Can a USB port be added?

NOWSE

When we had my son's computer built a couple of years ago we decided not to bother with USB port as he only wanted to use it for games and word processing. We now regret this shortsightedness and want to add a USB port. My question is whether to do this is simply a matter of buying and installing a card, in much the same way as I've been able to add a TV card to another computer?

Whitefiver

Should be quite straighforward, especially if you are running XP but this one from ebuyer appears to work with Win95 up. <£7 plus p&p too.

Regards,

White

espresso

NOWSE wrote:

When we had my son's computer built a couple of years ago we decided not to bother with USB port as he only wanted to use it for games and word processing. We now regret this shortsightedness and want to add a USB port. My question is whether to do this is simply a matter of buying and installing a card, in much the same way as I've been able to add a TV card to another computer?

Yes it's very similar to adding a TV card. see here for an example with five USB ports.

HTH

leesmithg

NOWSE wrote:

When we had my son's computer built a couple of years ago we decided not to bother with USB port as he only wanted to use it for games and word processing. We now regret this shortsightedness and want to add a USB port. My question is whether to do this is simply a matter of buying and installing a card, in much the same way as I've been able to add a TV card to another computer?

I recently added some more USB 2 ports, they fit in a spare pci slot and I got them from here

This particular card has 4 outside and 1 inside.

alanrowell

NOWSE wrote:

When we had my son's computer built a couple of years ago we decided not to bother with USB port

I'm surprised that any motherboard that's a couple of years old DOESN'T have USB ports built in.

leesmithg

alanrowell wrote:

I'm surprised that any motherboard that's a couple of years old DOESN'T have USB ports built in.

Yes I agree seems odd.

You should have at least 4 on the side.

My Motherboard is 4 years old and I have 4 on the side(back) and two at the front.

Katgoddess

Out of curiosity what should of things would you use an internal usb port for?

espresso

Katgoddess wrote:

Out of curiosity what should of things would you use an internal usb port for?

Printers, scanners, hard drives, cameras, phones, PDA's......the list goes on!

HTH

culpepper

you might have a connector inside on the motherboard that you can just get a little plug-in usb connector to fit.We had this kind on our old pc. PC world wanted to sell us a pci slot card to handle the whole thing but all we needed was a connector that fitted in the pci slot with a little wire that plugged into the connector on the motherboard(much cheaper) .If you havent got the motherboard manual ,you could probably find it online and check if you do have this connector.

OH's old MAC has an internal usb which is connected to a zip drive

L400ras

espresso wrote:

Printers, scanners, hard drives, cameras, phones, PDA's......the list goes on!

HTH

PRinters, cameras, phones and scanners? on the inside of a computer?
come off it.


but seriously - i also would like to know - why have a USB INSIDE the case where it is not easily accessible?

espresso

L400ras wrote:

PRinters, cameras, phones and scanners? on the inside of a computer?
come off it.


but seriously - i also would like to know - why have a USB INSIDE the case where it is not easily accessible?

Most motherboards have USB ports on the rear edge where the keyboard/mouse connectors are located. They usually also have headers on the motherboard which are often not used but when they are they are usually connected to USB ports on the front of the PC.

These connectors are ideal for connecting occasionally used items like the above items rather than permanently connected devices at the back.

And what would we do without USB Flash drives? Much easier to connect at the front!