USB hub question

Need a simple, non geeky, non techy answer to this please .

I currently have 4 USBs on my PC. One has a 4 USB hub attached. So 7 USBs - only one of which is free .

Can I safely swap my 4 USB hub for one with say 7 or even 10 USBs? Or will that overload the system?

That really depends on what you intend to plug in and how much current everything (connected) draws out of the power supply.

I use a flying lead from one of the back USB ports that I use to plug odds and ends into as I've never needed everything connected at the same time.

regards
Bernard

Don't know what kind of computer you have but it might be better to get an PCI card instead of an HUB, much more reliable.

Only two ports though but it might be enough.
http://www.alternate.nl/html/product/Controllers_USB/MSI/Star-USB3.0/462033/?tn=HARDWARE&l1=Controllers&l2=USB

Where for do you need so many USB for btw?

Sometimes things don't like being plugged into a hub and if this is the case the instructions usually mention it.

I would only plug in what needs to be plugged in though as computers can be sensitive devices. It strikes me that plugging a 7 or 10 USB hub is not unlike overloading power sockets with four way adapters plugged into four way adapters. It doesn't sound like good practice.

totally agree with the first part... the second part... POWERED usb hubs are available (they have thier own power cord and wall wart you plug in) BUT you have to be careful which devices you plug in where as you'll be SHARING the bandwidth.... so multiple hard drives for example will slow right down if you're accessing more than one at a time! (this is why I like firewire drives, you can daisychain a dozen and they ALL go full speed).
don't plug one hub into another hub either.

Is it a powered hub Gwyn - that could well affect your decision ?

Plug in an "active" hub, i.e. one with a power supply.

USB can supply up to 500mA per port, so adding in a powered hub will avoid problems. Belkin are supposed to be pretty good, and I'd also trust D-Link (who both have a 7-port design, neither of which are cheap).

Bret

can vouch for belkin as well... very reliable.

Some things have their own power supply - they aren't taking power from the computer itself, others, like the mouse or when I connect the e-book do take power from the computer.

Truth is I need a new computer really but a) can't face choosing one, and b) really can't face setting the thing up.

This one is full, and I want to off load a load of my old photos onto another (powered) 2TB drive. I have one Powered 2TB drive which is used for general back-ups but I still have most of my photos on the computer drive too. I've thrown off as much junk as I dare to free up space, and another external drive is the next option, but that needs another USB slot. No room for another internal drive.
Juggling between a new drive, the e-book, the logger all on one USB would be doable of course - I just thought getting a bigger hub would make life even easier. I shall checked if the ones I have seen are powered. I'll need another few electrical sockets at this rate too
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Maybe a new computer is the way to go after all. But I really really hate setting up new computers.

If you want another external drive why not get an e-sata one, those are much faster.
Or USB3 maybe...

You might not have to change much, what kind of PC do you've now?

get your manual out and see what your ethernet jack supports... I run HUGE back up drives off my router with ethernet... prices have dropped dramatically on nas drives.

I'd second the use of a NAS - it can just sit there out of the way and you can schedule free software like SyncBack to copy files over regularly. Can use the space directly as a mounted drive too, taking some load off the PC or laptop. Mine also has the printer plugged in so another USB device that isn't cluttering up the computer.

You can also go a little step further and get a multimedia pc that can work as a NAS.

remember if speed is your primary concern, your computer and router and nas have to all be WIRED not wirelessly connected.... wireless is fine if you are backing up overnight, but if you are storing huge files and need access wired ethernet is the only way to use those drives... I found a hybrid wired and wireless set up works best for me... in the studio, a bunch of nas drives and my laptop wired together, for backing up my video off my firewire drives, but we also have a wireless connection to out house where there is another wired network, with internet connection... So from the studio, If I want internet, I'm connected to a wireless network, but once I disconnect from that network, my work is unaccessable to hackers as it is not connected to the net anymore.

Get a USB Hub with a separate power supply. No power is then drawn from the computer port, and all USB ports on the hub will be powered from the separate power supply.