I have been needing a USB hub for a very long time. So many of my devices use the USB ports that I have to constantly plug and unplug them. I needed a hub, but I was worried about them having enough juice to power everything. No need to worry. This Plugable USB hub can be plugged into an outlet, and I can have all the power I need. So far, so good.
This unit can also be powered exclusively by the computer's USB port, so that it can be used without being plugged in. If you don't have many devices demanding power through the USB connection, this is a nice option and makes the unit more portable.
There are six hubs in the front and four in the back (two of which swivel upwards). I no longer have trouble finding an available USB port. I can keep everything plugged in and they all work as expected. I am happy with this purchase.
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UPDATE: I've had this hub for a month and the ports on the front side suddenly died. I can still use the ports on the backside. I suspect it's static electricity, since I reached in to handle it and a powerful shock emanated from my finger. I've contacted the manufacturer and will update here with their response.
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2ND UPDATE: Warranty service was nearly instantaneous. I emailed them on a weekend and did not expect a response. Not only did I get a response, but they shipped a replacement right away. Talk about service! My new unit is now up and running. I will update again, if necessary.
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3Rd UPDATE: It's been six months since my initial review. My replacement hub is still working well. Plugable Technologies contacted me out of the blue just to check in with me on how things are going with my hub. Really and truly amazing customer service. For a product that initially gave me problems, I would not normally give five stars. I will make an exception in this case and will upgrade it today. The company obviously stands behind it's product and goes 110% out of its way to ensure satisfaction. I couldn't be happier. Plugable USB 2.0 10 Port Hub (with Power Adapter)
I must say, I have two of these USB Hubs by Plugable. I liked the first one so much I got another.
I have been through 5 hubs this year trying to find one that will power my external hard drive and charge my iPhone. It doesn't sound like too much to ask. Well, I finally found what I was looking for in this USB hub.
First the Fit and Finish. Everything looks good on this hub. From the piano black finish to the tasteful, blue, glowing bar and sweet blue light coming out of the ports. It's just enough light to let you find the ports in the dark.
There are 8 fixed ports on this hub and two ports that swivel out. There are 6 fixed ports on one side and 4 ports on the other. The side with 4 has the two swivel ports. From the logo and text printed on the unit, the swivel side is the top and the 6 come out the bottom. I have turned mine vertical and the ports come out the sides. The swivel ports are SO HANDY! I like the fact they put all the ports on just two sides. I dislike the hubs that have ports on 4 sides. Two sides is handy, four is crazy because you have cables coming out of all sides. All the ports are usable on this hub.
I mounted one unit to the wall behind my laptop in my shop. Some 3M Scotch 4010 Heavy Duty Clear Mounting Tape worked well. The other unit is mounted, using the same tape, by my desktop computer in the house.3M Scotch 4010 Heavy Duty Clear Mounting Tape
All in all, I appreciate that this USB hub just works. If you need more power and more ports, this is it. I have been looking at USB hubs since they came out with USB 1. I know quality when I see it and I really like the quality of this USB hub.
This is the best full-powered USB hub I've found anywhere. Retail stores stock USB hubs with only four or five ports, and even then, most of the hubs I tried have problems powering all the ports, all the time. This ten port hub is a great solution to having many USB devices that need to be connected at the same time. This hub has fully powered ports, which means that it charges attached devices, cell phones, iPods, and other USB charged devices, even when the computer it's connect to is not powered on.
As a computer engineer with many, many USB peripherals I could not be happier with this hub. This hub provides very easy access to 10 ports that can sit right there on your desk- no more getting up and searching for a free rear port (if your front ports are already full of course). It works very well without the power supply when devices connected to it are self powered (printers, external HDDs, etc), but don't expect to be able to run all of your USB powered devices (iPods for example) from this hub without it being plugged in to its own outlet. The glowing blue light on top is a very nice aesthetic which also illuminates the inside of the ports (except the two pivoting ports) providing for easy visibility in the dark. I highly recommend this hub.
This is a very useful USB hub. It can function either actively or passively powered. It has ten ports (six on the front, four on the back), more than most. Two of the back ports flip up (at up to a 90° angle) making it easier to plug in over-sized USB keys, etc.
The finish is a glossy black (which is sort of a negative as it shows dust and fingerprints easily) but it looks really nice if you keep it clean. It measures 6"W x 3"D x 3/4"H and has rubber feet to prevent it from slip-sliding around on your desk. There is a thin blue LED light which runs most of the width of the product; but, this light serves no useful purpose (other than showing the device is powered).
My major nitpick with the item is the distribution of the ports: I prefer it to be the reverse (four on the front, six on the back), because I have more than four USB devices I keep permanently plugged in and it would be more convenient to have these on the back where they are out of the way. But, this is a matter of preference.
Upon receipt, I tested it by plugging in three keys, three external hard drives, a keyboard, mouse, LCD display (which has four USB ports of its own), and a laser printer; I then initiated a long copy operation on each of the six attached storage devices. The hub got barely warm and I noticed no slowdown on the file transfer operations compared to plugging in these same devices into the USB ports on the PC.
I've also charged my Sony Walkman and my wife's Sansa Clip with it and they both charged in a similar time compared to plugged into the PC's USB ports.
So, it works well, looks good, and is reasonably priced (compared to the alternatives, some of which cost considerably more than the $29 I paid for the Plugable). If you need a USB hub, give this one serious consideration. - Usb - 10 Port Usb Hub - Powered Hub - Usb Hub'
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