Does a USB Hub recognize a Flash Drive?

anken

July 5, 2010 11:00:25 PM

Hi, I have an older USB 2 Hub which is on my desktop. I'm running Vista 64bit.
If I plug in any flash drive directly into the USB Hub it does not show up on my laptop. They show only if I plug them into the laptop directly. This hub has its own power source and everything else seems to work. D-Link does not support this model anymore and I don't know if I would need a driver for it.
Do any other USB Hubs work with a flash drive plugged into it? Should I replace mine?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

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sminlal

Storage Expert

July 5, 2010 11:21:42 PM

There's no technical reason why a flash drive shouldn't work with any hub. But I've found hubs to be a little problematical sometimes and so I avoid them myself.

Rather than buying a new hub, you might want to think about buying a USB to PCI or PCIe adapter card so that you have more USB ports on the computer itself. The costs aren't all that unreasonable.

For example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

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anken

July 6, 2010 5:40:56 PM

Thank you for your suggestion, sminlal.
Unfortunately, my laptop does not have a PCI slot and so I guess I will have to look for another hub.
The problem is that my laptop has so few USB slots. One has been taken up with my air card and the other with my Logitech wireless mouse.
Again, I appreciate your suggestion! Ann

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hang-the-9

July 6, 2010 5:46:56 PM

anken said:

Thank you for your suggestion, sminlal.
Unfortunately, my laptop does not have a PCI slot and so I guess I will have to look for another hub.
The problem is that my laptop has so few USB slots. One has been taken up with my air card and the other with my Logitech wireless mouse.
Again, I appreciate your suggestion! Ann

You can get a PCMCIA (or PC Card) USB adapter for your laptop. If your laptop is newer, it may have a different connector, but there should be the same type of adapters for that as well.

Something like http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-SBT-P2D-CardBus-Hi-Speed-...

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anken

July 6, 2010 8:00:35 PM

Thank you, hang the 9.
Thanks for the link and your idea but my laptop really doesn't have a PCI slot. I had to change from the PCI Modem to the USB Air Card for that reason.
It's an HP Pavillion and I like it other than that. I will just have to go with another hub, maybe one from Belkin. Have had good experiences with their product.
Thanks again, ann

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hang-the-9

July 6, 2010 8:09:11 PM

anken said:

Thank you, hang the 9.
Thanks for the link and your idea but my laptop really doesn't have a PCI slot. I had to change from the PCI Modem to the USB Air Card for that reason.
It's an HP Pavillion and I like it other than that. I will just have to go with another hub, maybe one from Belkin. Have had good experiences with their product.
Thanks again, ann

That's not a PCI card. What exact laptop mode do you have? PCI cards are exclusive to deskop PCs and some laptop docking stations.

You should either have PCMCI or the new standard called and ExpressCard, but that is pretty much the same thing, only newer. There may be laptop models out there without either, but that would be a rarity.

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