Powered USB Hub Reviews

USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology has made data transfer faster and simpler. Developed by Ajay Bhatt, an Indian American, while working for Intel, USB technology has made the 'plug and play' facility possible that makes connecting various devices simpler. A powered USB hub is a device that lets you plug in multiple USB devices through a single USB port.

With the range of peripheral devices available for laptop and desktop computers today, the limited number of USB ports provided are just not enough. A USB hub compensates for the lack of ports with multiple device connectivity through a single port. They are really useful devices to have, when it comes to handling a workstation.

Reviews

While choosing a hub, what are the things to look out for? One prime feature is obviously the number of connection ports offered by the device. Other than that, another feature to look out for is whether the device is self powered or derives power from the computer. Powered hubs require an externally connected AC power source for operation. As against this, unpowered hubs derive energy from the USB port itself.

Powered hubs are better options if you are going to connect devices like external hard drives, scanners, fax machines and printers. That is because the power requirements for data transfer from such devices is higher. However, for connecting devices like USB flashdrives, keyboards, memory cards and MP3 players, nonpowered hubs are a good choice. Another feature to be looked out for is whether the device is USB 2.0 compatible. USB 2.0 standard offers substantially higher data transfer speeds. Here are some reviews for your perusal.

Targus Desktop 7-Port USB 2.0 Hub
Besides having seven high bandwidth USB ports, this hub is extremely lightweight and delivers excellent power levels for high energy consuming devices. It can be used to connect external hard drives, camcorders, printers and USB flash drives, with your desktop or laptop computer. It has audio ports in the front for connecting microphones, speakers and headphones. It has two high power 'always on' ports that deliver twice as much power as standard USB ports. That makes it the best hub for the iPad, iPod and iPhone. It is priced at around $46 which is a very reasonable cost, considering the functionality it offers.

D-Link DUB-H7 7-Port USB 2.0 Hub External
This D-link product has a seven port connectivity and a very simple setup. You can easily connect most high power as well as low power devices through it. This D-link product is one of the best USB hubs, that I have come across. It works best on the Windows platform. This device is priced at only $25.22 including discounts on Amazon.

Belkin USB 7 Port Economy Hub
Priced at $63, this a high quality product from Belkin. Simplicity of design and a seven port connectivity are some of the most attractive features of this device. It works best with laptop computers and especially on the Windows platform. You can simultaneously connect low as well as high power devices through this hub. The only problem with this device is that it heats up when using high power devices and also shows a major dip in data transfer speeds.

Hope these reviews have given you an idea about the range of choices available in the market. Choose one that matches your requirements and budget.