adding USB ports

You're welcome. My propensity for using Logitech Rumblepads led me down that
road years ago

I have same problem I believe as you with my laptop, only 3 ports. Solved
with a very small USB 2 (insure it's 2) 4 port hub $15 Can in Bargain shop
wall came without it's own power supply but thankfully had the connection
and worked once I found a match looking thru my bin of old adapters (if they
pass multitester I save all of em, if not I cut cord and save the endpeice
as they're easy enough to splice to another provided to take care with
pos/neg wire.)

I wouldn't expect your printer to use 500Ma with the adapter but one never
knows. As mentioned you can check it under Device Manager and search the
various USB device and see what it says under their Power section. Add them
up. Might find you can use almost all of them except for item "x" or item
"y" at same time, which never happens anyway. I typically plug/unplug my
various game controllers in separately but for another reason (games get
confused) and don't really find it a problem.

"Jo-Anne" wrote in message
...
Thank you, pjp! I now understand why a powered port is essential. I
suspect my printer alone uses a lot of power (I have a parallel printer
connected directly to the laptop right now through a usb-parallel
cable)...

Jo-Anne

"pjp" wrote in message
...
You likely need a self powered" hub, e.g. one that includes it's own
power cable. Otherwise the 500 Ma the pc provides for ONE port is not
enough for the hubs many ports. Something has to go if the power
requirements of all attached devices exceeds that 500Ma. Self powered
hubs provide the 500Ma to each port separately, e.g. 500 x "#of ports",
using nothing from the pc for power.

Although most devices today use relatively little power, a Logitech
RunblePad uses 500Ma just itself. You can go into device manager and look
under the usb branch for a dialog says Power, each port listed will have
it. Add up what the various devices you use require.

"Jo-Anne" wrote in message
...
My desktop computer isn't functioning well, and I've been forced to use
my laptop--a Dell Precision--as my main computer (both computers run
WinXP). I have only three USB ports on the laptop, and I've been using a
powered Kensington USB hub. It's not working very well, however. I can't
use my mouse plugged into it at all, and my keyboard (an old one) works
but is acting flaky.

Is there something that would work better to add USB ports to the
laptop? I hesitate buying a docking station (Dell wants around $130 for
a docking station for this laptop), given that I hope not to keep the
laptop as my main computer too much longer.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

Thank you, again, pjp! I'll print this out for my husband, who collects
adapters much the way you do! I definitely plan on a USB 2 hub.

Jo-Anne

"pjp" wrote in message
...
You're welcome. My propensity for using Logitech Rumblepads led me down
that road years ago

I have same problem I believe as you with my laptop, only 3 ports. Solved
with a very small USB 2 (insure it's 2) 4 port hub $15 Can in Bargain
shop wall came without it's own power supply but thankfully had the
connection and worked once I found a match looking thru my bin of old
adapters (if they pass multitester I save all of em, if not I cut cord and
save the endpeice as they're easy enough to splice to another provided to
take care with pos/neg wire.)

I wouldn't expect your printer to use 500Ma with the adapter but one never
knows. As mentioned you can check it under Device Manager and search the
various USB device and see what it says under their Power section. Add
them up. Might find you can use almost all of them except for item "x" or
item "y" at same time, which never happens anyway. I typically plug/unplug
my various game controllers in separately but for another reason (games
get confused) and don't really find it a problem.

"Jo-Anne" wrote in message
...
Thank you, pjp! I now understand why a powered port is essential. I
suspect my printer alone uses a lot of power (I have a parallel printer
connected directly to the laptop right now through a usb-parallel
cable)...

Jo-Anne

"pjp" wrote in message
...
You likely need a self powered" hub, e.g. one that includes it's own
power cable. Otherwise the 500 Ma the pc provides for ONE port is not
enough for the hubs many ports. Something has to go if the power
requirements of all attached devices exceeds that 500Ma. Self powered
hubs provide the 500Ma to each port separately, e.g. 500 x "#of ports",
using nothing from the pc for power.

Although most devices today use relatively little power, a Logitech
RunblePad uses 500Ma just itself. You can go into device manager and
look under the usb branch for a dialog says Power, each port listed will
have it. Add up what the various devices you use require.

