Amazon.com Review

Manufacturers have made it increasingly easy to connect a host of FireWire and USB devices to your computer, but often at the expense of the microphone port and other jacks. Enter the Griffin iMic audio adapter, an affordable USB device that lets users connect microphones, speakers, cassette decks, and virtually any other audio source to their Macs and PCs for recording or playback. Among its many uses are recording voices or instruments for home movies, turning your laptop into a DJ studio, or converting your LPs and cassettes into MP3s or CDs. The iMic includes two 1/8-inch mini-jack ports (one mic/line-level input and one speaker output), along with an RCA-to-miniplug adapter for connecting audio components such as phonographs. Thanks to a small toggle switch on the unit, the microphone input can handle both mic-level recording and line-level signals. In addition, the iMic works with most recording software, and even comes with a CD-ROM loaded with Final Vinyl for Macintosh (for recording LPs), along with trial versions of several other applications.

Design and Setup
The iMic looks like a compact version of the sleek power adapters that come with iBooks. Its major shortcoming from a design standpoint is the length of its cable, which measures a mere foot-and-a-half long. Users who plug the device into their computers' rear USB ports had better hope that their other peripherals have far longer cables; otherwise, they'll be huddling close to their hard drives while recording. Installation was effortless, however--simply plug the iMic into a USB port and you're ready to go. The iMic is both Mac and PC compatible, though owners of pre-OS X and pre-Windows XP operating systems may not be able to enjoy its full array of features. For instance, the iMic only acts as a recording device for Windows 98 SE and 2000 systems, and is unable to output music. Some users have also reported the need to update their firmware in order for the iMic to work properly.

The iMic comes with a quick start manual, but it's fairly minimal, which could make it a bit confusing to operate for people who don't have recording experience. Fortunately, Griffin's web site (www.griffintechnology.com) spells out the instructions in relatively good detail. Mac users should note that they'll need to fiddle with the Speech and Sound Preference panels and enable the "iMic USB audio system" before use, while PC users will need to select the iMic under the Sounds and Audio Devices control panel.

Features and Performance
We tested the iMic in two different applications--converting a cassette to MP3 and recording a voice with an external three-pin microphone using Griffin's GarageBand microphone cable. The cassette conversion went smoothly. After connecting the tape deck through the RCA-to-miniplug adapter and flipping the toggle switch to the line-level setting, we used the Final Vinyl software to convert the files to WAV format. Once the files were recorded, it was simple to import them to iTunes and convert them to MP3 or AAC files. Given the symbiotic relationship between iTunes and the iPod, it was also a snap to sync the files for portable play. The audio quality was quite good for a low-priced sound card--the iMic offers 24-bit audio processing, though most computers support a maximum of 16-bit sampling at this juncture--and thus was restricted more by the quality of the initial cassette than the iMic itself. However, the increased capacity bodes well for future upgrades.

The device also recorded the microphone audio quite easily, this time into the GarageBand application for the Mac. The recording quality in this application was also good--no background noise or static. As with the cassette example, the quality will likely depend more on the source equipment and software than on the iMic. When we were finished, it was simple to transfer the recording to other multimedia applications, such as iMovie. One source of confusion, however, was the toggle switch, which we had to move to the microphone setting (which includes a preamp) for proper operation. The problem is that the toggle switch is counter-intuitively labeled--the microphone setting is under the speaker icon rather than microphone icon--so it's easy to set it incorrectly and wonder why the input isn't working.

On the whole, though, the iMic is a very good value for the price, and is a great addition for Mac users who miss the once-standard microphone ports. Serious musicians and other high-end users should probably invest in professional equipment, but the rest of us will have a ball. --Rivers Janssen

Pros

• Great for a variety of uses, from recording voice and instruments to converting LPs and cassettes to digital formats
• Good audio qualityat an affordable price
• Plugs conveniently into USB port and sets up easily
• Compatible with both Macs and PCs

Cons

• No user's manual and slim quick start manual
• Confusing switch between mic and line-level settings
• Cord is relatively short at 1.5 feet

What's in the Box
iMic adapter, RCA-to-miniplug cord, software CD-ROM, quick start manual. ... Read more

Features

• Easy to set up and use; compatible with USB-equipped Macs and PCs
• USB audio adapter for connecting microphones, phonographs, cassette decks, and other sources to your computer
• Records voices or instruments or converts LPs and cassettes to MP3s and CDs
• 1/8-inch input jack offers both mic and line-level signals
• 1/8-inch output jack connects to headphones or speakers for playback

Reviews (27)

Works Great With My Mac Mini
I bought a Mac mini a couple months ago to archive my tapes & photos (among other things). To convert my tapes to CD/MP3 I had to have some sort of USB or Firewire input device. Most pro Audio interfaces are over $100 and I figured what the heck, I'll try the iMic and even if it is a dog, I'll only be out $30 or so. Well, this little device provides great simultaneous 2 way stereo sound (i.e. recording/monitoring simultaneously) and I love it. The A to D converters on this thing are very good and I am totally pleased with the quality of the audio. My only gripe is that the line level/mic switch on the iMic seems to be labeled backwards as line level is with the switch towards the Mic icon. Griffin, why this one little flaw???

I plan to do some guitar/vocals thru the iMic via my Behringer mixer. But that is in the future. For $30 you can't go wrong. If I had paid $100 I would be saying the same thing. The only problem I have had recording is the 4200 RPM Mac Mini hard drive is apparently too slow (even with iMic plugged directly into computer and with audio buffers at various settings) to keep up with realtime recording and this causes severe audio stuttering.

The solution was to buy an external Firewire hard drive. Recording to an external firewire drive has totally solved my audio problems and so far I have converted about 15 audio/voice cassettes to CD and into my iTunes library as MP3s. All flawless and clean.I listen to my old cassettes on my iPod shuffle now. I use Bias Peak LE and Bias Soundsoap to record/clean up the audio and let me just say that my little audio rig with the iMic as the front end....is AWESOME!!! You can't go wrong with this little jewel. I am one satisfied customer.

Very good for specific uses; not for others.
First, let's describe what this is: it's a sound card. That means it offers analogue to digital and digital to analogue conversion on the device itself, and is capable of shuffling that data over a USB connection to your computer. It is _not_ a cable adaptor, which confused one previous reviewer; it is _not_ a "live" device - you can't use it as part of a studio monitor, which confused another. It is similarly _not_ a format converter. However, it _is_ useful for bringing in analogue sound to your Macintosh (or, in theory, PC).

The hardware itself is pretty impressive for the price, when dealing with line-level input. Drum captures are surprisingly crisp; piano capture is surprisingly lush; vocals are strong. It is _not_ professional equipment, but it's also not $300; the value for money is quite high. The input fidelity is significantly better than my Powerbook's onboard A/D converter, and the other, more expensive, card I have in our PC tower system.

On the downside, its analogue grounding and shielding is - perhaps unsurprisingly, given that it's a USB device - weak. In an RF-noisy area, you will probably pick up some noise that you won't hear on your stereo. I suspect this is where some complaints about hum have come from. I was able to create this problem at home, by playing with it. Insuring best possible ground connections on all other cabling, and adding some local shielding, can solve this problem if you live in an RF-noisy area. Similarly, turning off buzz-creating noise sources nearby - such as small motors, dimmer-switch controlled lighting, and so on - will help. This is not a disqualifying issue, but is one that should be taken into consideration.

On the other hand, the phono level pre-preamplification is simply poor - noisy and just kind of unpleasant - and the RIAA equalisation preset is iffy. If you want to use this device with a turntable, use your own first stage amplification to get it up to line level. (If you aren't in a band or an audiophile, what that means is: plug it into your stereo's "tape out" sockets instead of connecting your turntable directly to it.) Given that microphone input is similar, you'll probably want to use a powered microphone, or route your passive microphone through other equipment, before digitising.

As for the software: "Final vinyl" is mostly disappointing. As a data-capturing utility, it's adequate; the ability to set basic equalisation at capture time is useful and works well. It can be successfully used to extract individual tracks from a longer capture.

But as an editor, it is woefully inadequate. Even the simple track-creating task it was built for is laden with unpleasant surprises. Clearly, they did not throw significant testing resources at the software; it suffers badly from the "if you don't use it the exactly same way we use it, random things happen" problem often seen in products from smaller software houses.

_Many_ seemingly-reasonable actions put it into an unrecoverably discombobulated state. For example, trying to add a cue marker to the left of an existing cue marker confuses it irredeemably; you will probably end up with random cue mark placing, and when you try to start deleting cues, end up with a negative number of tracks. It is also easy to reorder random segments of sound in such a way that it does not, in fact, appear in the editor, but does appear in playback; I haven't found the pattern to that problem yet, but it is recurring and may involve selecting ranges for post-capture eq adjustment.

Most of these problems require you to revert to original capture data and flush the undo buffer, which means lost work. However, if you can figure out how _they_ use it, I suspect it works pretty well; but I shouldn't have to work constantly to figure out whether I'm going to trash all my work by moving a cue marker the wrong way, or whether trying to bring down levels at one point in a sample is going to reorder or copy other parts of the sample at random.

In summary: very good value for dollar hardware at line input level; less so for direct turntable input; and if you're thinking about buying it mostly for the software, get something else. I wanted it for the hardware, and as such, I'm pleased.

Suitable for most purposes
I was a mac user from years back, and was surprised when I found out my new Mac mini didn't have an sudio in...I was planning on turning some casette tapes into MP3 files.

While it was usable for this purpose, it has a small noticable mid-range hum.This was not from my casette deck, as the hum is consistent no matter what kind of input I use, from casette to a small powered microphone from Radio Shack.It might be suitable for some podcasting, audio blogging, etc., it would NOT be usable for audio input into something like Garage Band... there are higher end products for that.

a fantastic little solution for a mac
I really am thrilled with my purchase.I have a older mac.It is 600 mhz g4 and I am digitizing a bunch of old records and tapes with the imic using final vinyl and itunes and it really is perfect.The only issue that I had was hooking my turntable up to the imic directly.I was grounding it with an old receiver that I had then running the signal directly from the turn table to the imic and it was aweful.Tons of static etc.Then Ihad the turntable go through my receiver and out to the imic and it is perfect.I quickly learned the ins and outs of using final vinyl and it is just great.I suppose there are a few pointers that are left out of the documentation that I figured out by trial and error but that's alright.Also I suppose the usb cord is too short and I will be purchasing a usb extension.Other than that I am thrilled with this little device and the price is perfect.

$40 for what?!
I bought this today at the local computer store for $40. I have an iBook and I wanted to record myself playing bass, guitar, mandolin, whathaveyou and apple doesn't put audio-in ports on their computers anymore. I'm an audio nut. iMic fell short of every expectation I had.

- They advertise as being affordable. Since when was $40 cheap? I don't get paid much and I try to get the most bang for my buck. iMic was like spending $40 on snakes and sparklers for the 4th of July.
- I can live with the white noise, which is noticable. I like my audio to be pristine, but the audio from the iMic is crap. $40 of simple wiring should provide perfect audio quality. There's constantly white noise fuzzing away whenever it's plugged in. But it's a mellow white noise and it's tolerable. Still, I could have spent the day with some wire, clippers, and a slodering iron and came out with the same results for cheaper.
- The delay! there is a delay between the audio going into the imic an and the audio coming out the speakers. That's not too bad if you're just making mp3s of old vinyls or something, but if you want to record yourself playing guitar it couldn't be any worse. You play a note and you don't hear it for at least a quarter of a second after you play it. That is completely unacceptable.
- it doesn't work with the software it came with. When I tried to use it to record myself playing Audacity, the program that came with it, wouldn't record (or hear) the right channel when I had the recorder set to stereo. When I set it to mono it sounded like it was under heavy distortion. I couldn't troubleshoot this though I tried for over an hour.

another thing that bothered me about the iMic was the packaging. I would have taken it back if it wasn't packed so you had to use the jaws of life to get it out of the plastic, thus rendering it unreturnable.

I would strongly recommend looking for another device. Don't buy an iMic. ... Read more

Product Description

Kensington (33118) FlyHub 2.0 7 Port USB Dome Hub ... Read more

Features

• Weighted base and non-skid feet stay put
• Seven USB ports to connect up to seven devices
• USB 2.0 delivers up to 40 times the speed of USB 1.1
• Free FlyLight included
• Works with USB 2.0 and 1.1

Reviews (4)

Best USB hub I've ever had...
The best thing... it's about apound in weight, so it will not slide around.

Next best thing... it has a port on top, perfect for flashdrives.

It also comes with a nifty little LEF light on a flexible stalk, which is long enough to be attached to a rear port and still light up my keyboard/tablet (I like to do my graphics work in the dark).

I don't understand the complaints others have made about the ports... They firmly grip all my USB connectors... So tightly in fact, that they take a little extra effort to shove in, but not so much that it feels like I have the connector backwards.

And the one complaint someone had about the length of the USB cable also seems a little odd... The pigtailed connector is a couple feet long, and the box includes a nice long extension. 99% of users should be happy with this arrangement.

Not much else to say, except I am quite pleased with it... it's different looking and not ugly, and simply works... I guess if I were to change anything, I would put blue or white LEDs on it, instead of green, but that's a personal preference.

Nice, but could be better
Tired of itty bitty lightweight USB hubs that won't stay put? This one will, and has 7 ports - including a handy-dandy top mounted port that allows use of a keychain USB flash drive without having to reach behind or fight the other cables. Front mounted indicator lites and rear mounted connectors make this a very desk friendly device.

Only two downsides:

1) The wall wart is definately NOT plug strip friendly - this the 21st century, no excuse for this one. GRRRRRR!!!

2) The input port is not connectorized, instead it has a (approximately) four foot USB cable permanently connected. This is fine if it works for you, a drag if it doesn't. In my case it was 6" too short, so now I have 5 feet too much after I plugged in an extention cable. Sigh...

Another minor point is that some flash drives access LED will be turned around the wrong way so you can't see them (when plugged into the top connector) - I don't know if there is any kind of standard for this so I don't know if this is the fault of this particular hub's configuration, or that of the flash drive in question.

All this said, I'm about to purchase my second one...

Plugs don't stay in
It's very cute, and I like the way the LEDs light up when something is plugged in and blink when data is going through. However, I have a few complaints.

1) The plugs don't go all the way in because the ports are set parallel to the base, not perpendicular to the surface. One side of the plug is seated all the way, but the other side isn't.

2) Plugged-in items slip out easily. The hub is behind my monitor where nothing moving touches it, yet I occasionally find that my printer is offline because the plug has slipped out of the hub.

Why user-centred design really works.
The Kensington 7 Port USB 2.0 Dome Hub is a superb piece of user-centred design.

For years I've used USB ports that technically did their job, but failed in other areas. Take the most recent that I've been using - made by GE, it suffers from design flaws that are truly infuriating. First, there is not enough space between the USB port sockets, so that USB leads that have fat plugs cannot be plugged in next to each other. Secondly, the unit is so light (despite being a seven-port hub) that it slides around my desk whenever I move one of the leads that are plugged into it. It might work technically as a hub, but as a piece of useful technology it's hopeless. It has quite clearly never actually been tested by a real end-user in a working environment.

The Kensington 7 Port USB 2.0 Dome Hub, on the other hand, is superbly designed. Its rounded shape means that the USB lead plugs are adequately separated and all the ports can accommodate a lead with a fat plug. One of the ports is conveniently located right at the top of the dome, perfect positioning for items that are frequently plugged and unplugged, such as pen drives. And, the unit is heavily weighted, and never slides around my desk. And, it looks superb as well. Highly recommended.
... Read more

Product Description

Network Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives ... Read more

Features

• Connects directly to a 10/100 Ethernet network for throughput up to 200 Mbps
• Connects USB 1.1 or 2.0 hard drives and flash drives directly to your network
• Share music, video, or data files with managed access by user name or group
• Integrated file server -- access your files from the Internet
• Built-in disk utilities -- format, backup, and scandisk

Reviews (52)

Does what it says and can do more.
While this little linux box does what it claims to do, it is not for a beginer. Quite a few seemingly computer beginers have given this product a fairly poor review - I believe that it is often the user and not the product.

This product is great for those advanced in nix based systems as with firmware mods, this little box can do just about anything an old 266Mhz computer can (which is quite a lot if you know what you are doing).

Poor Performer
Don't be fooled by the Linksys advertisements for this device.It will connect to USB 2.0 disks, and will connect to 100mb networks, however do not expect that kind of read or write performance from this grossly over advertised device.From our tests, we found that the write speed was about 10mb/sec and the read speed is around 12mb/sec.If you're using this to backup large amounts of data over the network, expect your backups to take a LONG time...You would be much better off purchasing a powered USB 2.0 hub (at half the price of this thing) and plugging it into a machine on your network and sharing out those disks if you need the extra disk space.

Nice unit
This unit does exactly what it says it does.
Be careful however-You MUST reformat your hard drive before you can use it with this unit.

But Wait there's more:

The real neat thing about this little unit is that it is running an embedded Linux kernel!
That means you can turn it into a little web server or a media server--with no PC attached.
There are lots of open source projects on the web for this little box.
I turned mine into a Twonky server. It now servers MP3s through the house.
Would give 5 out or 5 but it is a little slow to start up and shut down.

Overall good, documentation could be improved
I've had the NSLU2 for about a month. The first thing I did was to upgrade the firmware, which ended up being more painful than I thought... After downloading the latest firmware and starting the upgrade, the NSLU2 got stuck into a state where it said that the upgrade was in progress and I couldn't reboot. Stayed like this overnight. In the morning, I called LinkSys support. I happen not to have any PC's at home, only Macs, and LinkSys phone line doesn'tsupport Macs. Doh. Anyway, they told me to reset and try again. It worked.

Other than that the device is working as expected. I plugged a Seagate Barracuda 200G using an external USB enclosure, no issues at all.

The documentation is a bit terse w.r.t accounts and groups. I'm a bit annoyed about the "guest" account having access to the main shared partition. It doesn't seem to fit my home usage at all, where I want the main partition to be mountable by all authenticated users belonging to a certain group (e.g. my family), "guest" *not* included.

Finally, a tip: if you're going to use "rsync" to backup files from a desktop/laptop onto an SMB partition mounted from the NSUL2, you might want to use the "-modify-window" option of rsync. Without it, I found that rsync would copy files over and over again.

Beware...
I have had my NSLU2 for three months.It stopped working after 2.5 months.Sent it back for warrenty repair, Quality Assurance found nothing wrong with it, they shipped it back to me.It still did not work.Hours on the phone with Linksys Tech support to get new RMA to ship unit back. It's a great unit when it works, but BEWARE! Once you format the disk on your external hard drive to use the NSLU2, there is no going back to simply plugging in your external hard drive to your computer...so I have had no acces to my external hard drive for several weeks now...if I could go back in time, I would not have purchased this unit... ... Read more

Product Description

Looking for a way to connect your serial devices to a USB port on your PC? The Keyspan "High Speed" USB Serial Adapter is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable way to make this connection.

The Adapter is ideal for use with modems, digital cameras, ISDN terminal adapters, graphics tablets, PDAs, bar code scanners, label printers and other serial devices which require an RS-232 connection.

This "High Speed" USB Serial Adapter supports data rates up to 230 Kbps---twice the speed of a standard PC serial port. It is 100% USB compliant and features simple "Plug and Play" installation (no IRQs). Ideal for laptops (it weighs just 2 oz.), the Adapter draws its power from the USB connection so no power adapter is required.

Features:

• Plugs into a USB port on a Windows or Macintosh computer
• Provides one RS-232 male DB9 port for direct connection to serial devices
• Supports data rates up to 230 Kbps
• Draws its power from the USB connection -- a power adapter is not required
• Easy to carry -- weighs just 2 ounces!

Features

• Easy to carry -- weighs just 2 ounces
• Plugs into a USB port on a Windows or Macintosh computer
• Provides one RS-232 male DB9 port for direct connection to serial devices
• Supports data rates up to 230 Kbps
• Draws its power from the USB connection -- a power adapter is not required

Reviews (5)

Connect Garmin eTrex to Mac so you can use TOPOS
After trying other USB to Serial Adaptors to get a Garmin eTrex Summit to communicate with an iMac, I am happy to report this one works flawless.(You will need also the Garmin serial connector)

Now you won't have to suffer Windows to use TOPOS with your Garmin.

Want to connect your Garmin eTrex to a Mac so you can use TOPOS, this works, some others don't.(Have not checked this with Tiger, can't think of a reason it would not work)

linux works just fine
Despite the first reviewers comments, the Keyspan 19HS works just fine with linux. The driver for the 19HS was included in the kernel source a while ago. Standard off-the-shelf kernels (2.4.24 and 2.6.5) work without any patches. In addition to regular usb support, my kernels also load the keyspan and usb-serial modules.

After executing "mknod /dev/ttyUSB0 c 188 0", I am happily communicating with Palms and GPSs using the new /dev/ttyUSB0 device.

Does NOT work with Linux even though it's advertised
I got the USA-19HS thinking it would be good to support a company that releases it's products with linux drivers.Well, what a disappointment this was, even though there is a picture of Tux on the box along with the Windows and Mac icons this model is not supported in Linux.I emailed Keyspan support and got an auto-repsonder that said they'll get back to me within 72 hours.It's been 4 days and still no response from them.Luckily this thing worked pretty well in OS X so I sold it to a friend of mine and bought myself another USB serial adapter, a keyspan USA-19, which is an older model with good Linux support.Although I replaced this purchase with another one of Keyspan's products I wouldn't support this company in the future and won't recommend them to anyone else.

Works great with OS X
I usually don't write-up reviews, but I am writing this to let those Mac OSX users (inc Panther which is what I am running) know that this adapter does work.I bought this for my Garmin etrex Legend GPS.I use it with my iBook and my Power Mac G4.It was a flawless installation. (1) I installed the Mac OS X drivers (2) told virtual PC to emulate COM 1 using the OS X driver, and (3) Download GPS map data to my GPS.It's that easy! Keyspan has good instructions to set up your serial devices.

Lets my Mac OS X iBook talk to my GPS
I bought this to hook up my Garmin eTrex GPS to my iBook running OS X. It did what it says. I transfer data back and forth without a problem. I use it with National Geographics TOPO map program also available at Amazon. ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- GIC-251U VENDOR- IO GEARFEATURES- USB 2.0 PCI CardHi-Speed 5-port USB 2.0 PCI Card (4 external & 1 interal).IOGEAR brings you a Five Port USB 2.0 PCI Card (GIC251U). USB 2.0 will move data at a blazing rate of 480 Mbps (Megabits per second), and is fully backward compatible with the first generation of USBdevices. With the increase in speed, USB 2.0 will offer enhancedfunctionality, allowing more devices to share the increasedbandwidth. The USB 2.0 PCI card will allow you to take fulladvantage of the USB 2.0 technology on your current USB 1.1systems. Do not get left in the dust with out-of-date technology,take advantage of the scalability that USB 2.0 products provide. Includes USB 2.0 PCI Card, Warranty Card, Instruction sheet andInstallation CD.* 40 Times Faster Than The Original USB * Supports High Speed Data Transfer Rates of up to 480 Mbps * Hot Swappable - Plug-n-Play * Fully Backward Compatible With USB 1.1 * PC Power Management v2.2 Compliant-- SPECIFICATIONs ----------------------------------- INTERFACE - 32-bit PCI CONNECTOR(s)- (4) external USB ports 2.0 A type(1) internal USB port2.0 A typeTRANSFER RATE - up to 480 Mbps DRIVER SUPPORT- Windows 2000, Me, 98 SE, XP, MacOS 8.6 or laterREQUIRES- PC Users: Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XPAvailable PCI Slot MAC Users: Mac 8.6 or greater. Requires OS X for USB 2.0 supportAvailable PCI Slot SIZE - 5.25"W x 4.75"h x 0.91"d Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIogear GIC251U - 5 port USB 2.0 PCI Card and all other Iogear USB Controllers ... Read more

Features

• 4 External Type A USB Ports
• 40 Times Faster Than The Original USB
• Supports High Speed Data Transfer Rates of up to 480 Mbps
• Fully Backward Compatible With USB 1.1
• Compatible with Windows 98, 98SE, 2000, ME, XP; Mac OS 8.6 or Greater. Requires Mac OS X for USB 2.0 support

Reviews (12)

easy installation and reliability
This product works exactly as advertised.After seating the card, my computer immediately recognized it and installed the required drivers (an installation disk is also supplied if needed). Works extremely well with my iPod.This product was purchased after I initially purchased an inferior Startech PCI card.The card is a great value!

A cost effective upgrade
Part of my continuing effort toupdate my Dell (Dimension 8200) was to add USB 2 connectivity. Hooked up to the USB 1 ports on the Dell were:photo printer, film scanner, flatbed scanner, PDA, Compact Flash reader, wireless mouse, wireless keyboard, flash drive and external harddrive. Needless to say, there were not enough ports, I had to plug/un-plug devices constantly and since these were USB 2 devices connected via USB 1, they were operating at a reduced speed. Considered buying an external USB hub but it would not have resolved the issue of connecting USB 2 devices to USB 1. I was finally compelled to buy a USB 2 card when I found out that USB 1 does notsupport Apple's IPOD.

I bought this particular unit simply because it was the best selling model here in Amazon. I chose the Amazon's re-seller, Office Depot because it listed the lowest price but after shipping and taxes it actually cost me more than if I bought from Amazon directly. So the lesson is: check the shipping cost and if there is a sales tax (if there's a store in you state, you'll be taxed) before clicking the purchase button. In hindsight, I should've just picked this up at a local Office Depot. A few people complained that they received a generic unit instead of an Iogear unit, technically I don't think it would make a difference however, it sure would bother me if a vendor did not deliver what I asked for, after all it is my decision and the vendor should respect that! Office Depot btw did deliver what was specified.

Installation was fairly easy. But if you've never opened you PC before I would recommend having someone with a little experience nearby, for moral support if anything. Luckily Dell's are known for well designed cases and allows for easy upgrades. You simply press the lever, open the case and insert the card in the first available slot and that's basically it! (fyi: on the Dell, the original usb 1 comes integrated with the motherboard) If you're running a recent version of Windows XP, the PC should recognize the new card and you're ready to go! In my case, I had to install via the CD since I have an older version of XP and never bothered with upgrades. It was still pretty simple. Also for some unknown reason I had to re-install one of the scanner's software.

I was very pleased with the increased speed of my printer and scanners. I no longer have time to make myself a cup of coffee while scanning or printing photos! Since performance was not an issue I left the wireless mouse, wireless keyboard and compact flash reader in the original USB1 slots.

Conclusion:
Most PC's older than 3 yrs come with USB 1, most peripherals manufactured in the last couple of years are USB 2, some are backwards compatible but at much slower speeds and in the case of Apple's IPOD, it won't work on USB 1 at all. For $20-25, this is an inexpensive, cost-effective computer upgrade. Especially if you've invested a substantial amount in or plan to buy peripheral equipment.

Once it's running, you'll love it.
Once you get it connected, this is a great little card that will speed you through digital camera and MP3 player uploads. Mine didn't come with instructions so, I assumed correctly that you're supposed to install the software first, restart, and then shutdown. From there you can take apart the computer and install the card. My card however still did not work and I was about ready to Google away for an answer when I decided to e-mail the company instead. Someone from their tech response team quickly replied, "Try placing the card in different PCI slots on the motherboard in case there is an I/O conflict with one of your other devices." Not that I know or care what an I/O is in the first place, but I did as they recommended and voila it works like a charm.

Don't buy this card from 3B Tech
I ordered this card from 3B Tech, through Amazon. They mailed me a generic one instead. I have learned a lesson. I will never order from them again. Just a reminder: BEWARE!

Great little USB PCI Card
Needed more than two USB ports for my home office destop PC. This card was a perfect fit. Didn't even need to use the included drivers because Windows 2000 and XP already support it. The price was right, too. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

The latest innovation from USB leader Belkin lets you connect up to seven devices quickly and easily. Our Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub features two, top-loading downstream USB ports. Now you can enjoy fast access for temporary device connections such as USB thumb drives, media readers, and for USB lights, fans, and other accessories.

Monitoring your device activity is simpler than ever with LEDs for master power status and all port activity. The stackable, slim-line design saves valuable desk space, and the Hub works seamlessly with all your USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices.

• Offers 2 easy-access, top-loading 480Mbps ports-perfect for your thumb drives, USB lights, or fans
• Features 5 horizontally mounted 480Mbps ports
• Transfers your data at up to 480Mbps
• Installs easily with Plug-and-Play convenience
• Works seamlessly with all your USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices
• Saves desk space with stackable, slim-line design
• Supports "hot swapping" of all your USB devices
• Lowers power consumption for longer battery life
• Makes power supply optional in laptop applications
• Lets you monitor port and power status with LEDs
• Features over-current detection and safety

Features

• Offers 2 easy-access, top-loading 480Mbps ports-perfect for your thumb drives, USB lights, or fans
• Works seamlessly with all your USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices
• Installs easily with Plug-and-Play convenience
• Transfers your data at up to 480Mbps
• Features 5 horizontally mounted 480Mbps ports

Reviews (16)

Works OK, Unlike Some Other Hubs...
I would think that USB 2.0 hubs are standard enough that they'd all work fine - but I've had a surprising number of problems with them.

This hub seems to work well - it's the first USB 2.0 hub that I've had that (so far) has worked with everything that I've attached to it.

I had another Belkin model before, and it was a catastrophe (the model, and my earlier review of it, seem to have been pulled from Amazon).It kept "going to sleep", and needed to be power cycled to wake up.Very strange, very irritating.

I've had reasonable luck with a little 4-port "micro" hub with GE's label on it - but it was not compatible with a number of peripherals that I own.

Seven Hubs, All Have Failed
Initial product performance was fine, but after about 6 months all hubs failed. Belkin Tech Support says the power adapters are incompatible with my $500 UPS and that they need to be individually coinnected to wall receptacles. To me, that constitutes a product defect and represents wholly unacceptable product performance. Nothing in the promotional literature or specifications says that hubs need to be directly connected to wall receptacles.

I am in discussions with Belkin trying to resolve the matter satisfactorily and will report back how they respond.

decent hub
great little unit with innovative, attractive design.the top-loading ports are a neat addition, and i haven't had any of the crash problems described in other reviews here.

a couple things to note, though.it runs really hot, so be careful to set it somewhere with decent airflow.also, my pda (palm tungsten t3) encountered errors when attempting to hotsync while plugged into this unit.

other than that, no problems.another great belkin product.

reference to: Crashed my Windows XP Pro, March 12, 2005
Same thing occurred to me - I have a Dell 8400 running XPPro SP2 and an external USB Maxtor HDD - I was using all six USB ports that came with the Dell machine, however when I added the Belkin F5U237 Hub everything worked okay until I rebooted it - than Nothing but grief!!!!! I exchanged the Hub in hopes it was a defective as I really liked the two top plug in ports - same thing occured with the replacement -after some experimenting I removed all the USB connections from my machine (i.e. MS Ofc keyboard, Maxtor external USB HDD, Video Camera, Laser PRN, Inteli-Mouse, Linksys USB Wireless Adapter) and just plugged the F5U237 Belkin Hub into the Dell Machine - guess what?it worked as advertised - however I now have 5 USB ports I can't use - so the only thing I gained is the convinience of top loading ports for my two 1GB Scan Crusers -

Crashed my Windows XP Pro
It would have fit my needs perfectly, especially since I just got an Ipod shuffle, which I could charge and update by plugging in one of the top two ports.But one day my computer, which is running windows XP Pro, wouldn't re-boot until I unplugged it!Then I had to re-install XP Pro, etc.No fun.
The owners manual says "The Belkin USB 2.0 driver suppports all competitive cards based on the NEC host controller with the exception of Adaptec.The most recent Belkin driver is available at www.belkin.com"I could be wrong but I think the Adaptec controller is very common.And there are no drivers (or faq) available at the Belkin website, just the owners manual.Based on my and other experiences reviewed here, save yourself and do not buy this hub if you are running XP Pro. ... Read more

Product Description

The 2-in-1 card for today's fastest peripherals

At 400 megabits per second, the FireWire/1394/i.LINK standard is ideal for multi- media input devices such as digital video (DV) camcorders, and high-speed storage devices, scanners, and CD-RW drives.

In fact, you can "daisy chain" up to 62 peripherals from the two external FireWire ports on your DuoConnect card.

USB 2.0 combines high-speed performance with the plug-and-play simplicity that has made USB peripherals so popular. USB 2.0 products include external hard drives, CD-RWs, DVD-Rs, and scanners can run at up to 480 Mbps. That's 40 times faster than USB 1.1 peripherals!

DuoConnect's three external ports provide maximum compatibility and connectivity to the newest USB 2.0 devices as well as USB 1.1 devices.

Highlights

• Combination FireWire and USB 2.0 card - add both high-speed I/0 standards to your computer with a single card; no need to open your computer twice, or occupy two PCI slots
• Complete DV Editing and Creation Software Package - includes video editing software and Sonic MyDVD for creating VideoCD, or DVD-on-CD discs
• Full USB-IF Hi-Speed Certification - guarantees USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 compatibility and hassle-free operation
• Includes 6-foot FireWire cable - connect your DV camera easily and with maximum throughput with this fully tested 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire cable - a $30 value!
• Works on both Macs and PCs - universal design works on PC-compatible computers and Macs as well. See Product Specifications - "System Requirements" for more detailed information

Features

• Connect DV cameras easily with an included 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire cable
• 3-port USB 2.0 and 2-port FireWire combination card for PCs and Macs
• Includes MGI VideoWave 4 SE for editing your digital video
• Includes Sonic MyDVD 3 for creating DVD, VideoCD, or DVD-on-CD discs
• Supplies sufficient power for several FireWire devices preventing system lockups, crashes and potential data loss

Reviews (23)

Fast but Flawed; Mac users should avoid!
I purchased the Adaptec AUA-3230 DuoConnect card at my local retailer for use with my "Quicksilver" model Power Mac G4 (Dual 1GHz).My built-in ports had gone flakey so I wanted a quality PCI expansion card to replace their functionality.Adaptec used to make some of the fastest SCSI cards around, so I decided to give their product a try.I picked the DuoConnect so I could get some USB 2.0 ports while I was at it.

Well, it's very fast -- when copying between internal and external devices, it is faster than Apple's built-in FireWire was!Unfortunately, it has problems -- of the crashing sort.When a firewire device is connected and the Mac is put to sleep, it doesn't make it to Deep Sleep mode (fans keep running), and wakes up again.(This happened with both a bus-powered iPod and a self-powered LaCie d2 drive.The LaCie showed truly strange behavior of spinning down, then up, then down, six times in a row before finally stopping!)The only way out is to turn the Mac off.I contacted Adaptec tech support via their web page.

After a brief of confusion in which they thought I was using USB devices, Adaptec support tested the configuration themselves, confirmed the problem, and suggested that I either disable Sleep mode, or return the card to the retailer from which I purchased it.Following are their own words:

**********
In our unofficial testing of the Firewire 4300 and DuoConnect AUA-3121 and AUA-3020, it seems that the controller itself is compatible with Deep Sleep. Yet as soon as any devices are attached to either the USB or FireWire/1394 ports, the system will not be able to recover from the Deep Sleep function.

It appears that this issue is due more to the PCI bus itself rather than to the DuoConnect adapter. When Deep Sleep is initiated, the PCI bus and attached peripherals will be powered down. Yet because the PCI controller is not directly powered from the motherboard, there is no way to send a signal to the attached devices to 'wake' them. This means that a signal can be sent to the attached devices to put them into a power down status, but no signal can be sent to revive them from that state. For that reason the Firewire and DuoConnect card is not fully compliant with Apple's Deep Sleep.

What you may want to do at this point is to open up the Energy Saver control panel and set the power settings to "never" to disable Sleep. Yet if this is not an option, then unfortunately there is no workaround for this issue and you may want to return the controller to the place of purchase for a refund.

We apologize for the delay in getting this information to you. It did take some time to replicate the issue and search for a possible solution. We hope that you understand.
**********

So, in summary: very fast FireWire 400/USB 2.0 card, but useless if your Power Mac ever sleeps.Adaptec's tech support was prompt and didn't send me "form letter" style replies, so props for that!I'll try Adaptec again in the future due to their support team (it's also why I give this card 2 stars instead of just 1), but I'll always beware and make sure there is a good return policy, just in case.

Perfect....a MUST HAVE for film editors
After shopping around for a Firwire card I finally found this huge deal!3-Port USB and 2-Port Firewire for only $19.99! DO NOT pay full price for this item.Go to the used and new,there is a new one for $19.99.It takes a little longer to ship out, but this is a great deal.

This item takes about 3 secs to install with XP...all you do is put it in, and you're ready.I was up burning dvds within 5 mins.

flawless installation
I was a bit nervous about buying this card after reading some of the reviews published here on Amazon, but I did anyway--I wanted to upgrade my computer's USB jacks, and I wanted firewire for the convenience of using that with my iPod.

At any rate, my fears went unrealized. Installation under Windows XP went without a hitch: the thing was ready to go five minutes after I opened the box. I can't say I've tried it under different operating systems, but under XP, it's a dream.

Brilliant product even on old P3 450Mhz
The only irony like the two previous users mentioned, is that there r some inconsistencies with the software drivers. I realized the system becoming slightly slower in performance (but then again these peripherals were optimized for the new P4 etc.) I use it daily especially with external hard drives and Bluetooth and printers and numerous devices.

I am fiddling now with video feeds via the firewire. Am sure it will be flawless. If anyone is considering a good upgrade to older machines, then get this card! (after a memory upgrade this would b the most sensible upgrade one can do)

Works great
I bought this Adaptec AUA-3020 for use in my Dell Dimension 8200 (P4 2Ghz) with Windows XP Pro SP1. My computer originally doesnot have firewire and USB2.0 (it has 4 USB1 though). All 5 PCI slots were full with VGA, Ethernet, Sound, Promise Ultra ATA133 (for my additional HDs), and Firewire from Pinnaclesys. I was a little skeptical to use this product when I read other reviewers that has the same system (tony8gj from Redmond, WA). The only difference is he bought 3121 with internal USB and firewire while I bought 3020 without the internal ones. After I received the package, I read the instruction which is fairly easy and straightforward. I turn off the computer and all cables, took off my Pinnaclesys firewire and replace with this Adaptec 3020. Put all the cables back to where they were, (I didnot plug anything yet to the new Adaptec) and start the comp. Windows XP shows "Found new hardware" and rearrange them (I rearranged my USB1.1). Then I see that XP found this Adaptec but it says Texas Instrument for the firewire host controller (I guess the chip made by TI), and so on. It went smooth. Then I put the USB/firewire cables to this new Adaptec ports. All my devices were recognized fast and ready to use. I tested all my devices and they are all fine. Just make sure, before installing this and any other hardware, to check and update your flash BIOS from your computer manufacturer and also your Windows operating system from windowsupdate.com. Five big stars!! ... Read more

Product Description

Adaptec (1933700) XHub7 Plus USB 2.0 7-port Hub ... Read more

Features

• Works with both Macs and PCs
• Includes stand with built-in cable management and insert frame--customize your XHub with a photo or favorite artwork
• Add seven fully-powered, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports to your computer and maintain compatibility with current USB 1.1 devices
• Can be stacked onto any other XHub
• Includes Adaptec USB 2.0 drivers and USBControl Utility

Reviews (7)

Great USB 2.0 7 port hub
Easy to set up, keeps cables neat. Excellent throughput even with mix of low-speed and high-speed 2.0 devices plugged to same hub. Only downside is that this port requires AC power to be plugged in (AC adapter included) for it to work, regardless of what you have plugged into the hub.

It actually works all the time
I have several USB routers
Belkin, D-Link...etc.
This is the only USB device that works all the time...
The other one...will run out of bandwidth, out of power, will not be compatible...

Look no further
This is a great hub. Looks nice. Works flawlessly. I'm not sure if the manufacturer recommends it, but I stuck mine to my file cabinet using double sided tape. Now it's out of my way, but still close enough to plug in my portable stuff. USB 2.0 life is good...

Finally found one I like
I have gone through a few USB 2.0 hubs and was really bitten by a Belkin model.I finally ran across this one and have stopped my search.This is a truly a wonderful device.I like the layout, making it very easy to plug in devices.I simultaneously plug in to it an illuminated keyboard, a wireless mouse, a microphone, a web camera and a Pocket PC cradle and I still have a couple of ports open to plug in my memory drive when needed.Everything has always worked as expected.And it even looks nice.I am back here buying another one.

What an improvement!
I had an old USB 1.0 hub that was not activating some of my USB devices when I booted my system. I researched the available USB 2.0 hubs and selected the Adaptec XHub7. I am not sorry I did. It was a snap to set up on my Window XP Home Edition system. all I had to do was plug in the USB devices, provide power to it using the included power supply and every USB device connected with no hithches.

It also fits nicely on my crowded desk, and I have not any problems with it like the ones I had with my old USB 1.0 hub. I plan to purchase another one as my system expands. ... Read more

Product Description

Kensington (33054) PocketHub USB 2.0 ... Read more

Features

• Plug and play: ready to go, anytime and anywhere
• Power adapter ensures full power to any peripheral
• USB 2.0 connectivity for up to 40 times faster transfers than USB 1.1
• Expands one port into four ports to support up to four USB devices
• Perfect for travel: compact, slim, lightweight

Reviews (7)

The perfect USB hub!
I looked around on Amazon for the ideal usb hub. I considered buying the really cheap linksys hub, but I'm sure glad I read the reviews! You can't plug in any devices that actually require power from the usb port because the linksys hub doesn't come with its own power supply.

BUT, there are some usb hubs that ONLY work when their power supply is plugged in. I wanted the freedom to use a power supply IF I WANTED TO. The Kensington hub provided every feature I desired in an exceptionally packaged item. This hub is beautiful and oh-so-slim.

I don't even think that the power supply is quite as "monstrous" as people have made it out to be...it's more than tolerable.

Currently, I'm using all four ports on the hub for my HP all-in-one, my external hard drive, palm pilot cradle, and wireless mouse. It works flawlessly with my windows xp pro operating system.

I have no complaints and I'm sure you won't either! Look no further for the perfect hub (unless you want more ports).

a Must have for notebook users
This tiny 4-port USB 2.0 hub is a must-have for any notebook user.

The casing is a silver-metallic color which goes along nicely with my silver laptop. It is *extremely* thin, just a little thicker than the actual USB port itself. There is a ~2in cable to plug into an existing USB port on your computer (laptop or otherwise). The cable tucks away neatly into the hub's casing when not in use thereby saving more space. The package comes with an additional cable (~2ft) in case you need just a little more reach.

I have only used the hub without the included AC adapter, as when i use my laptop i'm normally in a location without access to outlets. It does get warm, but not excessivly (in my opinion). I haven't used any items that could be considered power hungry, such as scanners or external drives. I have used things such as USB flash drives, my PDA, mice, MP3 player without a hitch. My Windows XP system beeps when I plug in the hub, but otherwise is unnoticed.

Any laptop user places a premium on items they can carry around that add functionality but dont cost much in terms of size or weight. This hub falls squarely in that description and should be included in every laptop bag.

Works great, no complaints
As another reviewer noted, it does have a very large power brick, but other than that, it's been a fine workhorse with absolutely no problems.

Holding up very well
I present software seminars for a living and I use this little hub at least twice a week.I'm not easy on it and it's still holding up well after almost a year of heavy use.The option to use the power cord is great when you have external USB hard drive enclosures that need the extra juice.Also nice that you don't have to use the power adapter if your devices don't need it.Tossed into a pouch on my backpack, this thing travels with me everywhere.

wonderful
I am using this 2.0 USB hub (with my Thinkpad USB 2.0 Cardbus) for my older thinkpad. I use the USB 2.0 ports successfully with my CD-RW burner and other peripherals.




... Read more

Product Description

Connect to USB devices via a LAN !

Keyspan announces its revolutionary USB Server that connects USB devices to a Mac or PC via a wired or wireless Ethernet-based LAN.

Much like a USB print server, the USB Server enables attached USB devices to be used and shared by client PCs on a LAN. In addition to printers, the USB Server supports other USB devices such as hard drives, scanners, and more.

The USB Device Server provides 4 ports for connecting to USB devices at Full Speed USB (12 Mbps). It connects to 10/100 Ethernet networks via an RJ45 connector and supports static IP, DHCP, and Apple's Rendezvous address assignment. Client PCs must be running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Mac OS X 10.2.8 or higher.

Popular uses

• share a USB printer or scanner amongst multiple PCs on a LAN.
• turn a USB hard drive into a simple fi le server.
• make USB devices available to a laptop via WiFi.

• 4 USB Full-Speed ports (12 Mbps).
• Full 500mA power provided to each port.

• RJ45 LAN connector.
• 10/100 autosensing.
• IP adressing : Static/DHCP/Rendezvous.

Reviews (3)

A great piece of hardware
As a multi-computer, multi-OS household (Mac & Windows), it can be difficult to find hardware that works well with both systems.The Keyspan USB server is one that works really well with both.

Setup on the Mac was dirt simple (My firewall wasn't turned on.If it had been, it might have taken some reading in the manual to figure things out.)Windows setup wasn't quite as easy, maybe in part because I'm a Mac guy and venture into the world of Windows only when I have to, and then not very happily because the experience is usually not good.Some of the terms used in the manual aren't quite the same as what you'll find on a Windows XP system - the manual used the word "Settings" when what they meant was "Control Panel".I don't know if things changed between the printing of the manual and the introduction of XP SP2, but I had to do a little bit of searching and guessing at what the manual meant when it didn't exactly match what I was seeing on the PC.Other than that, the manual is very thorough and has step-by-step instructions for setting up the Windows XP firewall to work with the USB server.I just turned the firewall off since we're behind a hardware firewall.Once that was done, Windows found the USB server and the software installation happened automatically from the installation CD.Same for setting up the printer - connect to the USB server and Windows finds and configures the printer.I didn't even have to think about printer setup on the Mac.It was completely automatic.In total, I probably spent 15 minutes setting things up - five on the Mac, and ten for the PC.

It's sort of a pain having to manually connect in order to print from the Mac.Keyspan promises that a printer auto-connect feature like what already exists for Windows is in development, and I'm reasonably confident that they will come through.But as we're planning to replace the printer with an all-in-one soon, this is pretty much the only way to share something like that between both computers, and it's really a pretty good solution.

Update to my previous review
It's been 10 minutes after I posted my last review...

In that time, I have installed the latest software and updated the firmware.The two really took me about 5 minutes.

The update adds a nice feature for single-PC networks.If a device is labeled a single-user device, then you don't need to take control of it every time you want to use it.

I also found out that it is possible to boot others off the server (actually everyone).

If you go to the Admin tab on the server SW, and edit the server settings (something simple like a password change), it will reboot the hardware (not your PC), which will disconnect all shared devices.This is a rather brute-force approach, but the manual doesn't indicate any other way.

Even after an extra 10 minutes of use, I think this device is the best thing since a USB thumb drive (which you can connect to the server as well).

This thing is just TOO COOL!!!!

- end of gushing -

Throw away your Print Server.This device is wonderful!
I opened the packing box 10 MINUTES AGO, and both of my printers are up and running on every PC.

I was a little worried when I saw the 'documentation' was smaller than a CD, but everything went off without a hitch:

Step 1: Power up the USB server with no USB device hooked up to it, and connect it to the network via RJ45.
Step 2: Install the software (if WinXP, use the unsigned drivers).Your OS searches the network at this time and finds the USB Server.
Step 3: Hook up your USB devices.

THAT'S IT!!!

If you have a Multi-Function printer, you NEED this device, because even if you find a compatible print server, it will only let you use the print function.A Printer Server turns your Multi-Function printer into a Uni-Function Printer.

With this device, it will be just as if the printer were directly connected to your PC.In fact, you are not limited to PCs; you can connect ANY USB device to it (camcorder, scanner, webcam, even a mouse or keyboard).

The ONLY advantage that a print server has over this device is that with a server, multiple PCs can control a target device at once (really, that's not quite true, since the requestes are put in a queue).

With the USB server, every PC uses a little administration program.When launched, it opens a window that lists all of the devices that are connected to the USB server.A PC on the network that wants to use a device (i.e. print) needs to first take command of that device.You just select the device by name, and hit the connect button.From that point on, it's as if the printer were plugged directly into your PC.Others trying to use the printer would see that you were subscribed to it; they would have to wait until you release the subscription - which you have to do manually.

They could really use a virtual queue that keeps checking until the subscription is open, then releases the subscription when the job is completed.The problem is that if the device isn't a printer, how does it know when the job is finished?

So, even if you have only one PC on the network, you need to request access to use the printer.On the (sort of) bright side, every time you power up the PC, it will remember who owns what.I think the memory is maintained in the USB Server itself, not the PC.So if a PC takes control of a device, then dies, cycling power on the server releases all devices.

This is a little hokey (they claim they MIGHT fix it in a later release) but it's 1000% better than losing printer functions you paid for.They have an 'Admin' panel on the software, but I don't think it currently lets you boot someone off of a device.

If you already installed the devices you want to share, then once you connect to the server, every device will show up by name.When you take control of one or more of the devices, Windows goes through the 'new device ready' popup.

If you haven't added the device to your PC, then the server will show a default name for the device.Once you take control of it, Windows will detect the PnP device, and start the 'add new hardware' wizard.

It's truly as if the USB server didn't exist, and you had a REALLY long USB cable.

I have a Canon i950 Photo Printer, and a Brother 9600 MFC.

The Brother is particularly painful in that it won't even work with most printer servers.In fact, Windows XP doesn't even have a dedicated driver for it; Brother has all but stopped supporting it.

I was highly skeptical, but the MFC's scanner worked right away.As for the Canon, I launched the Status Monitor, and was soon seeing I had to replace an ink cartridge.So, the USB server is bi-directional, too (most Print servers aren't).

It took me longer to write this review than it took me to get the server up and running.

I can't recommend this product highly enough! ... Read more

Product Description

USB 2.0 to RJ-45 Fast Ethernet Adapter ... Read more

Features

• Works with USB 1.1
• USB 2.0 offers 480 Mbps connectivity
• 10x faster than USB 1.1 Fast Ethernet Adapters
• Simple to install and use
• Compact, portable size

Reviews (6)

Perfect for Tivo
Purchased this adapter to get connected with two tivo's to my router. Easy plug and play, no software loading required. Would highly recommend as long as you have a series 2 Tivo.

It DOES work with TiVo
I just got this with a Netgear WGE101NA to wirelessly connect a new TiVo to my home netowrk, and it worked without a hitch. My router is im my basement and the master bedroom on the third floor still gets between 65-75% signal strength. Very happy with this product for how I'm using it.

Bad component, worse service
I've been a Netgear fan for several years. After trying Belkin and Seagate 802.11b wireless components and signal dropping to poor in the next room, I loved that Netgear components gave me a very good or excellent signal anywhere in the house. So when I got a TIVO I thought I'd use the Negear FA120 together with my Netgear wireless acccess point. Big mistake. Didn't work on the TIVO at all. To test it, I tried it on my computer. Didn't work there either. Called Netgear tech support, got a pleasant young lady, Chinese I think, whose English was marginal. Spent an hour trying to explain the problem, not sure she ever understood what an English speaker would have understood in two minutes. Finally she gave me a totally false and nonsensical solution. She claimed that the only way to get a wireless signal is to have exactly identical components on both ends, which of course is absurd. I later saw on the TIVO website they have a list of compatible adapters, and the Netgear isn't one of them. My fault for not seeing this first. But this doesn't change the fact that the FA120 doesn't work and the tech support was a total waste of time. I'm sending the FA120 back, and my view of Netgear has soured considerably.

sooo easy
i received it in the mail and it was completely easy to install.plug it in, install the cd.took maybe 5 minutes max.works like a charm.i just got it so i don't know how it performs long term which is why i gave it 4 stars. other than that, it's awesome

Works, but you have to install software to make it work.
I bought this item to use in my troubleshooting toolbox in working on computers.It works, but you have to install their software first, which kind of defeats the purposes of a true plug-and-play device. ... Read more

Product Description

MacAlly (HUB-UF) Firewire + USB Combo Hub ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Seamlessly Add More Port Capacity
This hub has worked flawlessly since the day I bought it. It adds much needed port capacity/flexibility to my G4 Powerbook.

You gotta buy this!!
I hade so much clutter in my office from cables and more cables that I was going crazy.This small and great looking combo hub is the best! (comes with magnet set up so you can just hang it on a metallic object on your desk or on metallic message boards). I'm so happy not having multiple hubs taking up more space.It's worked great since the first day and I'm going to buy another for my second computer.

This thing stinks!!
If you want a device to make your computer to freeze, and not startup, this is the device you are looking for! Oh and did I mention that some of my devices didn't even work on it? And it is UGLY! This is my first and last product from "Macally"! Don't make the same mistake I did!

good combo hub, but doesn't integrate the two
This single hub has three firewire jacks, four usb 2.0 jacks, and 1 usb 2.0 upload jack.Don't let the earlier review lead you astray -- This will not let you use USB 2.0 devices through a firewire port.The firewire connections are separate from the USB connections and if you want both you need to connect two wires from the hub to your computer, one to the USB interface in your computer and another to the firewire interface.

Otherwise it's nice looking and seems to work well enough.

I don't think it can do that
This is the only hub I can find that has both USB and Firewire ports, which makes it a cheap sort-of docking station for a laptop.

... I don't think it is possible to upgrade to USB 2 simply by plugging in a USB 2 hub into a USB 1.1 port. The bus controller speed is still 1.1 on the actual computer, so the signal will slow down when it hits the USB port on the Cube. Sorry. ... Read more

Product Description

Connect your USB printer, scanner, hard drive and more to your computer. Transmits data at up to 480Mbps with error-free, high performance transmission.

Features

• Hi-speed data transfer to 480Mbps
• High performance 20-gauge power wires.
• USB logo guarantees cables are 100% compliant with current USB specifications.
• Belkin lifetime warranty.
• Works with USB 2.0
• HotPluggable.
• Fully compatible with the PC.
• Molded strain relief and PVC overmolding to ensure a lifetime of error-free data transmissions.
• Supports up to 127 devices on a daisy-chain configuration.
• Impedance matched twisted pair construction to minimize cross talk, ensuring high-speed, error-free transmission.
• Aluminum undermold shield helps meet FCC requirements on EMI/RFI interference.
• Foil and braid shield complies with fully rated cable specifications reducing EMI/RFI interference.
• Gold plated copper contacts provide maximum conductivity and minimizes data loss.

Features

• Warranty: Lifetime
• Universal 20/28 AWG construction, double shielded
• Gold-plated copper contacts ensure no data-loss
• 20 AWG power conductors to support 12-Mb data rate
• Minimizes cross-talk and ensures high-speed transmission

Reviews (46)

Exceptional Quality at Low Price.
This is a good USB cable.It is compatible with both USB 1.0 and 2.0 ports.It is long enough to give great flexibility with arraging whatever it needs to be connected to.The price is extremely good (even though amazon.com changes it every now and then) for this cable.It is way more expensive in stores.And getting a Belkin product for such a low price is excellent.This is totally worth the money, and is a great buy if you need a USB cable.

... your basic cable.
It's cheap, it works.What more could you want from a cable?

This is a USB 1.0 AND 2.0 cable.
The product description doesn't state this, but this is a USB 2.0 cable meaning you get access to all the extra speed USB 2.0 offers.It's also backward compatible with USB 1.0.

The cable is dark grey (it matches the 2004 model Dells nicely), very sturdy, and has a great solid connection when plugged in.

The price is low, the quality is not. This is an excellent value.

The Best
This is my second Belkin cable.The first one I purchased it from Best Buy for 4 times the amount that I paid at Amazon.I bought the Belkin F3U133-06 because it's the best cable avilable in the market.

if you can use a usb cable for your printer this is the one
I have been using this cable with my Samsung Laster printer for over 2 years now and couldn't be happier with the no problem performance.

Its long enough to be used as a printer cable (which is important) and it works.What more can you ask for from a usb cable?

Much nicer setup than the bulky parallel port setup. ... Read more

Product Description

Bring Back Your Legacy Ports!

Is your new laptop missing the old ports? Our mini port replicator combines a USB serial adapter, USB parallel printer adapter, and 2-port USB hub into one compact accessory. It draws power from the USB port -- so no power adapter is necessary.

• Plugs into a USB port on a Windows or Macintosh computer
• Provides one RS-232 male DB9 port for direct connection to serial devices
• Provides one female DB-25 printer port for direct connection of parallel based printers
• Provides a 2-port USB self-powered hub
• Draws its power from the USB connection -- a power adapter is not required
• Easy to carry -- weighs just 2 ounces!

• Serial PDAs from Palm, Compaq, HP, Casio, Psion, and others
• Digital Cameras
• Modems
• Wacom Intuos and ArtZ II Tablets
• GPS devices
• ISDN terminal adapters
• Mobile phones with serial connection
• Hand held scanners
• RS-232 instrumentation used in POS, data acquisition and process control applications

Features

• Provides a 2-port USB self-powered hub
• Windows & Mac Compatible
• Supports simultaneously use of all ports
• Draws its power from the USB connection -- a power adapter is not required
• Provides one RS-232 male DB9 and one female DB-25 port for direct connection to serial& parallel devices

Reviews (2)

Did not work; no support
Installed the product according to the directions on my Dell Inspiron 5100 running XP Pro. It never recognized the HP OfficeJet Printer. Uninstalled; reinstalled - no luck. Contacted customer support twice. No response.

Poor offering for $50.00
I bought this because I needed a serial & parallel port on my laptop. It did not work for my HP printer (I should have checked with HP first!) makes me wonder what their "works with hundreds of printers" ad-line means. The driver installation for windows is not something a novice user would want to deal with when it goes wrong (I had to uninstall/reinstall, and even then it's got to be in perfect sequence or the device won't show up).
And for even the slightest power-drain on the USB bus, this device won't deliver -- in all it became nothing more than a lit up chunk of plastic sitting behind my notebook. I've opted to return it for refund.
Oh, and I contacted Keyspan about the printer problem, 7 days later and I've heard nothing. That's not tech support in my book. ... Read more

Product Description

Connect to your USB printer wirelessly from your PDA or notebook

Belkin brings you Bluetooth technology, the fast and simple way to connect your computing devices to your USB printer without cables and physical connections.

The Adapter adds Bluetooth technology to your existing USB printer, allowing it to connect to any device enabled with Bluetooth v1.1 technology. Now you can print from your desktop or laptop computer, or from your PDA, with unparalleled convenience.

Simply connect the Bluetooth Wireless USB Printer Adapter to the USB port of your printer and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of Bluetooth wireless technology.

• Adds Bluetooth connection capability to your USB printer
• Works in conjunction with computing devices enabled with Bluetooth v1.1 technology
• Installs easily with Plug-and-Play convenience
• Supports Hardcopy Cable Replacement and Serial Port Profiles
• Allows you to work at distances of up to 100m*
• Includes printing utility for Pocket PC and Palm OS®

Features

• Includes printing utility for Pocket PC and Palm OS
• Adds Bluetooth connection capability to your USB printer; allows you to work at distances of up to 100m
• Installs easily with plug-and-play convenience
• Works in conjunction with computing devices enabled with Bluetooth v1.1 technology
• Flash-upgradeable; supports Hardcopy Cable Replacement and Serial Port Profiles

Product Description

Add USB 2.0 to Your Laptop!The Keyspan USB 2.0 CardBus Card provides a simple and affordable way to add two Hi-Speed USB ports to your laptop. The card supports all USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices. USB 1.1 devices continue to operate at USB 1.1 speeds (12 Mbps). USB 2.0 devices operate at speeds up to 480 Mbps. The Keyspan USB 2.0 CardBus Card includes drivers for Windows 98/SE/Me/2000/XP. It is also compatible with the Windows XP USB 2.0 drivers available from Microsoft and the Mac OS X USB 2.0 drivers available from Apple. Unlike many USB CardBus cards, this product includes a small power adapter. Use of the power adapter is optional. Use of the power adapter ensures that a full 500mA of power is available to USB devices which are attached to ports on the CardBus card. (Cards which do not include a power adapter are not able to provde a full 500mA of power on each USB port.) ... Read more

Features

• power supply included
• Windows & Mac Compatible
• 2- USB 2.0 ports
• Cardbus for laptop computers
• Supports USB 2.0 on Win 98SE or later and Mac OS 10.2

Reviews (3)

No problem with installing or using with my iPod
I have a 1 year old IBM T series laptop that came with the old USB 1.1 ports.After recently acquiring an iPod, I needed to upgrade the USB capability in order to speed up the downloads from iTunes as well as charge the unit.After doing a great deal of online shopping for Cadbus USB cards, I decided on this model for its affordability as well as the fact it came with an A/C adapter in case I needed the additional juice to power and charge the iPod.So far I haven't needed to use it, but it's nice to know I have it just in case.(I usually use the wall charger, but if you own/buy a mini iPod, you should know they no longer come with the A/C adapter.)

People, the issue with all the problems I'm seeing on these cards are coming from two issues.One:You should buy a card with NEC technology - they are much more compatible with Windows.Two:You must update your computer constantly with the Microsoft updates.In my case, I have XP SP2 and had no installation problems and didn't even need to use the enclosed CD ROM.

I am rating it 4 stars versus 5 because it appears to be a little flimsy compared to Netgear or IBM branded products.Hey, you get what you pay for.

I would recommend it... but be certain you have the updates on your PC before plugging it in.

Good product, but not without issues
I bought this from amazon.com with great expectations. After installing it, however, I found to my dismay that it didn't work with USB 2.0 devices - the system would lock up every time it tried to send data to my USB 2 device (Lexar USB2 Multi-Card Reader)! My old mouse based on USB 1.1 worked just fine, but not the USB 2 card reader. After 3 hours of struggling and research online I finally found the problem. Apparently, windows xp originally does not support USB 2.0, only in Service Pack 1 this becomes available. Since I was running XP without SP1, I had to rely on the drivers that came with this card. However, these drivers for the NEC chipset (on which this card is based) are v.2.0.7, and they appear to be buggy. After a lengthy search online I found the drivers v.2.0.8 - installed them and now the card works just great. It clocks ~3.1MB/s download and ~2.8MB/s upload with my Lexar Multi-Card reader. Unfortunately, this is the only device I have to test its speed with, but it works great so far! I'm giving it 4 stars, because the installation was so long and complicated - besides, Keyspan's website did not have the updated drivers, which is a shame...

So if you buy this card and if you're running WinXP without SP1, make sure you download v.2.0.8 drivers for NEC USB 2.0 chipsets. Here's a link: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/allcam/drivers/necusb2.exe

FYI: I'm running WinXP on HP OmniBook XE3, 256RAM, 1066Mhz Pentium III.

Keyspan 2.0 Cardbus initial review
Thought I'd write this up, since there were no other reviews
as 11/2003 (and because I found other's reviews extremely
helpful).

The Keyspan 2.0 Cardbus 2port USB 2.0 card installed
perfectly on my Dell Inspiron 4100, running Windows XP.
Windows found all drivers necessary; I did not have to
install drivers from the included CD-ROM.

Data seemed to transfer at a fine rate to/from my new
Lexar Media 2.0 JumpDrive Pro.
I do not have the tools to benchmark performance,
but it seemed to exceed the performance of my old
SCSI Jaz drive attached to a 16-bit SCSI PCMCIA card.

So far so good! If it toasts I'll review this review! ... Read more

Product Description

Micro Innovations - Compaq USB 2.0 / FireWire Combo Hub - 4 x 4-pin Type A USB 2.0 USB (Downstream), 3 x 6-pin IEEE 1394 FireWire USB (Downstream), 1 x 4-pin Type B USB 2.0 USB (Upstream) - External Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theMicro Innovatio CPQUSBFW - COMPAQ 7PORT USB2.0/FIREWIRE COMBO HUB and all other Micro Innovatio USB/Firewire Devices ... Read more

Features

• Connect all your peripherals to your PC or Mac with one hub
• 4 USB 2.0 ports
• 3 Firewire ports
• IncludesAC adapter and USB, Firewire cables

Reviews (2)

Hub works great and is good value.
Firewire/USB 2.0 hub works perfectly with my1999 G4 Sawtooth Mac running Panther. (USB 2.0 card added in addition to a lot of other upgrades.) If you are not esthetically offended by the Compaq logo on the hub, you will be a happy camper. This hub comes with the usb 2.0 and firewire cables included. The inclusion of the cables constitutes a significant savings. Comparable hubs do not include the cables which are pretty expensive to buy.

Works great, but it's really a 6 port hub (2 firewire ports)
I've got several firewire devices that interact with my powerbook, including a backup drive, an ipod, a camera reader, and often networking between two computers over firewire. I shopped around amazon looking for more firewire ports and a few extra USB slots (mouse, printer, ipod shuffle, etc all take up ports).

This compaq stood out from the rest because it says it's a 4 port USB/3 port firewire hub. If you look around, you'll only find 4 port USB/2 port firewire hubs for a similar price. I thought I was getting a deal by getting that one extra port, but it arrived today and I have to say they kind of lied in the product description.

The USB section does include four ports, with a fifth small USB port used to connect to your computer. However, the firewire section of the hub has three ports total -- with one port used to connect to your computer. This means that you've really only got two open ports to work with, not three.

I feel like I've been tricked by the product description and now when I want to sync my ipod I have to remove my backup drive to get that the second port. Other than that, it works fine and isn't too large, and they were nice enough to include all the cables you'd need. ... Read more

Product Description

Share a printer or any USB devicewith up to four computers using the Belkin 4-Port USB Switch. Four downstream ports let you connect up to four USB computers. An upstream port can connect with just about any peripheral. Share a printer, scanner, or hard drive by pushing the Selector Button on the front of the switch. The selected computer becomes the active computer, and you can access the peripheral. Want to share multiple peripherals with up to four computers? To use more than one peripheral, connect a Belkin 4-Port USB Hub to the switch and then connect additional USB devices to the Hub. The selected computer can access the peripherals you’ve connected. For your maximum convenience, the switch works with either USB-enabled PCs or Mac computers, or a combination of both.

The Belkin 4-Port USB Switch is the ideal solution for sharing a printer or any USB device, with up to four USB computers as well as, share multiple peripherals with up to four USB computers.

Features

• Share one or up to 127 USB devices with up to four USB computers
• Port selection allows switching the devices from one computer to the other
• Compatible with any USB computer or USB device
• Belkin Lifetime Warranty
• Port selection allows switching the devices from one computer to the other
• Compatible with any USB computer or USB device
• Four downstream USB ports, plus an upstream peripheral connection port
• Illuminated LEDs for high power and port-selection status
• Support for all high- and low-speed USB devices
• USB 1.0 and 2.0 compatible
• Plug-and-play installation
• Pushbutton port selection
• Compatible with Windows® 95 OSR2/98/2000/Me/XP Mac OS8.1 or higher, or Sun® systems with USB
• Requires no software
• No power supply required
• Ideal for sharing a USB printer in a home or office environment
• FCC, CE, and C-Tick certified

Features

• Supports virtually all high-speed and low-speed USB devices
• Lifetime warranty
• 4 downstream USB ports plus 1 upstream peripheral connection port
• USB 1.1 and 2.0 compatible
• Simple pushbutton port selection

Product Description

What is TetraHub™ 4-Port Hub T4 Technology? TetraHub T4 (Turbo Transaction Translator Technology) provides you with the best of USB 2.0 and 1.1 technology in one solution! What is the difference between the standard USB 2.0 hub and the Belkin TetraHub™ Hi-Speed USB 2.0 4-Port Hub? The TetraHub provides 480Mbps for all your Hi-Speed USB 2.0 devices such as Hi-Speed USB 2.0 scanners and hard drives.

Unlike other USB 2.0 hubs, the TetraHub™ Hi-Speed USB 2.0 4-Port Hub also supplies a guaranteed 12Mbps to each port so you can connect full-speed USB 1.1 products, like USB speakers and USB video-capture devices that require full bandwidth to operate. Traditional hubs share 12Mbps bandwidth among all the ports.

• Guarantees 12Mbps bandwidth to each port for USB 1.1 devices
• Identifies the speed of connected devices with advanced speed indicators
• Works with all your USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices
• Transfers data at up to 480Mbps for USB 2.0 devices
• Saves space on your desktop with stackable design
• Connects most devices without requiring an external power supply
• Includes a top-quality, Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Device Cable
• Supports Plug-and-Play specifications
• Allows "hot swapping" of USB devices
• Protects your equipment with over-current detection

Features

• Allows "hot swapping" of USB devices
• System Requirements: Available Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port; Windows® 98 SE, Me, 2000, and XP; Mac OS® X v10.3 or higher
• Works with all your USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices
• Transfers data at up to 480Mbps for USB 2.0 devices
• Connects most devices without requiring an external power supply

Reviews (5)

TetraHeadache
I wanted to like this hub. Really. I've got 2 older Belkin USB 1 hubs from eons ago & never had any problems with them. I've got a pricey Belkin KVM switch, Nostromo pad, various cabling. I'm bordering on BelkinLand here...

