USB Hub problem.

teflemingtefleming
edited October 2004 in Hardware
Is there any reason that some of my USB devices won't work off a hub?

My Ati Remote Wonder and Intel Wireless desktop controller won't work on the hub (worked fine on port)

But my HP printer works fine off either.

Windows autodetects the hub fine. Is there an alternate driver I could try?

Comments

  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited January 2004
    Some devices just dislike being on a hub. I forget the reason why.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Is it a self-powered or host powered hub?
  • teflemingtefleming
    edited January 2004
    It's a self-powered, Belkin F5U101
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited January 2004
    That's probably why. USB ports are spec'd for 500ma @ 5v. Putting too many devices on a self-powered hub results in more power draw than the USB port can handle.
  • teflemingtefleming
    edited January 2004
    It's self-powered (not bus powered)
    It plugs into the wall
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited January 2004
    Oops. :doh:

    Don't mind me- I can't read today.
  • teflemingtefleming
    edited January 2004
    Alright, in case this wasn't wierd enough, I unplugged the power cable and:

    It all (Remote, Receiver, Printer) works fine...

    I'm so confused...
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    there may be a switch on the hub to switch between self and bus powered...make sure it was set to the right thing.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Most HP printers do not draw USB power, and it looks like your HP is actually backfeeding power into hub USB power line-- If works, leave it unplugged, the dang printer is powering the remote and the Receiver through the hub.... :D

    One way to try and isolate, would be to turn off and unplug printer from USB, do receiver and remote still work??? If not, the HP is feeding power into hub instead of drawing power, from its power supply, or hub is drawing juice from printer USB power trace.... While not exactly to USB standards, this has been known to happen and not hurt unless too much feeds back in.... If they still work, then they are not overloading the standard power draw limits either, and no harm done....

    John.
  • seatech1seatech1
    edited October 2004
    Read this article
    http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=242

    This is probably your problem. I had the same problem with a linksys usb hub and a lacie external usb hard drive. When I used other devices that drew their power via the usb, it caused me to have corrupted data written to the lacie drive.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    seatech1 wrote:
    Read this article
    http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=242

    This is probably your problem. I had the same problem with a linksys usb hub and a lacie external usb hard drive. When I used other devices that drew their power via the usb, it caused me to have corrupted data written to the lacie drive.


    It can be that also, you are limited to one port's worth of power draw for two devices AS WELL AS having one internal port (not root hub) try to handle two devices. Second, if the wiring gets at all crossed, and from motherboard to motherboard the pinouts can vary and NOT be to USB standards as nomrally the onboard ports are not necessarily to standard while the front plugin ports NEED to be to USB standard as to position and what comes into them, you can get all sorts of crosstalk that results in what you had. Power feedback also causes interference and\or crosstalk sometimes, the hubs typically do not have resistors to prevent backfeed of power into hub. At guess, the LaCie was gettign signals for two devices or cables got crossed. Not to put down SeaTech by any means-- that is absolutely not the intent here, but a power feedback results in a signal into the hub that the hub has to dump or feed out as a 5V signal high...

    And if it is not connected to external power with a ground, it dumps, if it can, to any fground it can find. No wonder your USB HD had problems. A CD Burner, DVD Burner, video adapter, etc would also get crosstalk in the sense of a power load on a data line tossing things out of whack and with DC that could be a continuous high that the device was never wired to filter. This is the equiv of a hot line shorted to a data pinout or an interference from the field effect in a chip or component caused by a power load it was not intended to use.

    It could be what seatech said, or in fact a backfeed tossing the hub chips or circuitry semiwild that caused the LaCie data storage mess.
  • seatech1seatech1
    edited October 2004
    No offense taken. You sound like you know what you're talking about. So you're saying that usb hubs don't have a resistor (or diode) to prevent the power from feeding back? Didn't know that. I wonder if it's possible to put an in-line diode on a cable between the powered device and the hub to cure the prob? And the next question is, does somebody make such a thing?
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