USB device conflict

[Milky_Joe]

Hi,
My fiance recently built a new PC (its running Windows XP professional SP3) and i seems to be running great apart from an odd conflict between 2 usb devices.

She is using a USB Modem with a extension cable in order to get a strong enough signal to connect to the internet and this seems to cause a conflict/error with her usb hard drive when teh 2 are plugged in together. If the USB hdd is plugged in alone it functions perfectly until the usb modem is added.

Whats even stranger is when she adds the usb modem without the usb extension cable both devices work fine, although she does not get enough signal to us her internet reliably.

Does any one have any ideas as to why this usb extension cable could be causing any problems that stop her usb hdd from working?

Many Thanks

 

[CCT]

I suspect that the voltage drop when the extension cable is connected requires more USB port power than the comp can supply when a second device is connected.

I read that some extension cables should NOT be used with a non-powered hub and that they should NEVER be inserted in a peripheral device (like a keyboard).

It may be that the extensions shouldn't use a powered hub either - you'll have to research that.