USB hub questions

[RayRay]

Hey

I'm considering to buy a USB hub.
These are the ones available.
http://www.netshop.no/Avdelinger/Datautstyr/Kabler/Huber.aspx
http://www.komplett.no/k/search.aspx?q=usb hub&bn=10442&mfr=
Sorry for the sites is not in english.

Anyway
I don't know which one to pick. To me, quality is important.
And I need at least 4 USB's on the hub.

Power supply, is that important when all the devices is USB powered?
How about latency when several devices is connected? Will that rise when there are more devices connected?

Btw, all devices are USB 2.0. No 1.1 or 3.0 needed

Thanks.

 

[DelJo63]

the Powered USB Hub is a desirable device.(*)
USB 3.0 devices are not yet very common,
and all USB 2.0 hardware is backward compatible to USB 1.1

(*) Some devices do better without a hub connection, eg: Keyboard and Mouse.
Other actually require external power: the max current per USB connection is 500ma.
You should understand that an external HD (with a motor) will need more than than and the Hub is a great choice.

 

[RayRay]

Thanks jobeard.

I forgot to say that no keyboard or mouse will be connected. Nor external HD, maybe a E-HD later though.

And also forgot, the reason why I asked about latency, is because the USB-hub will be for now only connected to several MIDI-controllers. I got 3 controllers at the
moment (all USB powered), and maybe more in the future.

I am concerned about that the latency will rise the more there are connected to the hub.

Thanks again.

 

[LookinAround]

1) I agree with jobeard that you definitely want to get a USB hub that has it's own power cable

2) Latency through a hub could possibly become an issue (if you have alot of bandwidth demand on the hub) but i don't think i've ever found any metric or info about how to compare this issue between different USB 2.0 hubs. In general, i try to connect media/disks/etc. through computer USB ports when i can.

3) One more feature you might look for since you're buying a new hub
> As already mentioned above, the standard power output from a USB port is 500mA
> On occasion some devices may push that 500mA limit for them to run, combined with some puter ports may not quite meet the 500mA spec
> It can be a plus (but not essential) if you found a USB hub that could supply 1000mA ports (should you ever have a device that might benefit from it)

I use a Targus ACH81 7-port USB hub. 2 of its USB ports provide 1000mA output.

 

[DelJo63]

I've see an external USB device with two cords; one for data+power and the other for just pure power only - - 500+500=1000ma (1 full amp) - - all within spec.

 

[RayRay]

Thanks guys.

This helped me a lot. I see there probably will be no issues with a hub for my use, so I go for the D-Link DUB-H4.

Thanks again.