USB Hubs – Ports in a Storm

Any of us who have had PCs over the years have sworn never again to have that rat’s nest of cables along the tables, the walls, the floor. Then came wireless devices: keyboards, mice, Bluetooth, thumb drives, and now even printers (over WiFi)

The problem has however become one of a shortage of USB ports. Even the standard 4-port is quickly exhausted. (Oh, those ports on your monitor: why, oh why did they install those old-fashioned USB 1.1 instead of 2.0 plugs instead?!)

So the answer is, of course, to get more connectors, the usual being a 4-port hub. For reasons unknown, these hub extensions are priced all over the map -- $30 and up is not uncommon -- and, unfortunately, are not all created equal. I first had a Microcenter generic (for $10) with mixed results and now a Targus mini-hub (on sale) with no problems. The tricky part is what gets plugged into them. While many devices still require a 6-volt (or so) transformer power supply, others get their juice from the USB port. It might therefore make sense to get the hubs that also have additional DC power.

At any rate, these additions will extend the life of the ports actually imbedded in your PC. You don’t want to be hot-swapping (unplugging one thing to make room for another) as they may weaken and begin to wiggle. Much better to keep at least one 6-12” extender “permanently” in your PC and swap from that, as these are much cheaper, if not disposable. (Fortunately, most thumb drives come with one.)


Archie specializes in tutoring and training of seniors in PC security, Windows, Internet, and Microsoft Office. He holds the CompTIA A+ certification and is often featured speaker at Goodwin House in Alexandria; he can be emailed at ama3@tfci-us.com