Connecting modem and printer to iMac with limited ports

I have only 2 ports on my iMac how do I connect my modem and printer to my iMac



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 24″, macOS 15.3

Posted on Jul 17, 2025 6:09 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 17, 2025 9:01 PM

Your tag line says that you have a 24" iMac running macOS 15.3 (Sequoia).


That implies that those two ports are multi-purpose USB-C ports that support

  • USB 3.1 Gen 2
  • USB4 20 and 40 Gbps
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt


There are a number of hubs and docks that you could connect to your Mac to provide more places to plug in things. These fall into three broad categories:

  • USB-A hubs that provide several USB-A ports. Some of these have USB-C plugs on the cable that plugs into a computer, and others could be plugged into a USB-C port with the aid of an adapter.
  • Plain USB-C hubs and docks that provide several things: typically a HDMI port, an Ethernet port, a SDXC card slot, and a few USB-A ports.
  • Thunderbolt hubs and docks. These are similar to USB-C docks but use a higher-bandwidth connection.


The first two types are very generic and "dime a dozen". Be sure that whatever hub or dock you get has its own power supply. Some USB accessories like to grab nearly all of the power available from a USB host port, so they can cause problems if you try to connect them and other USB accessories to the same unpowered hub.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 17, 2025 9:01 PM in response to murielaMc

Your tag line says that you have a 24" iMac running macOS 15.3 (Sequoia).


That implies that those two ports are multi-purpose USB-C ports that support

  • USB 3.1 Gen 2
  • USB4 20 and 40 Gbps
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt


There are a number of hubs and docks that you could connect to your Mac to provide more places to plug in things. These fall into three broad categories:

  • USB-A hubs that provide several USB-A ports. Some of these have USB-C plugs on the cable that plugs into a computer, and others could be plugged into a USB-C port with the aid of an adapter.
  • Plain USB-C hubs and docks that provide several things: typically a HDMI port, an Ethernet port, a SDXC card slot, and a few USB-A ports.
  • Thunderbolt hubs and docks. These are similar to USB-C docks but use a higher-bandwidth connection.


The first two types are very generic and "dime a dozen". Be sure that whatever hub or dock you get has its own power supply. Some USB accessories like to grab nearly all of the power available from a USB host port, so they can cause problems if you try to connect them and other USB accessories to the same unpowered hub.

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Connecting modem and printer to iMac with limited ports

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