Does anybody have any recommendations for a 7 port USB hub for use with an iMac and Snow Leopard? I ask because our present one needs to be re-booted from time to time. I'm not sure what triggers its confusion but suspect it may be related to the iMac going to sleep, even though the hub does have its own power supply.
I went through a bad patch with USB hubs and did a lot of Googling - what I found out was that a lot of USB hubs are flawed and that if you want to add additional USB devices to a machine you really need to add an extra card that has additional USB sockets - which is possibly if you have a Mac Pro...... or you try to use Firewire devices or eSata if your machine has the possibility
Trevor, that seems an awful lot of USB ports, and maybe you do need a powered hub to keep the pipes from freezing.
How about this: USB hubs are often used for convenience and to avoid fiddling around at the back of your Mac. Consider whether the occasionally triggered confusions may be due to mild misalignment at the plug/socket interface (fine gobble-de-speak although I say it myself) when cabling is moved.
A possibly more useful solution may be to use two 4-socket unpowered hubs, and plug anything that needs power (like a printer or 2.5" drive) into a third socket if you have one, or the existing powered hub if you don't. I use a reliable 4-socket hub (£1 special offer, unpowered) for my MacBook which works beautifully.
NB. woe betide you if a USB data stick (or even a USB2 hard drive) loses its connection during data transfer, and external HDs are better plugged direct into your Mac.
Someone I know, not a WaMug member, was advised by his highly qualified Systems Engineer son who was visiting to buy a new BB wireless router. But the problem was actually that the curtains, when drawn to and fro, were knocking the Christmas tree of 'phone plugs under the window. Parcel Sellotape and general awareness fixed that. Anyone want a new wireless router in the original packing?
Hello Euan. I do have two external hard drives, which plug directly into the iMac, together with a trailing iPod cable. The hub goes into the fourth port on the iMac. On the hub is the printer plus two camera leads (and a USB-powered desk light, which is rarely used)
I do have a freebie unpowered 4-port hub so, if I ditch the desklight, I could give that a try.
The cables are secure but some are quite old. I have read stuff on t'internet suggesting that some old cables aren't up to USB 2.0, however that sounds too much like the claimed need for digital SCART leads or gold mains hifi cables to me.
And there was always one fellow student who knew where to find the pipes - then all you had to do was smuggle them past the porter and up the stairs. .
here's my fie cents. The USB Spec is a rough guide, and there are plenty of companies who are still filling out the entire technical requirements for 2.0.... there is a minimum list of features that a hub or inboard chipset needs to meet,which anything with the USB2.0 logo must have, but there are dozens (hundreds) of USB chip manufacturers trying to be the cheapest to get included in say a laptop production run, with "just OK" chipsets, or ones with poor tolerance.
So I cant really recommend a hub, but the more expensive the better ( NEC comes to mind) but make it USB2.0 only and powered and you have a reasonable chance of success. if you are paying more than fifteen pounds, you'll get a sturdy one. Now, what about USB 3.0..... ?? Anyone?
Trevor Hewson 