USB Hub Specifications

USB Hub Specifications

A standard ‘A’ male connector will fit into any USB hub. A USB hub is a useful piece of equipment for expanding the amount of peripheral devices you can connect to your computer simultaneously. Some desktops and laptops have inconveniently few USB ports. You may find yourself unable to charge your phone, load music onto your MP3 player, or copy files to an external drive at the same time. USB hubs function like multi-outlet power strips, splitting one USB port into more usable slots.

 

Cable Connections

Though some older USB hubs offer connectivity only for USB 1.0, most current USB hubs offer connectivity for USB 2.0. The difference between the two is speed: USB 1.0 connections provide a maximum data transfer rate of 12 Mbps, while USB 2.0 connections provide a maximum data transfer rate of 480 Mbps per second.

Ports

Hubs often contain between four and seven ports, with some products featuring 10 or 13. Most hubs contain USB female ‘A’ connector ports. The ports receive USB ‘A’ male connectors, which are flat and rectangular.

Power Supply

A USB hub may receive power from its own USB connection to the computer, or it may require an external power supply, which comes bundled with the unit. USB hubs which use external power supplies are often recommended, as some peripheral devices will run slower on self-powered hubs. However, self-powered hubs provide the advantage of portability, as they can be used on laptops without having to rely on an electrical outlet.

Combination Hubs

Some hubs offer a combination of both USB and Firewire connectivity. The combination hubs often contain more USB ports than Firewire ports. They can be useful if you need to expand slots for non-USB devices, such as digital video cameras that mostly connect through Firewire.

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