The idea of being able to run a mixed set of USB devices (1 & 2) all without losing any kind of throughput sounded cool. I was sold on the "Tetra" concept & bought one for my girlfriend. In the end, I went through 3 units (the original & 2 replacements), all of them suffering from the same problem: overheating.

From a hub? Yeah, I thought it was weird too.

The first unit I got ran WAY too hot with the AC adapter plugged in. Not warm, but hot to the touch. Like hand-pulled-away-"ouch! damn that's hot!" hot. I didn't want my girlfriend to lose her USB key drive, printer or iPod by plugging it into the hub. I wrote Belkin & they agreed it shouldn't get warm, let alone that hot, so they sent me a replacement unit (gotta give it to them, their support was on top of it). But then the 2nd unit had the same problem. If nothing was plugged into the hub, but it was on AC power, it was fine. But as soon as you plugged in a single device (or the computer), things started to go south.

So I put in another call. They sent another unit. And once again it ran hot. I changed outlets. I mixed & matched adapters (I had a few of them now). I tried various USB devices (1 & 2.0), even tried the hub on a few different machines. Nothing worked.

Maybe this thing isn't ready for primetime. Maybe I pissed off the USB Gods in a past life. I dunno, but after 3 strikes, they're out. I wanted to like the hub. Belkin's support is to be commended, but maybe their engineering team needs to spend a few more weeks ironing out the bugs. I noticed the power specs on one of the adapters (and the hub itself) was different than the other 2 (don't remember which replacement hub it was), so maybe Belkin is aware of a power issue & is quietly trying to fix it.

So now I'm gonna give my girlfriend one of my older hubs until I can find a decent USB 2 replacement. I do feel burned in more ways than one. Now I have a drawer full of high-tech, useless hubs that I could fry an egg on. It'll be a long while until I buy another Belkin hub again. Possibly anything Belkin.

Bilked
I concur with the previous reviewer's points that the device's weight and ports arrangement make the hub seem cheap and limit it's usage. I'll add that Belkin has misleading advertising for the product and that I recieved rather poor customer service from them.

First off, the hub functioned, but not until I plugged the AC adapter in. I have a basic MS optical mouse, a Lexus Jump Drive, a digital camera and an SD card reader. None of them work with the hub unplugged. I'm 0 for 4, even though 'most devices work without power supply'...

Second, after I plugged the hub into one of my rear USB ports, the other went dead. Since I've decided I didn't want to use this piece of junk, I've been unable to plug any of the other devices directly into either of my PC USB ports anymore. These other devices work when going through the powered hub (or the new drive bay ports), but not otherwise.

I emailed Belkin and they responded by telling me to call the helpline. After 10-15 minutes on hold, the CSR had me plugging and unplugging things for another 15 minutes until he drew the conclusion that "our device is working properly, contact your PC manufaturer to find out what's wrong with the PC". A half hour on the phone to determine the problem was what I originally described in my email...

I have no idea if the technical fault is with the hub or the motherboard, but I've used the USB ports for over 2 years without a hint of trouble until I plugged the TetraHub into them.

BTW, I eventually found a drive-bay hub that plugged directly into the motherboard and suited my needs perfectly for half the price. I'm not sure what could make the TetraHub worth the price, even if it didn't have problems, unless you have some affinity to pretty lights...

Poor design
This hub has several rotten design features. First, it is extremely lightweight, and the weight of its own cord makes it tip on its back. Thus,you have to set something at least as heavy as a coffee mug on top of it. The USB ports in the back are in two pairs. Unfortunately, the ports in each pair are so close together that unless you have a super-flat USB plug, you cannot plug in two USB devices in a set, effectively making your four port hub a two port hub.

It works okay, I really don't find a difference in speed from a cheaper port I had, and I don't care about the lights. I usually really like Belkin products, but this one is trying to fake us out with bells and whistles (or in this case, ports and lights).

Work Great!
The hub works as advertised and the price was right.Reminder, you don't need the external power supply if you don't have devices such as external disk drives connected.PDA's, printers, scanners, etc. will work just fine without the external power supply.

Belkin has another winner in Tetra Hub!
Here are a few details you should know about the Tetra Hub. You have to buy the darn thing to figure this out.

The Tetra Hub must be connected to a USB 2.0-compliant host in order to function in high-speed mode (480Mbps data rate). If the Hub is connected to a USB 1.1-compliant host, it will operate only in low-speed or full-speed mode (1.5Mbps/12Mbps).

Note: The Hub itself will always connect to the host as either a full- or high-speed device, never as a low-speed device. Any idiot that tries to use this with an old USB 1.0 PC port will find it does not work, duh! These are the people who write Amazon reviews denigrating a product and they have not a clue as to how it is supposed to function. I really like the one where someone at Belkin tech support said to take it back and go buy someone else's hub, i.e. "GO AWAY!"

The Belkin Tetra Hub provides four downstream USB ports that offer backward-compatible, Plug-and-Play connectivity with all USB devices, including USB 1.1 (or low- and full-speed) devices, as well as with USB 2.0 (or high-speed) devices. This includes such peripherals as scanners, printers, mass-storage devices, and high-resolution cameras.

The Hub is self-powered if you use the supplied AC adaptor, which allows the cascading of devices with additional hubs, so that up to 127 USB devices may be connected to a single port.

The Hub features neat multicolor LEDs that indicate the operating speed of each connected USB device and the speed of the link to the host computer. More on this feature in a minute.

The TetraHub offers several important advantages over traditional USB 2.0 hubs. Most important is its implementation of the new "Quad TT" architecture. Simply stated, when connected to a USB 2.0 host controller, each of the TetraHub's four downstream ports deliver a full 12Mbps of USB bandwidth for low- and full-speed devices while still providing total support for high-speed devices. This is especially important when connecting multiple, bandwidth-intensive, full-speed devices such as USB webcams, speakers, scanners, and external storage devices.

BACKGROUND

The USB 2.0 specification includes three separate modes of data transmission. These are defined as low-speed (1.5Mbps), full-speed (12Mbps), and high-speed (480Mbps).

The Belkin TetraHub appears to be the only USB hub on the market today that provides a visual indication of a connected device's speed. This is accomplished using Belkin proprietary speed indication circuitry. Each downstream port on the Hub has a corresponding LED that changes color according to the speed of the connected device.

Connection Speed - LED color
Low - Green
Full - Red
High - Amber

In addition, the upstream port has a corresponding LED that indicates the speed of the computer's USB host controller.

Host Controller Speed - LED color
Full - Red
High - Amber


IMHO this is an unusual USB hub that is worth every penny Belkin gets. I just wish they had built this technology into the 7-port hub that features two ports on top for my flash drive.

I do not work in the computer industry or for Belkin. As I look at my desk, I notice I have a few other products from Belkin that have been very ssatisfactory over the last few years. I hope this Tetra USB HUB continues that experience over time.


Vic ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 1923400VENDOR- ADAPTEC INC FEATURES- USB2Connect 5100High-speed Ultra-flexible 6-port USB 2.0 card (Only 5 of the 6 portscan be used simultaneously).A USB 2.0 PCI host adapter for PCs and Macs that provides connectivity to USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices. ... Read more

Features

• 5-year warranty
• Connect high-speed USB 2.0 devices to your computer with this 6-port card
• Fully compatible with USB 1.1
• Includes USB 2.0 drivers for Windows operating systems
• Full USB-IF Hi-Speed Certification

Reviews (10)

No Problems. Easy Installation
This card is working fine for me so far. I read a review here that said this card slowed down their system by 50%. I did not experience any slow down. To be sure of this, I ran a benchmarking program before and after installing the card, and the results were the same within the measurement error (determined by running the benchmark a couple of times before installing the card). I installed the card on a WinXP (SP1) machine with an AMD Duron 1.3 GHz CPU and a KM266-8235 motherboard. Perhaps the other reviewer had problems due to an older system? (just a guess).

Installation of the card was easy. Just plug it in and WinXP identified it immediately.

Some things are not what they seem to be!
This promising 6 port USB card caused my machine to "hang" because of the substantial overhead required by the USB 2.0 operations. I have a 3 year old 800MHZ machine with 256MB of ram.Adaptec says it requires "266MHZ or faster".I spent one hour on the phone with tech support ... trying a myriad of 'fixes' none of which worked. The tech ... said ". . . 800MHZ is marginal speed (!), a 3 year old machine predates the USB 2.0 spec and frequently the 2.0 cards will not work in a machine like this!!!"...

Piece o'cake
Installation on a XP PC was super-easy.Just follow the instructions, carefully remove the back (case) of the PC, select the appropiate port, slap it in, replace the cover, turn the PC on - and PRESTO! you're ready to go!
XP recognizes the Port Card and it is ready to use.
Highly recommended.

Installs very easily and works like it should!
I highly recommend the Adaptec AUA-5100 USB 2.0, 6 port card by Adaptec because of problems with Iogear.I originally purchased the Iogear GCI 250 U, 5 port, USB 2.0 PCI card and had severe problems.When shutting down my PC, the Iogear USB card would send a heavy pulse, most of the time, that would just about snap off the Microsoft Force Feedback 2 joy stick handle.Iogear e-mailed me a new driver.After installing the new driver, the problem still existed. Iogear told me to send the USB card back to Amazon.com for credit -- Iogear had no suggested fixes!The Adaptec AUA-5100 works just like Adaptec says it should.The Adaptec card is well worth the extra money.(Is the Iogear sending damaging pulses into printers?)Plus, Amazon.com promptly credited my account when I returned the Iogear USB card. I highly recommend Adaptec and definitely Amazon.com!

Great Product
Fantastic product. Easy installation on XP computer. No problems at all. Installation and operation of this product was better that the reviews and my high expectations. ... Read more