The Lemon Fool

My mum's got a 'tower' PC ( a refurb job, nice and cheap)
It doesn't have many front USB ports and they are vertically mounted half way down the tower and are not easy for mum to use. She's got a lot of stuff that needs a connection: Kindle, phone, camera etc
I'd like something that can plug into one USB port and provide at least three at 'desk level', preferably 'self powered, as it's already a rat's nest of cabling
Guess I need a USB hub (??) but most seem to have short leads. I could get a USB-USB extension lead but that's one more thing to go wrong, and they seemed to be almost as expensive as the hubs when I looked in a shop recently (Possibly Clas Ohlsen)
Any suggestions?
Cheers
AC

I use a D-Link DUB-H7, (which provides 6 extra ports (7 less the one used in the PC). Two of them are powered (if you plug in the power supply) so will provide sufficient oomph to drive external drives etc. whilst five are repeaters, so good for things like phones or cameras. They will also provide power, but at a much lower amperage (I charge my camera on one of these; it sits there overnight.)

NB, it's USB2, not 3. If the model I've mentioned doesn't suit, then I'd look at either of TP-Link or D-Link, as I've used these brands quite happily in the past.

If buying one with its own power supply, make sure the seller is shipping it with a UK plug, (assuming....) as some will come with a 2-pin European one.

For the lead, I just order the length that I want from eBay (e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-3M-Fast- ... SwAvJW~k13 ) as they are cheap and arrive relatively quickly (a couple of weeks for the last one)

If you get a hub that has a socket for the cable to the PC you will be able to change it with whatever length of cable suits you

I use one of these:
- https://www.unitek-products.com/product ... uct&id=145
and one of these:
- https://www.belkin.com/au/p/P-F4U022/
both of which I can change the cable to the PC to suit.

Just avoid hubs with the PC connection on a "tail".

As you mentioned it is a tower case you might also consider adding a USB hub at the front if you have a spare bay?
- something like: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-Port-USB-3 ... 3043361210
- that would give you a fair bit of expansion with the upside that the ports do not need to share bandwidth

have fun
- sd

Anker AH430 USB 3.0 4-Port Compact Aluminum Hub with 2-Foot USB 3.0 Cable

- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-4-Port-C ... er+usb+hub

Had 2 of these. On mentioning that I was glad to see that they'd sorted out the design fault which had led to the demise of the first one in their little CS questionnaire they refunded the second one immediately. Quite a profitable move on their part, I've been buying Anker stuff ever since, and it's reliably as good as their customer service.

You should be able to use any hub you want, just use a usb extension cable if the supplied one doesn't reach.

If you want to power any attached devices from the hub, buy a powered hub.
The USB socket that the hub itself is plugged into can only supply 900mA (if USB3) or 500mA (if USB2). Any power draw outside this range will give an error message on the screen and the USB socket will be disabled until you reset it (via an option that Windows gives with the error message).

BobbyD wrote:Anker AH430 USB 3.0 4-Port Compact Aluminum Hub with 2-Foot USB 3.0 Cable

- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-4-Port-C ... er+usb+hub

Had 2 of these. On mentioning that I was glad to see that they'd sorted out the design fault which had led to the demise of the first one in their little CS questionnaire they refunded the second one immediately. Quite a profitable move on their part, I've been buying Anker stuff ever since, and it's reliably as good as their customer service.

You should be able to use any hub you want, just use a usb extension cable if the supplied one doesn't reach.

I note that the newer model of this item suggested in BobbyD's link can double as a washing machine cover!

Watis

oddly enough, I'm looking for a tumble dryer cover...

Thanks all - I was trying to avoid the powered hubs due to extra cabling /lack of mains sockets- getting the sockets at desk level is most important, although my mum will probably want to charge kindle and camera and God knows what else concurrently at some point !

AleisterCrowley wrote:Thanks all - I was trying to avoid the powered hubs due to extra cabling /lack of mains sockets- getting the sockets at desk level is most important, although my mum will probably want to charge kindle and camera and God knows what else concurrently at some point !

On my desk (on the side, against the side-drawers, tucked under the overhang) I have screwed a 4-gang extension cable. It's plugged into a wall socket and the desk-mounted sockets now house a variety of plugs, including a usb charging cable for when the computer is switched off but I need to charge something. Provided the power consumption isn't an issue, setting up extension leads from the awkward plug in the wall behind the desk to somewhere secured and accessible will cure the socket issues that seem to grow with every new toy!

Mrs VRD has similar for her Apple devices.

If there is a convenient work surface to rest the devices on, and you can route an extension lead to it, your mum will have a place to do the charging without needing the computer to be left on.

VRD

AleisterCrowley wrote:Thanks all - I was trying to avoid the powered hubs due to extra cabling /lack of mains sockets- getting the sockets at desk level is most important, although my mum will probably want to charge kindle and camera and God knows what else concurrently at some point !

I doubt your mum is going to have any difficulty charging cameras and kindles from an unpowered hub. It may not be the most efficient method going but as long as she isn't daisy chaining loads of devices it'll do.

If she wants something a little more substantial then you can split usb conectivity and usb charging.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charger-Anker- ... r+usb+plug

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-Charger- ... r+usb+plug

which are also brilliant for travelling, since one plug adap[ter can recharrge your camera, your kindle, your phone and your tablet at the same time...