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Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: kirk97132 on January 12, 2010, 03:25:53 PM

Title: TSKB: Recomendations for USB hub?
Post by: kirk97132 on January 12, 2010, 03:25:53 PM

I need to add some more USB ports to my Dell E510.  Whatca recommend?

Title: Re: TSKB: Recomendations for USB hub?
Post by: Scooter123 on January 12, 2010, 08:08:44 PM

They are fairly fungible.  All will run no faster than 480mbps. 

Title: Re: TSKB: Recomendations for USB hub?
Post by: heikki on January 17, 2010, 09:44:49 AM

i currently use, and just bought another of, this: http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DUB-H7-High-Speed-7-Port/dp/B00008VFAF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1263739313&sr=8-1

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41XhZF%2B-%2BCL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)

it's powered, which is a big plus for some applications.

i was actually looking for something with more ports but didn't come across much.  another (7) should do i guess.

<$20 after the $10 rebate and shipping is free from amazon.  i feel like i buy everything from amazon recently.

Title: Re: TSKB: Recomendations for USB hub?
Post by: mtownshend on January 17, 2010, 06:17:05 PM

Quote from: kirkd on January 12, 2010, 03:25:53 PM

I need to add some more USB ports to my Dell E510.  Whatca recommend?

I have increased my usb ports on my PCs via a couple methods...
1. I have one pci card that provides 4 external ports and one internal.  (The internal port is very nice as I have a Thermal-take Media Lab that I have been running the cable to the outside rear via the slot adapter that came with it. Now I can just keep all that stuff inside the case.

The best option for increasing USB ports is the pci card route.  You can install as many as you have slots for. 

2. USB hubs:  While USB is touted as supporting 156 devices per port, I find that to be entirely an excessive expectation. I would recommend that you put no more than one hub per port, even then, you will slow down start-up if you have devices like HD's hooked up to them.  In my case, I have found that (2) 4-6 port hubs (with power) are as many as I can tolerate (I have HDs hooked to all of them...).  Pick them wisely as you get what you pay for. 

Thermal-take has a nice set of hubs...Their "blacx-SE" is pretty nice. 4 Ports are usually a good place to start.  Once you move to 3 or 4 of them, you will get the most by limiting yourself to 4 devices (and one port on the thermalttake) per hub. 

When you have 4 devices hooked to one USB cable, you will see decreased speed.  So, if you are gonna be using hubs to plug in external HD's you have to keep in mind what drives you plug in and make sure that none are going to NEED the full 480Mbps that usb provides.  That means NOT using any drives as your dump spot for BT files. You need to have a drive hooked directly to your PC and via SATA or even better, eSATA.  They offer almost 4x that of a usb device, something that is necessary to maximize your up and download load bandwidth.