USB cable extension length 15 foot plus 1.5 foot to a powered hub

sdowney717 · 27 Jun 2016

Maximum length for usb 2.0 is 5 meters. = 16.4 feet

If I get a usb 2.0 extension cable of 15 feet and plug in this 3.0 powered hub with its supplied 1.5 foot cable, will it fail to work?
Scheme is PC to 15 foot extension cable to 1.5 foot cable to hub.

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Total cable length becomes 16.5 feet which is 1/10 foot longer than max of 16.4 feet. Will that extra 1/10 feet length be too much length?

sdowney717 · 27 Jun 2016

For a test, I strung together 3 extensions usb and plugged in a mouse. Total length is 19 feet.
The mouse works perfectly.
So, I wonder about this extension length specification.

sdowney717 · 27 Jun 2016

Ok, now I un plugged the mouse and plugged in this usb keyboard.
It also is working fine.

Lady Fitzgerald · 27 Jun 2016

When you go past the specified maximum length, your maximum possible speed drops. signal strength also drops. Most keyboards and mice don't need maximum USB 2.0 speeds and signal strength which is why you were able to get away with the longer length.

sdowney717 · 27 Jun 2016

I have read it is a timing issue, too long cable, usb is half duplex, has to wait for responses, so the time the signal takes between end points gets too great and it times out and stop responding. Reading about it, this is described as it just fails to work at all. So not a signal strength issue.

Frankly, I am surprised but pleased it worked. I ordered a 15 foot monoprice USB 2.0 extension cable and that powered hub 3.0.

townsbg · 27 Jun 2016

Note that without a usb 3.0 port on your computer you will only get usb 2.0 speeds even on a 3.0 hub. Also as stated you won't get full speeds with such a long cable. That won't matter with a keyboard and mouse but it could impact the use of external hard drives and thumb drives.

sdowney717 · 27 Jun 2016

I know, that makes sense.
I need to connect a GPS, mouse, keyboard. That is it. I have a built in PC on our boat and had to move it. So needed longer cables.

Wandering one · 27 Jun 2016

Might work better to forget hub and pass three individual GOOD quality cables. With hub all have to use a single line.
Art,

Lady Fitzgerald · 27 Jun 2016

townsbg said:

Note that without a usb 3.0 port on your computer you will only get usb 2.0 speeds even on a 3.0 hub. Also as stated you won't get full speeds with such a long cable. That won't matter with a keyboard and mouse but it could impact the use of external hard drives and thumb drives.

Totally off topic but I love your dancing banana!

Lady Fitzgerald · 27 Jun 2016

Wandering one said:

Might work better to forget hub and pass three individual GOOD quality cables. With hub all have to use a single line.
Art,

The keyboard and mouse probably would be able to share a single cable but adding a GPS could create bottle necks, in which case a second (Plan B) or a third (Plan C)USB cable may be needed.

Plan D would be an active extension cable like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GLZYG5S...9EH2R3OR&psc=1