CalDigit Reviews 13

# **CALDIGIT PLUS 5 – WINDOWS 11 ARM64 DRIVER FAILURE REPORT**
**Prepared by:** Andy Moore
**System:** Windows 11 ARM64 (24H2)
**Dock:** CalDigit Thunderbolt / USB4 Plus 5
**Driver Package:** `CalDigit_10Gbe_Win11_ARM64_WHQL.zip`
**Driver Files:** `aqnic650.inf`, `aqnic650.sys`, `aqnic650.cat`
**Firmware:** Last known update – 18 November 2025

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## **1. Summary of the Issue**
The CalDigit Plus 5 dock’s integrated **Marvell/Aquantia 10GbE NIC** does **not enumerate at all** on Windows 11 ARM64. As a result:

- The NIC never appears in Device Manager
- No PCIe‑tunneled device is exposed over USB4
- No “Unknown device” appears
- No hardware IDs are presented
- The driver cannot bind because **Windows never sees the hardware**

This is **not** a driver installation failure.
This is a **hardware enumeration failure** in the USB4/Thunderbolt chain on Windows ARM64.

---

## **2. Driver Package Verification**
The driver package provided by CalDigit is **correct and ARM64‑targeted**:

- The INF contains the required `NTARM64.10.0` sections
- The CAT file is present and valid
- The SYS file is present
- The package structure is correct
- The file is not blocked by Windows
- The INF opens normally and is syntactically valid

**Conclusion:**
The driver itself is not the problem.

---

## **3. Behaviour Observed in Windows**
### **3.1 Device Manager**
- No Aquantia/Marvell NIC appears under **Network Adapters**
- No device appears under **Other Devices**
- No PCIe‑tunneled device appears under **Devices by Connection**
- Only internal laptop devices appear under PCI Express Root Ports
- The dock exposes USB and display functions, but **not PCIe devices**

### **3.2 Right‑click on INF**
- Windows does **not** show the “Install” option
- This only happens when **no matching hardware is detected**
- Windows hides “Install” when the INF cannot match any present device

**Conclusion:**
Windows ARM64 is not exposing the NIC hardware, so the driver cannot install.

---

## **4. Root Cause**
The CalDigit Plus 5 NIC relies on **PCIe tunnelling over USB4/Thunderbolt**.

On Windows 11 ARM64 (24H2), the USB4 stack currently fails to:

- Enumerate the dock’s PCIe devices
- Expose the Marvell/Aquantia NIC
- Provide hardware IDs for driver binding

This is a **platform‑level limitation** affecting multiple USB4/TB4 docks on ARM systems.

**Conclusion:**
The issue is caused by incomplete or incompatible USB4/PCIe tunnelling support on Windows ARM64 and/or CalDigit dock firmware not fully supporting ARM USB4 enumeration.

---

## **5. Required Actions**
### **For CalDigit**
- Confirm ARM64 USB4/Thunderbolt compatibility for the Plus 5
- Provide updated dock firmware enabling PCIe tunnelling on ARM
- Validate the Marvell/Aquantia NIC enumeration path on ARM64 systems
- Publish a compatibility statement for Windows ARM64 users

### **For Microsoft**
- Address USB4/Thunderbolt PCIe tunnelling gaps in Windows 11 ARM64
- Ensure third‑party docks can expose PCIe devices reliably
- Provide updated USB4 controller firmware/driver packages
- Document known limitations with USB4 on ARM systems

---

## **6. Current Workable Status**
- Dock functions for **USB, charging, displays, audio**
- **Ethernet does not function** due to hardware not enumerating
- No workaround is possible until firmware/OS updates are released
- Wi‑Fi must be used as a temporary connectivity method

---

## **7. Conclusion**
All evidence confirms:

- The driver package is correct
- The installation steps were correct
- The hardware is functional on x64 systems
- The failure occurs **before** the driver stage
- The NIC is not being exposed to Windows ARM64 at all

This is a **joint CalDigit + Microsoft compatibility gap**, not user error.

Supplied an incomplete TS5 package.
No thunderbold cable available.
Quite a scam - had to buy a new cable for €80.
Totally unaccepteble.

caldigit dp2.0->hdmi2.1 adapter

windows gives error "display isnt active" when using this adapter

linux the adapter displays output but it is limited to DP1.2 spec ie 1920x1080p 240hz, whereas I can achieve 1920x1080 360hz just using a DP cable without the adapter

no experience on Mac to speak of

My TS4 just gave up. No power, no nothing. Obviously, these devices don't hold up. It never fell down or bumped against anything, It was lying on my desk for two yers. It was a cool piece of kit for 400€ if it lasted more than a couple of years. It looks cool, has good functions, but for 400€ they dont last.

