[NBLUG/talk] More USB failures

[Lincoln Peters]

On Tuesday 31 January 2006 08:48, Christopher Wagner wrote:
> USB hubs are notorious for causing bizarre problems, I would suggest
> removing the USB hub temporarily from the loop and see if that seems to
> resolve the issue.  What other devices are connected to your USB ports
> on the computer and the USB hub?

The hub is the only USB device connected directly to the computer (since I was 
trying to minimize excess cabling during my kitten-proofing work last May).  
There are 4 USB ports on the computer (probably more internal ports).  My 
current configuration is:

+-Root hub
  |
  +-USB cable for a portable word processor (long story)
  +-Belkin 7-port USB 2.0 hub (self-powered)
    |
    +-Receiver for cordless mouse
    +-USB flash drive (occasionally)
    +-Palm Z22
    +-Generic 4-port USB 1.1 hub (bus-powered)
      |
      +-USB-to-Parallel adapter (for my second printer)
      +-USB-to-Parallel adapter (currently unused)
      +-Active extension USB 1.1 cable
        |
        +-Generic 4-port USB 1.1 hub (self-powered)
          |
          +-Keyboard

(In case you're wondering, I use a PS/2 keyboard for most tasks, but I set up 
the USB keyboard on the other side of the room so I can control the computer 
when I use it e.g. to watch movies.)

I could probably get by with disconnecting the hubs and having the mouse, 
first USB-to-Parallel adapter, and Palm Z22 connected directly to the 
computer, and find out if the problem seems to go away.

Meanwhile, are there any brands of USB hub that are more reliable than others?


As an interesting side-note, I looked up my earlier discussion on the list 
regarding these USB failures, and it took place almost exactly one year ago 
(January 29, 2005).


-- 
Lincoln Peters
<sampln at sbcglobal.net>

Computers are unreliable, but humans are even more unreliable.
Any system which depends on human reliability is unreliable.
		-- Gilb

/~\  The ASCII Ribbon Campaign
\ /    No HTML/RTF in email
 X     No Word docs in email
/ \  Respect for open standards