USB 2.0 Ports: How can I increase them?

Dinarius

PC/USB 2.0

I have run out of USB ports (I have eight) and I am wondering how I can increase them?

Is there such a thing as a double/triple adapter for USB ports like you would have for three pin plugs?

If not, what can I do?

Many thanks.

D.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Yea buy a USB hub, preferably a powered one

zod

buy this or one of these hubs

MarkR

As above ,for a desktop get a pci card. Two minutes to install by anyone remotely competent. For a laptop go for an enternal usb hub as described, or maybe a pcmcia card with usb ports.

Eight? And full? I suppose if you don't want to go reaching around the back of your computer the whole time..

Orion

You can daisy chain USB devices - up to 255 devices on one port technically. So get a hub - they come in all shapes and sizes. My Dell Monitor is a USB hub with 4 ports on it.

But my favourite is this. Even makes the noise when I plug in a device

OMcGovern

Dinarius wrote: »

Is there such a thing as a double/triple adapter for USB ports like you would have for three pin plugs?

If you want something cheap and are near the Eurostore on Thomas St in Dublin, they're selling unpowered cheap plastic USB hubs for 2 Euro. I picked up three of them today.

Here's the exact hubs,

http://cgi.ebay.ie/4-PORT-USB-2-0-EXTERNAL-HUB-BRAND-NEW-UK-SELLER_W0QQitemZ180171487492QQihZ008QQcategoryZ96866QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Note : Any devices they are quite demanding on power, eg. external hard disks, cd roms etc... probably won't get enough power. But webcams and mice should be okay.

regards,
Owen

Dinarius

Thanks for the replies.

I have plenty of room around my desk and PC tower, so I don't want to go to the trouble of installing anything.

An additional 3/4 slots will do. So, could someone reduce the choice to, say, three or four choices of external hub? (Macro42's choice is not really to my taste! ;-) )

Many thanks.

D.

ps.........I'm a photographer and I have four external HDs attached to the desktop. That's why I use up so many ports. Each of the HDs is used for different types of files/images.

ixoy

Macros42 wrote: »

But my favourite is this. Even makes the noise when I plug in a device

That is the single greatest technological achievement ever accomplished by man ! I've been thinking of a USB hub too - I need to look no further now.

MarkR

For ease of use i'd say just a usb hub. They have them in most computer stores, and I think they are still pretty readily available in aldi near the tills in those perspex cases for about €15

Orion

ixoy wrote: »

That is the single greatest technological achievement ever accomplished by man !

I couldn't agree more. When I saw it I just had to buy it

GBX

Dont bother with that one on ebay. there terrible. I got a similar one in Euro shopper. €2. thought id try it for a laugh. it was a laugh. went in the bin

Orion

Seriously - just walk into PC World, Dixons, Maplin - any of them. You'll pick up a 4 port hub for €20. The brand doesn't really matter - they are bog standard devices. Just make sure that the one you get is USB2 not 1. I actually saw some USB1 hubs in Maplin recently. And it doesn't need to be powered I don't think. The devices you'll be plugging in will have their own power if they need it.

Gadgetman496

Macros42 wrote: »

You can daisy chain USB devices - up to 255 devices on one port technically.

I thought that the Max USB devices including any hubs was 127 devices per Host Controller?

Are you referring to a system with more then one Host Controller when you mention 255 devices?


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Orion

gadgetman496 wrote: »

I thought that the Max USB devices including any hubs was 127 devices per Host Controller?

Are you referring to a system with more then one Host Controller when you mention 255 devices?


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Yep you're right - it's 126 per controller . I used the wrong power of 2.

unnameduser

Yep its 127.

Dinarius

Dear All,

Many thanks for the replies.

Just picked up a Belkin, 7 port, powered hub.

Working like a dream!

Thanks again.

D.