I wouldn't buy it again. There are cheaper alternatives that will also die in two years...so might as well choose the cheaper alternatives.

Ein cooles Teil für 400 €, wenn es länger als ein paar Jahre halten würde. Mein TS4 hat gerade den Geist aufgegeben. Kein Strom, gar nichts. Sieht zwar schick aus, hat gute Funktionen, aber für 400 € ist die Lebensdauer einfach zu kurz.

Ich würde ihn nicht noch einmal kaufen. Es gibt günstigere Alternativen, die wahrscheinlich genauso nach zwei Jahren kaputtgehen… also kann man auch gleich die billigeren nehmen.

Customer support seems to be nonexistent.... I called was put on (automated) hold for over 1hr forced to listen to crapy music all the while... then crapy music shut off and forced to listen to phone just ring over and over again.... will be returning ts4 back to the Apple Store next weekend - I now realize how apple could sell them for only 330$ when they are listed every where else for over 400$

Company refuses to look after their logistics for delivering to European Union customers, their manufacturing/warehousing is currently in the UK and if you order from them, they will let customers pay the customs fee and sort that out with the delivery company, one of the only companies I have dealt who does not care about making this smooth for customers, such a shame as their products are available on Apple website as well.
I was having a conversation with their customer support about this and they decided to ghost me out without concluding.

My experience of the customer service from CalDigit has been nothing short of excellent.

I had a TS4, almost out of warranty, that went skewy. I use it daily, for work, and I would have been in a bad way without it.

They had a replacement shipped within about *10 hours* of my initial email, and they arranged pickup of the old unit too.

This means I should be back on my feet within a couple of days. (I had imagined it would take weeks, as although they have an EU service centre, they are a US based company).

It's a rare thing to be flabbergasted by *good* customer service, but on this occasion I am.

Product is defective. Contacted them, it then took over 2 weeks back and forth to finally come to a conclusion that the product should be returned and replaced.

However because I bought the TS4 Dock in EU, they can't replace it without me paying huge fees in VAT for the exchanged product due to their closest office is in the United Kingdom. I also have to pay the shipping myself and might only after it have been received get the price of shipping covered.

Edit: I found out that one of my USB-devices were drawing too much power, I would have appreciated if CalDigit would have pointed this out to me. I am now using the Dock again and I like the product, just not the customer support.

I too have had trouble with a device from Caldigit. The thunderbolt element hub won't stay off. Keeps turning itself back on again when switched off. I got in contact with customer support, and they told me it worked as intended, and that the device goes into a "self power" mode when it gets turned off, so that it can continue to work when the pc is off. I told them it was a really really stupid feature, and that they needed to make a firmware update that removes it.
Radio silence... No response from support since then. It has been weeks. The reason I need to talk to support now is because the device restarts all connected usb and thunderbolt devices when any one usb/thunderbolt device is connected/disconnected, which definitely is not supposed to happen.

I ordered the #1 highest rated thunderbolt dock of all time only to find that it didn't work for one of my two machines.

Previous ultra-cheap thunderbolt adapter worked just fine with all machines in my house.

I contacted caldigit support by email but didn't receive a reply after 5 days of waiting.

I then phoned their UK number 11 different times but never got an answer. There is no queue system, it just rings for 5 minutes and then hangs up.

Will be doing an amazon return and order a different product.

Ordered a TS3+ Thunderbolt 3 dock from Amazon. It failed within a couple of weeks. After some to and fro with Caldigit support (whose US and EU departments don't seem to communicate), it was replaced. Within a couple of months, it started failing: Caldigit resolutely blamed the Apple M1 chipset in my Macbook Pro and refused to do anything. Then they released a statement claiming full compatibility with the M1 chipset. Problem still exists and I've been in communication with them for over a year (during which time they keep 'losing' my emails), with no resolution in sight. I seriously cannot recommend this company

I live in Istanbul Turkey and bought a usb c dock from an online dealer in August 2021. A few months later device stopped working and i tried to find an authorized service in town but couldn't find any. Then i wrote to caldigit customer service and wanted help. The Eu department redirected me to the Us department first. Then i mailed with Us department for a while. All i wanted from them was a service name for repair or any kind of help. They said that the units serial number belongs to a stolen unit! I send them the invoice of my purchase but they only said, you can buy a new one from our online store.

After all those emails all i have was a 200 hundred dollars worth, 6 months old and out of warranty and malfunctioning dock!

Nothing more to say. Bye caldigit. Never gonna and wanna see you anymore!