Alternative to a USB hub?


Ultrarunner22

Active member
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Dual-Boot Windows 11 / Ubuntu 20.04.3
Hi;
Windows 11 Pro (latest build) on Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi mobo, AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.

I have gone through several cheap USB hubs, all of which became intermittent or stopped working after a relatively short time. My latest is a Tripp Lite 10-USB 3.0 model I purchased on Amazon in April. It was working fine until recently, when I started hearing the notification for USB disconnect/connect repeatedly for no reason; I wasn't plugging or unplugging anything at the time.
It doesn't seem to matter whether anything is plugged into the hub for the notification to occur.
I found that wiggling the cable plugged into the root port (which connects the hub to the computer) causes the disconnect/connect notification.
I have a trackball plugged into the hub, and it has repeatedly stopped working.
The end of the USB cable that plugs into the hub has a proprietary plug, so I cannot simply switch the cable. The connector on the hub is very flimsy, which appears to be the root of the problem. Why not just use a USB A or USB C connector?

It seems to me that all USB hubs are worthless, so I thought maybe a PCIE to USB card could be the solution.
I need at least 4 USB A ports, but having a couple USB C ports would be nice.
There are lots of these devices on Amazon, but which one (if any) should I try?
Unfortunately, my Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi mobo only has 8 total USB ports, and I need more.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ultrarunner
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Dual-Boot Windows 11 / Ubuntu 20.04.3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 3200MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC 3X 8G
    Sound Card
    OBD: Realtek S 1200A, USB: Behringer UMC202HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Main: Asus Tuf Gaming VG27AQL1A, #2: NEC EA244WMi, #3: Samsung 2494HS
    Screen Resolution
    2560 X 1440 @ 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    2ea WD Blue SN550 NVMe M.2 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus GM-750
    Case
    Fractal Designs Meshify C (no glass)
    Cooling
    CPU: AMD Ryzen stock cooler, Case: 2x 140mm front, 1x 120mm rear, 1x 120mm top
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK with Pudding Keycaps
    Mouse
    UtechSmart Venus MMO Gaming mouse
    Internet Speed
    100Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox ver 93.0 64-bit
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security Suite
I would say you get what you pay for essentially, but you can probably avoid the obviously pointless stuff like 'diamond encrusted USB cable for stronger connections'. :-)
Try to find add in cards that have seperate controllers for each additional port, they are more expensive but they are better when using a lot of devices.
Icy Dock, Star Tech, Akasa are some common brands that seem to combine decent price with good overall quality, there may well be many more depending on your region.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2, build: 22621.521
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS Custom 1700
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700K 3.6GHz Base (5.0GHz Turbo)
    Motherboard
    Asus ProArt Creator B660 D4
    Memory
    64GB DDR 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Tuff RTX 3080 10GB OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gigabyte G32QC 32inch 16:9 curved @2560 x 1440p 165Hz Freesync Premium Pro/ Dell SE2422H 24inch 16:9 1920 x 1080p 75Hz Freesync
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p & 1920 x 1080p
    Hard Drives
    WD SN570 1TB NVME (Boot), Samsung 870QVO 1TB (SSD), SanDisk 3D Ultra 500Gb (SSD) x2, Seagate 3Tb Expansion Desk (Ext HDD), 2x Toshiba 1Tb P300 (Ext HDD)
    PSU
    Corsair RM1000X Modular
    Case
    Corsair 4000D Airflow Desktop
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H150i RGB Pro XT 360mm Liquid Cooler, 3 x 120mm fans, 1x Exhaust
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    800Mbs
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Defender, Malwarebytes
I feel that it might be worth mentioning here the difference between a passive (or bus-powered) USB hub and a self-powered USB hub.

I know that you mentioned that you had difficulties even when no devices were connected, but when shopping for a hub, consider what types of devices as well as the quantity of devices that you want to connect to the hub.

