windows 7 - What makes a good and reliable USB Hub?

11
2013-08
  • AngryHacker

    I've gone through 2 USB hubs for my laptop and they both seemed to be unreliable. Both of these USB hubs are not powered.

    If I plug both keyboard and mouse, one of the devices won't work. Or if I plugin an external drive, then something else is sure not to work.

    Is the issue that it's not powered?
    Or is it something with the OS configuration (win7 32bit)?

    If someone can recommend an inexpensive hub (preferably non-powered) for 4-5 devices, that would be awesome.

    • Answers
  • sblair

    You need to get a powered hub, especially if you're connecting 4 or 5 devices. External drives and such consume more power than a mouse or keyboard. As to the expense, shop around online for a better deal. Google "battery powered usb hub" for mobility. Find one that allows you to choose between battery power or AC.


    • Related Question

    mac - MacBook USB-Hub
  • schneck

    I bought an active 7-port-USB-Hub to avoid all the cable mess on my desk. The following devices are plugged in:

    • Scanner (which is not being used, actually)
    • Keyboard
    • Mouse
    • Android-Phone

    When I now plug in a hard disk (passive, 2.5') as Time Machine device, it is not recognized. I wonder why this is the case, because it's an active hub. Do I really need to buy a hard disk with its own power supply?

    Another strange thing is, that when I plug the hard disk directly into the MacBook (beside the hub), it does not work either.


    • Related Answers
  • Arjan

    I believe the key here, is that he stated it's a passive 2.5" hard drive enclosure. That means that it may require two powered ports to have full power. The hard drive just may not be getting enough power.

    1. Is the hub plugged into a power outlet
    2. Does the usb cable have two ports? And are both being plugged into the usb hub?
    3. Does system Profiler see the drive?
    4. Does Disk Utility see the drive?
    5. What's the make & model of the USB Hub?
  • mouviciel

    Looks like the problem is not the hub but the disk.

    If it is visible from Disk Utility, try to format it with an HFS+ filesystem and a GUID partition table.

  • Arjan

    This does not explain why it won't work with the hub, but on the MacBook itself, all USB ports aren't created equal.