USB3 self powered hub not working with usb2

Sicard

I just bought a usb3 hub with 4 ports because my psu on my usb2 laptop can't cope with many devices. I've been using a 4 port Kingston 4 port hub but not self powered. The new hub is being recognised but any devices plugged in aren't. I thought 3 worked with 2. Any ideas?

TIA

OGR

USB 3 devices usually have different connectors at the B end to USB 2 as they draw more power than USB 2 devices. There are 9 cables in a USB 3 cable compared to 4 in a USB 2 one.

It may be simply that the power draw is too high for a USB 2 port. 900mA vs 500mA.

bengalknights

As OGR states it will be due to trying to pull more power than what can be sent to the devices

Sicard

Okay thanks. I'll try and get a refund. I'm in Gozo and they don't stock usb2 self powered hubs.

stator

When you say "self powered" what do you mean?
Do you mean powered from the USB cable?
Or do you mean it has it's own power supply that you plug into the wall.

almillar

I just bought a usb3 hub with 4 ports because my psu on my usb2 laptop can't cope with many devices

I've been using a 4 port Kingston 4 port hub but not self powered.

Bingo. You're still trying to power this hub from the laptop's USB2 port. You need a self powered (plugs into the wall) USB3 hub.

Sosumi

After much deliberation and research, I purchased one of THESE last year; rumoured to be the only USB3 hub that will work properly with a 2012 i7 Mac mini.

That, it does (usually). The 2012 model was Apple's first implementation of USB3 on a Mac mini and appears to use a fairly original and archaic specification of it. Most USB3 hubs are defeated by it.

But the TP-Link UH720 was a late arrival to the USB3 hub market and it incorporated fixes that others don't (or didn't, then) have.

Anyway, I've been very happy with mine and would recommend it to anyone.

I bought mine from Amazon in case there were problems with it!

It's still on sale there, now for £35, including free shipping (but not I imagine, free to Gozo).

I don't know what type of electric plugs and voltage Gozo uses but the OP will.

Transferring large, multi-GB files between two USB3-equipped hard drives plugged into one of these is much faster than by Firewire 800.

And no compatibility problems with USB2.

I've found the two power-only USB2 ports on the end very useful, too. Especially handy is the fact that, when you want to, you can attach a smartphone and/or a MiFi device to those and simply charge them up without them trying to establish a data connection to the computer.

Not expensive and, all in all, a worthwhile investment. Elegant, too.

Sicard

Ah, the penny drops. I didn't realise there were hubs powered from wall sockets too. Anyway i got a refund today but they don't have the self powered type but I'm back in the UK in Dec so I'll get one then.

Thanks all.