caradoc's Full Review: Belkin (F5U002) (KFF-128) USB Cable
When I replaced most of my computer hardware in September, I also replaced my two old USB 1.1 hubs (four ports each) with a single seven port USB 1.1 hub from Belkin.
None of the devices I plug into the hub require massive amounts of bandwidth (keyboard, Nostromo n50 GamePad, Kensington Turbo Pro Trackball, and a few other input-type devices) so I don't mind plugging them all into one hub, and into a single USB port on the computer. The computer has USB 2.0 ports, so I can get away with plugging all of my USB 1.1 devices into the hub without losing much in the way of bandwidth, anyway.
The other high-bandwidth devices on my systems get their own USB ports on the computer, using USB 2.0 PCI cards or the built-in USB 2.0 ports on the machine.
The price was certainly right for the Belkin F5U027, at $18 for an "open-box" package at Best Buy. It came with a host-to-hub USB cable, the power supply, and the hub.
Connecting a USB hub requires no drivers, and no configuration changes. Just plug it into the USB port, make sure it's got power, and everything should be fine.
That's where I'm a little confused. The Belkin hub has eight LEDs on the front panel. One red one to indicate power, and seven green ones to indicate... what? I'm not sure. They don't change status for plugging or unplugging devices, and they don't blink for traffic on the port, so I'm not certain what those LEDs are supposed to indicate - if anything.
The hub itself is too light to hang five or six cables off the back and expect it to not flip off the desk, too. I've solved that by running the cables down through a "wiring grommet" that snugly holds them as they pass through the top of my desk to run underneath. This keeps the USB hub where it should be, on top of my desk.
I haven't had any issues with it that I've noticed. As I said, the devices plugged into it are all low-bandwidth stuff, so I'm not sure how much I'd notice any congestion on the hub anyway. Especially since the "indicator lights" don't seem to indicate much of anything other than "we've got power!"
Adds 2-12mbps Usb Ports To Your Pc. Full Compliance With Current Usb 1.1 Specifications & Pci Specification Version 2.1. Ohci Compliant, Plug-and-play...More at Target
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