"Jo-Anne" wrote in message
...
My desktop computer isn't functioning well, and I've been forced to use
my laptop--a Dell Precision--as my main computer (both computers run
WinXP). I have only three USB ports on the laptop, and I've been using
a powered Kensington USB hub. It's not working very well, however. I
can't use my mouse plugged into it at all, and my keyboard (an old one)
works but is acting flaky.

Is there something that would work better to add USB ports to the
laptop? I hesitate buying a docking station (Dell wants around $130 for
a docking station for this laptop), given that I hope not to keep the
laptop as my main computer too much longer.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

Jo-Anne wrote on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:49:33 -0500:

"Yousuf Khan" wrote in message
...
On 12/09/2010 9:14 PM, Jo-Anne wrote:
My desktop computer isn't functioning well, and I've been
forced to use my laptop--a Dell Precision--as my main
computer (both computers run WinXP). I have only three USB
ports on the laptop, and I've been using a
powered Kensington USB hub. It's not working very well,
however. I can't use my mouse plugged into it at all, and my
keyboard (an old one) works but is acting flaky.

Is there something that would work better to add USB ports
to the laptop? I hesitate buying a docking station (Dell
wants around $130 for a docking station for this laptop),
given that I hope not to keep the laptop as my main computer
too much longer.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

I've often had a lot of problems with various USB hubs of
mine. One which was powered seemed to be very flakey, until I
took the external power supply off it, and let it get powered
by the system's own USB ports. It got more stable after that,
for a while at least.

Yousuf Khan

Thank you, Yousuf Khan! I've often heard that USB hubs get
flakey over time. I guess I'll try another one (after I check the
power supply, as suggested by SC Tom).

I have been reading this thread with interest. I installed a PSI
four-port card a little while ago in order to use a Logitech wireless
keyboard and mouse with a Unifying Plug. All seemed to be well but for
occasional total hang-ups of the mouse. Mostly, moving the mouse from
the pad to my desk surface woke the thing up and even pressing control
to locate the mouse worked. However, it was irritating. The notion that
there was insufficient power supplied by the card was interesting so I
installed a Belkin four-port powered external hub and the hang-ups now
seem fixed....touching wood!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"James Silverton" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:49:33 -0500:

"Yousuf Khan" wrote in message
...
On 12/09/2010 9:14 PM, Jo-Anne wrote:
My desktop computer isn't functioning well, and I've been
forced to use my laptop--a Dell Precision--as my main
computer (both computers run WinXP). I have only three USB
ports on the laptop, and I've been using a
powered Kensington USB hub. It's not working very well,
however. I can't use my mouse plugged into it at all, and my
keyboard (an old one) works but is acting flaky.

Is there something that would work better to add USB ports
to the laptop? I hesitate buying a docking station (Dell
wants around $130 for a docking station for this laptop),
given that I hope not to keep the laptop as my main computer
too much longer.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

I've often had a lot of problems with various USB hubs of
mine. One which was powered seemed to be very flakey, until I
took the external power supply off it, and let it get powered
by the system's own USB ports. It got more stable after that,
for a while at least.

Yousuf Khan

Thank you, Yousuf Khan! I've often heard that USB hubs get
flakey over time. I guess I'll try another one (after I check the power
supply, as suggested by SC Tom).

I have been reading this thread with interest. I installed a PSI four-port
card a little while ago in order to use a Logitech wireless keyboard and
mouse with a Unifying Plug. All seemed to be well but for occasional total
hang-ups of the mouse. Mostly, moving the mouse from the pad to my desk
surface woke the thing up and even pressing control to locate the mouse
worked. However, it was irritating. The notion that there was insufficient
power supplied by the card was interesting so I installed a Belkin
four-port powered external hub and the hang-ups now seem fixed....touching
wood!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

What gets me is the number of USB 2 hubs you see for sale with so many of
them without included power supply. Thankfully most seem to at least have
the actual plug for one and often they state what it expects for power (e.g.
5, 6, 9 or 12 volts most common). Geez, the manufacturers must know people
can't always use all "x" ports at same time without it yet no mention of it.
Same old selfish greed so common in our society. What's a 6 volt power
supply cost in bulk?