Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: diamondgeezer on March 12, 2004, 08:02:01 pm

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: diamondgeezer on March 12, 2004, 08:02:01 pm

Anyone see anything wrong with this (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=55656)?

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: an0n on March 12, 2004, 08:05:10 pm

USB hubs are all the same.

As long as the place you get 'em from is reputable, they're basically identical.

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: mikhael on March 12, 2004, 08:12:26 pm

USB Hubs are NOT all the same.

This one looks good, but for one thing: it appears to be unpowered. That means it gets its juice from your desktop/laptop. With external media readers and other storage peripherals, you usually need more than the 4.5v that the USB line provides.

When in doubt, buy a powered USB hub. You can use them without the power supply until such time as you need real power. Besides: the price isn't all that different--usually about $5.

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: an0n on March 12, 2004, 08:14:37 pm

In all my years of plugging **** in, never have I needed a powered USB hub.

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: diamondgeezer on March 12, 2004, 08:20:48 pm

Alls I wanna plug in is me mouse and stick. See for some reason me stick seems to go to sleep if untouched for a minute or so, meaning I have to get up and replug the ****er. I'm getting ****ing sick of it, as you might imgine. I just want something cheap that can sit on my desk, within arm's reach

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: mikhael on March 13, 2004, 01:23:47 am

An0n, I've got a couple of media readers that need a powered USB hub. Also, my PDA won't sync unless the base is either plugged in or the hub is powered. And some hard drives and zip drives don't work reliably without being plugged into a powered hub.

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: karajorma on March 13, 2004, 04:27:59 am

My scanner likes a powered hub too.

For what you're doing with it this one seems fine DG but if you can afford it go for a powered hub like mikhael suggests.

Title: Help with chosing USB hub
Post by: Martinus on March 13, 2004, 01:51:38 pm

[color=66ff00]A onboard USB connection has about 500mA output, this is shared between and unpowered devices connected to it so if the maximum current drain exceeds this then you can't connect all of the devices. Most printers and scanners are self powered and thus do not require much current.

I'd buy a powered one, will be better in the long run. :nod:
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