switch between the different devices?

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

I did not find much in the way of Thunderbolt 3 KVM switches.  There are a few that are USB-C, but I didn't see any mention of 5K2K display support.  Here are the models I found, though:
 

• Acroname - Programmable Industrial 4-port USB Switch for USB-C
• ATEN - 3-Port USB-C DisplayPort Hybrid KVMP Switch
• CableDeconn - USB-C 8K KVM Switch
• CKL - 2×1 USB 2.0 KVM switch single monitor for laptop and desktop (this is a USB-C device, it has a USB 2.0 hub in it for peripheral sharing)
• IOGear - Access Pro
• StarTech - 2 Port Hybrid USB-A + HDMI & USB-C KVM Switch or 2 Port USB C KVM Switch

It could be that some or all of these support the 5K2K display, but the manufacturers just haven't updated their pages.

I suspect, though, that you may need to end up putting a conventional KVM in front of a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 dock, and use that to switch the inputs to the dock, which will in turn connect to the shared peripherals like the Dell monitor.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky