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Author Topic: USB Hubs  (Read 3500 times)

Offline RHPConsult

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« on: June 08, 2007, 07:00:10 PM »
As an extension (so to speak) of my recent threads re: SD card conundra  whistling.gif  I'd like to learn some more on USB hub characteristics with which I've previously been unacquainted.

Belkin touts its USB hub quite highly. I have one – self-powered – attached to my AEBS (11.n) but I find that not everything plugged-into it will function (normally), i.e. as though plugged into my iMacIntel.

What's that all about? Is the hub faulty? Does its mediation (whatever) via the AEBS render the connection nonviable for my SD card reader?

My ZIO reader will not function plugged into this (again, self-powered) hub.

Any ideas/opinions?
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2007, 08:25:43 PM »
By "self-powered" I assume you mean it has its own 'brick' supplying power to it?
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Offline krissel

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« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2007, 08:48:22 PM »
ABD asks my question.  Some USB hubs will not work properly with some externals unless the hub is AC powered. Though usually the balky products require a lot of power, like a printer.


Doubt you need firmware update but check this out:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107857
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Offline RHPConsult

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« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2007, 10:31:49 PM »
QUOTE
Absolutely

QUOTE
Doubt you need firmware update but . . .
Did a new resetting of the new AEBS the other day, and an updating of firmware to 7.1 as part of that process. Then, this afternoon I received the message that v. 7.1.1 was avaiklable. So now it's the latest and greatest, firmwarewise.

USB Hub = 'tis a puzzlement
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MamaMoose

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« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2007, 12:13:51 AM »
Dick,

Welcome to the world of flaky USB!! First, make sure a) your hub is either USB 2.0 (faster) or USB 1.1 and b) check each USB device to see if it is USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 type. Now comes the problem. First, if your Mac is newer it should have all USB 2.0 ports. If you connect a USB 1.1 device to a USB 2.0 port, the port will work but all other USB devices connected to that port will slow down to USB 1.1 speed.

One possibility is that you may be connecting 2.0 and 1.1 devices to either a USB 2.0 hub or port. This shouldn't be a problem but to be on the safe side, since my three USB buses are  USB 2.O, I have two hubs: a) an USB 1.1 for keyboard, mouse, and any 1.1 flash drives and b) an USB 2.0 for all my 2.0 devices. Therefore, I sacrifice only one USB 2 bus to slower USB 1.1 devices.
for a device
Frankly, if you understand what I just wrote, I am awarding you a PhD in EE!! Even I, sans an EE degree, am confused.

On the other hand, as Tevye the dairy man would say, it could just be the USB (Universal Standard Bus)( protocol
may be a bad design and doesn't work with Apple's protocol.

Now that I succinctly and clearly explained this matter to you, you should raring to go smoothly down the path towards computer nirvana!!

MamaMoose
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Offline RHPConsult

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« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2007, 12:52:10 AM »
Or, Tom, I could do what I probably should have done first.  (At least this thread got me thinking more clearly. Surprise, surprise!)

I decided simply to
  • bypass the AEBS
  • plug my USB printer directly into the AEBS' USB port, despite the fact it's been working quite well through the Hub
  • plug the Hub directly into the iMacIntel
Bingo. Everything is copasetic.

The Hub is "handling" my SD cards now with ease.








I hope
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Offline Mayo

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« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2007, 02:56:01 AM »
If I understand you to be saying that you originally had the hub plugged into the base station USB port and not your Mac, then you have indeed found the problem. The AEBS isn't designed to have a USB hub plugged into it; the AEBS USB port is only meant for printers.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2007, 03:01:54 AM by Mayo »
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Offline krissel

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« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2007, 03:12:16 AM »
That's what I thought when I read the link I posted above.

But then I found this which suggests otherwise.  huh.gif

QUOTE
. If you connect a USB hub to the base station, you can connect multiple hard disks to it, and access them from the wireless network.


http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?pa.../en/ap2108.html


It may be that the card reader is just not built along the specs as needed to be recognized by the system through the Airport setup. I would gather that there is a big difference between a USB hard drive and a card reader.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2007, 03:16:19 AM by krissel »
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Offline RHPConsult

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« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2007, 01:11:54 PM »
The saga continues . . .

Mayo noted
QUOTE
The AEBS isn't designed to have a USB hub plugged into it; the AEBS USB port is only meant for printers.

However, I have been using as noted for about 3 months, exactly as Kris found in the Apple literature
QUOTE
If you connect a USB hub to the base station, you can connect multiple hard disks to it, and access them from the wireless network.

Now, however, doing what I reported 3 posts above this one has actually given me (and my arthritic hands) some advantages.
  1. The Hub is now plugged-in the back os the iMacIntel
  2. IO is now a much more convenient place to charge (and sync) my Palm, charge my TomTom, use the card reader, etc – those items that need temporary attachment but are, at the same time, difficult (read = painful) to plug-in/pull-out of the back of the ikMac if you have arthritic complications as do I.
Meanwhile, the USB printer is working fine, now directly connected to our Airport LAN, as promised. Relatedly, it was that "feature" that first persuaded me to replace our "Yurt" AEBS with the latest model.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered here: Kris, jim, Tom and Mayo

As I said, just posting this thread helped to clear my head (surprise, surprise) to see an alternative I'd previously overlooked. Good friends did the rest.
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Offline Mayo

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« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2007, 03:34:37 PM »
I wrote my two cents without doing my usual additional research, just off the top of my head. I had some misgivings, but I did it anyway. It would have taken me about one minute to get my facts straight.  Must have been the late hour... Shame On Me!
« Last Edit: June 09, 2007, 03:35:58 PM by Mayo »
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2007, 04:27:43 PM »
USB Hubs ( powered or not ) seem to operate well with printers, cameras, elevators and aircraft. But they don't do well, if they are the unpowered type, with anything that actually draws power from the cable; USB fan, light, siren, flash drive, etc. While you may not have a USB fan, you troubles with a seemingly low-powered thumb drive could be frustrating. The one I use to transfer stuff back and forth from home to church has to be plugged into the mini, not it's keyboard. One would not think that a thumb drive would actually need much power but the keyboard slots simply don't have enough current, I guess.

That current draw may also be the cause of your problems when your hub was connected to the AEBS. The contradictory info from Apple does not help. wallbash.gif

I did not see a specific answer to my quest about what type of hub you are using, BTW. Does it have any kind of external power source? Or is it simply a small container of mystery? tease.gif
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Offline RHPConsult

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« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2007, 02:30:32 AM »
My second post in this thread was supposed to have carried this introduction . . .
QUOTE
By "self-powered" I assume you mean it has its own 'brick' supplying power to it?
to which I responded w/uncharacteristic brevity
QUOTE
Abolutely
It's a "Belkin, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, 4 port Hub" . . . wit-a-brik.

It's working perfectly now that it's plugged-into the iMac's USB 2 port.

No prob-lem!
« Last Edit: June 10, 2007, 12:15:50 PM by RHPConsult »
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2007, 01:22:49 PM »
Don't touch nuttin'! tongue.gif
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Offline RHPConsult

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« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2007, 04:09:42 PM »
Wait-a-minute . . . wait-a-minute. I gotta write that down!    whistling.gif
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Offline sandbox

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« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2007, 02:59:11 AM »
In hot pursuit of a good USB Hub wit-a-brik, Dick, so would your extensive experience with such matters recommend a 4 port Hub for me to acquire? I have purchased one non-brik unit in my lifetime, for someone else, but have never owned one myself. Moving to a logitech wave keyboard will decrease my USB ports by 2, so I'll need to replace them and find a space to add a brick. wink.gif thanks
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