USB HUB problem.

willhub · 24 Aug 2010 at 13:55

Hi.

I have a 4 port USB hub, on my laptop, and my parents desktop PC, the hub works, but for some reason, when I plug it into my PC, the red light comes on, this tells me it is getting power, but apart from that, no activity on screen is seen.

I have checked device manager, and nothing comes up there, and no installing drivers notification comes up also.

I thought that after re-installing windows the problem would be corrected, but I was wrong, for some reason, the problem is still persiting and I have no idea what it could be.

Anyone have any clues?

Thanks.

willhub · 26 Aug 2010 at 15:02

Anyone?

theheyes · 26 Aug 2010 at 18:26

You need to will the hub to work. Ho ho ho.

Joking aside try a different port it may be underpowered.

willhub · 26 Aug 2010 at 20:27

I've tried every port, still ain't working.

Raumarik · 26 Aug 2010 at 21:29

You need external power or if it came with it use a double USB port cable to power it. It's getting enough power to light the LED and not much else essentially. It is underpowered. Some PCs (usually laptops or on desktop PCs the front facing USB ports) aren't powerful enough to power some USB devices especially hubs, laptop coolers etc and need an additional power supply (AC adaptor or double headed USB cable), however they usually come with those.

cokecan · 26 Aug 2010 at 22:30

as above really. does seem like a power issue

though in my experience, underpowered USB devices are generally detected by windows as unknown devices and I usually get a prompt telling me it doesn't know what kind of USB device has just been plugged in.

I guess it's possible that it doesn't have enough power to even get that far?

willhub · 27 Aug 2010 at 00:25

It's not a power issue as it works fine on my laptop and my parents computer downstairs.

gazzamcg · 27 Aug 2010 at 00:42

Is it the Asus mobo in your sig that it's not working on ?

Tried the motherboard bios usb settings etc ?

Does the mobo have the latest bios update ?

neblemak · 27 Aug 2010 at 06:02

I'm confused, it works on your laptop and parents pc..where doesn't it work? The other guys are probs right, it's invariably a power issue with these things - sometimes they need two connectors but only come with one. Have a fiddle in the bios also uninstall the usb root hubs in device manager and reboot, that sometimes clears up usb funkiness.

Raumarik · 27 Aug 2010 at 08:15

willhub said:
It's not a power issue as it works fine on my laptop and my parents computer downstairs.

It doesn't matter where it works, fact is you have underpowered USB ports in the PC it won't work in. My laptop powers my little hub without it's AC adaptor, but on my desktop PC on all ports other than those on the rear facia of the motherboard I have to use the AC adaptor.

If it's not power what could it be?

1. It's not drivers as it's not detected, it's not detected as the PC can't find it - i.e. lack of power.
2. It's not the device as it's working elsewhere.

There are only two other possibilities, a. It's underpowered or b. Your cable for it only breaks when you use your PC and magically fixes itself at other computers.

willhub · 27 Aug 2010 at 09:34

It is not a power issue. The hub used to work on the SAME PC, just randomly stopped one day.

This PC is the most powerful of the 3 and had USB 2.0 hubs and I've had the hub for years.

The cable is fine.

I re-installed Windows and it's still not working.

theheyes · 28 Aug 2010 at 14:12

When you try it on the other computers, are you using the same cable or a different one?

willhub · 28 Aug 2010 at 15:12

Same cable.

IAmATeaf · 28 Aug 2010 at 17:08

It could still be a power related problem, I've seen USB ports on mobos go bad over time so if your mobo is now supplying slightly less voltage on its USB ports then this would account for the USB hub not working/detected.