Title: USB ports question
Arti - February 20, 2012 11:51 PM (GMT)
I want to buy an external usb harddrive but don't have any available usb ports free, sooooo, does anyone know a solution so that I can plug up an external hd?
I sure don't see why they don't put more usb ports in computers when they know that about all external devices use usb now?
I could get a pocket media that just goes in the pocket media drive but they only have the 650 gb ones and I want a 1.5 or 2.0 gb capacity to store all my files on without filling it up very fast.
Morris - February 21, 2012 12:08 AM (GMT)
Arti, buy a external USB hub. They plug into one USB port and provide several more USB ports into which you can plug your devices.
Cat - February 21, 2012 02:38 PM (GMT)
The USB external hub is probably the way to go, but, I have another way I also like. My oldest son gave me the nicest mouse pad that has a USB plug on it, and I unplugged one thing from regular USB so I could plug it in. On the back of the mousepad there are 4 USB plugs, and they are in the handiest location. I actually use that mousepad to put my external hardrive on, and it is plugged into the back of it. I absolutely love it.
da_mccoy - February 21, 2012 11:17 PM (GMT)
Since USB has evolved from v1.0 to now v3.0 I am not sure if this is still sage advice. It use to be that a powered hub was recommended over just a traditional splitter hub. At that time all the reasoning sure made sense.
DA
Morris - February 22, 2012 12:24 AM (GMT)
You have a point, DA. I hadn't thought about that side of it.
Jane - February 22, 2012 12:44 AM (GMT)
You can add several mouse , small flash drive and all to one 4 plug in hub But if you connect a 500 external GB hd on it you need to plug it straight into one on the computer and not a shared plug,
I have a couple hubs ( Targus) that will let you lpug up to 5 devices into it but I dont use it at all for my 500gb external HD . But you can switch things around Art so you can have a spare hub just for that :) :)
Arti - February 22, 2012 04:23 AM (GMT)
Thanks for the help. I can unplug either the pen and tablet or the cordless earphones and plug it into a hub and that would free up a usb port on the back of the computer for the external hd.
I hadn't thought about a hub to give me more usb ports. Thanks for much.
Jane - February 22, 2012 12:55 PM (GMT)
I had to buy a couple hubs when I started using a laptop full time, cause you only get 3 ports on these things and my mouse gets one of them all the time :) :) So it has to be hubs to work with flash drives :lol: :lol:
