USB Splitter Cable?

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Hi all, I am hoping someone can help me.

Basically I have a case with 6 front usb ports, and a motherboard with only 3 USB headers. Is there such a thing as a splitter cable so that I could connect 2 cables to a single header? Alternatively is there any sort of adapter that would work from a molex connector?

On a related note is there such a thing as an extension cable for these? because the internal usb header cables running from my front panel to my motherboard are a bit short

I have googled this but searching for USB Splitter and the like just links me to USB hubs etc.

Thanks in advance!
 
All case USB ports should be on 1 cable so you should only need header

I have 2 front USB's, both are on 1 cable.

You can get usb extension cables though
 
So you need 6 usb headers?

Generally the USB ports have cables for their speeds (ie I have 2 usb 3.0 ports on a usb 3 header and 2 usb 2 ports on a usb 2 header)
 
NZXT Internal USB Expansion there are different version showing up on google, its the one for £14 not the expensive ones.... it has 4 internernal ports...
 
I have a very old case and annoyingly it has one cable per port, not sure why but nothing i seem to be able to do about it. That internal adapter cable looks promising. I am using all of my PCI slots so an internal card wont suit unfortunately.

Thanks for all the help!
 
I have a very old case and annoyingly it has one cable per port, not sure why but nothing i seem to be able to do about it. That internal adapter cable looks promising. I am using all of my PCI slots so an internal card wont suit unfortunately.

Thanks for all the help!

I doubt the adapter linked above is going to do anything for you.

It's USB 3.0 and as you have a "very old case" it won't have USB 3.0.

If the headers on the motherboard are like this:



And the cables from the USB ports are like this:



Then you can connect the 6 cables to the 3 headers.

One cable fits on each row of pins, so 2 per header.

In the image of the headers above the red wire would go on the left and the black wire(s) on the right.

The cables may only have 4 wires and only 1 black.
 
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Surveyor, you are correct, my case only has usb 2 but I thought usb 3 was backwards compatible? The headers on the motherboard are like that but the cables have 10-1 so 9 'pins' not 5 as shown. I guess that could mean each cable is for 2 ports? I will double check that but I am sure that last I checked, with only two cables plugged in I only had 2 active USB ports.

Thanks for all the advice :)
 
If you have connectors with 10 pins (with one missing) then these would usually connect to 2 ports on the case so with 6 ports you'd have 3 cables to plug into the 3 headers on the motherboard.

You're not mixing up either a firewire cable from the case or a firewire header on the motherboard?

What are the exact make and model of your motherboard and case?
 
I think you may be right about me getting confused, I will have to have another look. On recollection I may only have 3 USB cables running from the front panel.. To explain better:

I have just changed my motherboard. With the last board, I 'think' I had 2 usb headers connected and I had 2 front usb ports active. With the new board I have connected 2 usb headers and just assumed that I have 4 more tied up in there somewhere due to the previous setup. I definitely have at least 1 more that I have seen though. I could be remembering wrong though and only have had 1 USB header plugged in on my old board. (not all of the cables would reach)

I will check tonight, if it now has 4 active front usb ports then I would put it down to being a numpty and assuming things without looking properly.

Thanks
 
Your case has 6 USB ports so you should have 3 cables with 10-1 pins.

The case also has a FireWire connector which will also be a connector with 10-1 pins.

You have 2 USB headers on the motherboard (blue) and a FireWire header (red).

You need to connect 2 of the USB cables from the case to the blue headers and the FireWire cable to the red header.

Don't mix up the USB and the FireWire cables. They should be clearly labeled, the FireWire probably says "1394".

You'll be able to get 4 of the 6 USB ports on the case working.

 
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My board is the one you pictured but it actually has 3 USB headers (there is one further up towards the PCI slots, a little off centre). You are correct about the cables, I have jumped to conclusions I guess, still it is something I have learned for the future.

I still need an extension because the third cable wont reach the third header. The NZXT thing mentioned earlier is an expansion card as opposed to an extension cable, so not what I am after. Any Suggestions?
 
My board is the one you pictured but it actually has 3 USB headers (there is one further up towards the PCI slots, a little off centre). You are correct about the cables, I have jumped to conclusions I guess, still it is something I have learned for the future.

I still need an extension because the third cable wont reach the third header. The NZXT thing mentioned earlier is an expansion card as opposed to an extension cable, so not what I am after. Any Suggestions?

You're quite right, I missed the third header :o

One of these will solve your cable length problem:

Akasa USB 40cm Internal Extension Cable £2.59
 
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