USB Hub or USB card?

[lostsoul62]

I've had a lot of problems with Hubs (All my Hubs are Powered) including losing a computer over one. I have 2 cameras and one Webcam which say "Do Not hook up to a Hub". So I'm going to install both USB 2 and USB 3 cards and get away from the Hubs. Has anyone else experience this?

 

[panais]

Dont use Hubs,(if its possible) use always internal USB 2\3 cards.


"Normally" they never have a hardware disconnection.


A good and simple solution.

 

[badger906]

i have to use a hub as my pc is about 4.5m from where i sit, my powered hub is great, runs my keyboard, mouse, headset as well as my external hard drive and phone cable no complaints from mee

 

[padyboy]

I have a cheapie powered usb hub from Nextech.
Win 7 will not start up with it connected (???), but when connected after boot up works normally.

 

[badger906]

In your bios change the boot order so that the primary hard drive sits higher than that of usb devices should work fine then.

Oh and welcome the forum well welcome to first post hehe

 

[Qdos]

There's no point to an unpowered hub, but some of the D-Link powered USB hubs work great (but only USB2 as fas as those I've seen...) although you're better off with a USB2/3 PCi/PCiE cards as the interface is cleaner of course...

 

[mjf]

I have a couple of these Logitech powered hubs and have had absolutely no problems. I've connected cameras, portable HDDs...you name it. I think they are a quality product (IMO) and you may have to pay a bit more.
Logitech - Premium 4-Port USB Hub for Notebooks customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings
Note: Mine have always been supplied with the power adapter. Don't buy one without it.

 

[whs]

I have a cheap $5 unpowered hub from where I run 1 USB stick, the keyboard and 2 mices (yes I use one left and one right). Never had a problem.

 

[mjf]

I have a cheap $5 unpowered hub from where I run 1 USB stick, the keyboard and 2 mices (yes I use one left and one right). Never had a problem.

Now that's interesting - stereo mice.

Most USB ports will deliver 500mA (@5V). A passive hub just divides this current load. If the sum of the current loads exceed this then a passive hub will cause problems. Some single devices will take the full load current.

I'm not sure if current limiting is common on motherboard or laptop USB ports. If not you could do serious damage.

 

[padyboy]

usb hub

In your bios change the boot order so that the primary hard drive sits higher than that of usb devices should work fine then.

Oh and welcome the forum well welcome to first post hehe

Grats, Mr. Host, the Most, eh.

Forgot to mention, my YeccchTex usb hub is powered.

 

[whs]

Now that's interesting - stereo mice.

Yeah, my right mouse is a scrollball mouse. But it is a bit awkward to click and scroll at the same time. For clicking I use my left mouse where I have covered the optical eye so that it does not move my cursor.

I am used to that setup from my scrollball keyboards that I used for years. But now I need a backlit keyboard because of my bad eyesight - and those do not come with scrollballs.

 

[mjf]

Ah, I see - innovative Wolfgang!!

 

[lostsoul62]

I didn't have any trouble with USB Hubs for years until I plug in a logictek webcam, or a digital camera, now I had a USB2 hard drive on a Hub screw up one of my USB3 Hard Drives. Hubs work great as long as you keep to keyboards, mouse, printers, scanners but if you have something you can't afford to lose don't hook it up to a Hub.

 

[mjf]

I didn't have any trouble with USB Hubs for years until I plug in a logictek webcam, or a digital camera, now I had a USB2 hard drive on a Hub screw up one of my USB3 Hard Drives. Hubs work great as long as you keep to keyboards, mouse, printers, scanners but if you have something you can't afford to lose don't hook it up to a Hub.

I'm not doubting you. But I'd like to understand how anything but a faulty hub could damage equipment. What is the mechanism to cause failure???

Also, I don't the hard drive issue in bold. I can understand strange outcomes by underpowering portable devices especially using passive hubs. Power considerations aside the USB standard allows for chaining 127 devices.

Also I have quite a few portable USB 2 HDDs and I always connect them to powered hubs. Imaged & restored many times this way.They have short leads to minimize IxR voltage drop and a direct connection would be a pain.

I certainly wouldn't want to damage an expensive camera by downloading photos via a (quality powered) hub! So again what would the failure mechanism be?