Connecting a Powered USB extension hub to a PC Properly?.

saltyseadog · 01 Aug 2020

To help with powering my hotas flight controller I bought a powered USB 3.0 hub like the one in the link, 4 Port Powered USB HUB 3.0 High Speed USB Splitter Extension For PC Laptop UK | eBay
It arrived today and I connected it to my Windows 10 PC using the supplied flat cable from a USB 3.0 port on my PC to the device and plugged in the power adapter to the device and then to the mains but it doesn't seem to be working, it is powered as the lights are on. I tried to connect a couple of usb devices to it but the PC is not finding them. I checked hardware and sound > devices and printers and there is yellow triangle with a ! in it. I went through the process but it didn't fix it. I checked in device drivers and found a warning on one of the USB3.0 inputs so deleted it and restarted my PC thinking that would solve it but no such luck. According to the info it is plug and play so I am probably missing something simple but cannot seem to figure it out hence the post.

Berton · 01 Aug 2020

USB Hubs are pretty simple devices, USB 2 usually needs to be self-powered but USB 3 provides more power to the port by the motherboard. I use the USB 3 self-powered Hubs as I never know what will be plugged. Since the ports on the one you got have their own On|Off switch, if they are working there may be something wrong with the ports on the computer or the Hub itself. Can you try it on a different computer?

Anibor · 01 Aug 2020

It seems that the hub is a low-quality one, the flat cable is a clue. Get a better one.

saltyseadog · 02 Aug 2020

Anibor said:

It seems that the hub is a low-quality one, the flat cable is a clue. Get a better one.

Do you mean a new cable or hub?.

Anibor · 02 Aug 2020

Both. A USB 3.0 cable is normally round and shielded. The stated USB 3.0 speeds, 95.6/82.3 MB/s, are realistic (not the theoretical speed), but low. With a good USB 3.0, you should be able to get 120+ MB/s.

But you could try to get it replaced, or try it in another computer, as suggested above.

saltyseadog · 02 Aug 2020

Anibor said:

Both. A USB 3.0 cable is normally round and shielded. The stated USB 3.0 speeds, 95.6/82.3 MB/s, are realistic (not the theoretical speed), but low. With a good USB 3.0, you should be able to get 120+ MB/s.

But you could try to get it replaced, or try it in another computer, as suggested above.

I figured out what the problem was which was that somehow after the recent Windows 2004 upgrade the drivers for both the USB 3.0 and 3.1 hubs had somehow not been installed. I downloaded replacements at the Gigabyte site and all is working fine but I will take onboard your advice on a better cable and immediately order a replacement. Thanks again and consider this thread solved.