A passive hub (also known as a bus-powered hub) gets its power from the USB port that it is plugged into. In addition, ALL devices connected to that hub will get their power from that same USB port on the computer. This may be okay for devices such as a keyboard or mouse, and maybe a single external 2.5-inch HDD. However, if you plan to connect multiple devices, especially power-hungry devices such as external HDDs into the hub, you should definitely opt for a "self-powered" USB hub. A self-powered hub will come with a power supply to supply power to all the connected devices, eliminating the possibility of drawing more power than the single USB port on the computer can provide which in turn will lead to disconnections and reliability problems.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Another possible reason is that the USB socket on the computer is loose. Does a single gadget 'come and go' when you wiggle?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 OS build 22631.3296
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    13Mbps
    Browser
    Brave, Edge or Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
Hi;
Windows 11 Pro (latest build) on Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi mobo, AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.

I have gone through several cheap USB hubs, all of which became intermittent or stopped working after a relatively short time. My latest is a Tripp Lite 10-USB 3.0 model I purchased on Amazon in April. It was working fine until recently, when I started hearing the notification for USB disconnect/connect repeatedly for no reason; I wasn't plugging or unplugging anything at the time.
It doesn't seem to matter whether anything is plugged into the hub for the notification to occur.
I found that wiggling the cable plugged into the root port (which connects the hub to the computer) causes the disconnect/connect notification.
I have a trackball plugged into the hub, and it has repeatedly stopped working.
The end of the USB cable that plugs into the hub has a proprietary plug, so I cannot simply switch the cable. The connector on the hub is very flimsy, which appears to be the root of the problem. Why not just use a USB A or USB C connector?

It seems to me that all USB hubs are worthless, so I thought maybe a PCIE to USB card could be the solution.
I need at least 4 USB A ports, but having a couple USB C ports would be nice.
There are lots of these devices on Amazon, but which one (if any) should I try?
Unfortunately, my Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi mobo only has 8 total USB ports, and I need more.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ultrarunner
How about buying a wireless usb hub?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
The Tripp Lite hub is self-powered, but will function without its psu. I normally do have it plugged in.
I did test the hub on another port on the rear of the computer, but got the same results. The cable has a USB A on one end and the proprietary plug on the other end. It's that end which goes into the hub that is bad; it is loose, much more so than any other USB device I own.
I'm going to look for a PCIE device, as suggested by DigitalGoat. There is one USB C port on the mobo, along with 6 USB A ports, and 2 more USB A ports on the front of the box.

As for wireless, I don't use it on my system, except for Bluetooth. I have never had any luck with wireless USB devices such as keyboards and mice.
Maybe too much interference from the WiFi router which sits about 3ft away from my PC?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Dual-Boot Windows 11 / Ubuntu 20.04.3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 3200MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC 3X 8G
    Sound Card
    OBD: Realtek S 1200A, USB: Behringer UMC202HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Main: Asus Tuf Gaming VG27AQL1A, #2: NEC EA244WMi, #3: Samsung 2494HS
    Screen Resolution
    2560 X 1440 @ 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    2ea WD Blue SN550 NVMe M.2 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus GM-750
    Case
    Fractal Designs Meshify C (no glass)
    Cooling
    CPU: AMD Ryzen stock cooler, Case: 2x 140mm front, 1x 120mm rear, 1x 120mm top
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK with Pudding Keycaps
    Mouse
    UtechSmart Venus MMO Gaming mouse
    Internet Speed
    100Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox ver 93.0 64-bit
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security Suite
For some of my backups, I use a tiny Sandisk Ultrafit as it won't protrude far and is far less likely to weaken the USB port. There are available up to 256GB and are quite cheap. They are up to 130MB per second. I might stick this in my router.

Sandisk Connect is a wireless version of 200GB capacity. £66 on Amazon UK.

In USA it's up to 512GB 400MBb/s and $43!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 OS build 22631.3296
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    13Mbps
    Browser
    Brave, Edge or Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
I found a suitable PCIE USB card, but not 4x4; it's 2x2 (2 ports on 2 root controllers); I couldn't find anything that is 4x4.
This one is expensive enough, at $114.70 on Amazon.

I think this will do, but I'll need a couple more USB extension cables.
I would really like to have a 4-port USB panel near the front of my PC, but I haven't found anything that would be suitable; only what is available for automobile & marine use.
I guess I could build something myself, but I'm not really into all of that right now.
I guess I could just buy the USB 3.x extension cables, and bundle them into a sort of panel using electrical tape to hold the connectors together. Seems a bit rough, but I'll probably be changing my entire setup within 1yr, so I don't want to invest my time and $ into something elaborate right now.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Dual-Boot Windows 11 / Ubuntu 20.04.3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 3200MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC 3X 8G
    Sound Card
    OBD: Realtek S 1200A, USB: Behringer UMC202HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Main: Asus Tuf Gaming VG27AQL1A, #2: NEC EA244WMi, #3: Samsung 2494HS
    Screen Resolution
    2560 X 1440 @ 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    2ea WD Blue SN550 NVMe M.2 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus GM-750
    Case
    Fractal Designs Meshify C (no glass)
    Cooling
    CPU: AMD Ryzen stock cooler, Case: 2x 140mm front, 1x 120mm rear, 1x 120mm top
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK with Pudding Keycaps
    Mouse
    UtechSmart Venus MMO Gaming mouse
    Internet Speed
    100Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox ver 93.0 64-bit
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security Suite
If you are going to use extension cables (I use one myself, works fine for me) look for USB Certified & get an active cable, only a couple of £/$ more, they improve signal quality for higher speed devices, especially over 3M distances, so good for read/write flash drives etc.
4 port cards do exist, I have found 2 on Scan UK.
£59.00
Screenshot_20221211_124334.png
£169.00
Screenshot_20221211_124419.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2, build: 22621.521
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS Custom 1700
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700K 3.6GHz Base (5.0GHz Turbo)
    Motherboard
    Asus ProArt Creator B660 D4
    Memory
    64GB DDR 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Tuff RTX 3080 10GB OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gigabyte G32QC 32inch 16:9 curved @2560 x 1440p 165Hz Freesync Premium Pro/ Dell SE2422H 24inch 16:9 1920 x 1080p 75Hz Freesync
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p & 1920 x 1080p
    Hard Drives
    WD SN570 1TB NVME (Boot), Samsung 870QVO 1TB (SSD), SanDisk 3D Ultra 500Gb (SSD) x2, Seagate 3Tb Expansion Desk (Ext HDD), 2x Toshiba 1Tb P300 (Ext HDD)
    PSU
    Corsair RM1000X Modular
    Case
    Corsair 4000D Airflow Desktop
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H150i RGB Pro XT 360mm Liquid Cooler, 3 x 120mm fans, 1x Exhaust
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    800Mbs
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Defender, Malwarebytes
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Dual-Boot Windows 11 / Ubuntu 20.04.3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 3200MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC 3X 8G
    Sound Card
    OBD: Realtek S 1200A, USB: Behringer UMC202HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Main: Asus Tuf Gaming VG27AQL1A, #2: NEC EA244WMi, #3: Samsung 2494HS
    Screen Resolution
    2560 X 1440 @ 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    2ea WD Blue SN550 NVMe M.2 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus GM-750
    Case
    Fractal Designs Meshify C (no glass)
    Cooling
    CPU: AMD Ryzen stock cooler, Case: 2x 140mm front, 1x 120mm rear, 1x 120mm top
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK with Pudding Keycaps
    Mouse
    UtechSmart Venus MMO Gaming mouse
    Internet Speed
    100Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox ver 93.0 64-bit
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security Suite
If your laptop has only one USB port, you will need a USB hub. Particularly when you need to plug in a USB keyboard and a USB mouse.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Pro 3
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-4300U
    Motherboard
    Microsoft
    Memory
    First: 4 GB DDR Second: 8 GB DDR
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Family Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Audio
    Hard Drives
    First: Samsung 128 GB SSD Second: Samsung 256 GB SSD
    Keyboard
    First: Artec Bluetooth 3.0 Second: Type Cover
    Mouse
    Microsoft Surface Mobile
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Free/WiseVector StopX
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Zbook 14 G2
    CPU
    i7-5500U
    Memory
    8 RAM DDR3L
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 5500 Discrete Graphics AMD FirePro M4150
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 1TB

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF

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