usb3 hub not recognised via usb2

My friend has accidentally bought a USB3 hub, which we have not been
able to recognise on anything:

On W7-64 Dell desktop, W10-64 laptop, and W7-32 Toshiba laptop, all with
USB2 only ports, we get something like "a USB device has malfunctioned"
when we connect it. That's plugging it in directly. On the Dell desktop
if we plug it in via another (USB2) hub, there is no indication that it
has been detected at all. The connection to the W7-32 Toshiba laptop was
via a (USB2 I think) hub.

On a W10-64 desktop (motherboard something like Sabertooth Z77; it
certainly has USB3 ports anyway, and we were definitely using one of
them [it has both 2 and 3 ports]), we still got a similar error message;
the message included text similar to "request for [something] number
failed". (The attempt on the W10-laptop-with-only-USB2-ports might have
included that text, too.)

I suspect the hub is faulty - do you agree? (A tiny blue light comes on
on it when connected or powered.) It has an external power input socket;
we've tried fee ding that too, and it made no difference.) My friend is
pretty sure it came with no disc; I'd have thought W10-64 on a
motherboard with USB3 sockets 2ould have supported USB3 natively anyway.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Once you've started swinging, chimp-like, through the branches of your family
tree, you might easily end up anywhere. - Alexander Armstrong, RT 2014/8/23-29

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
My friend has accidentally bought a USB3 hub, which we have not been
able to recognise on anything:

On W7-64 Dell desktop, W10-64 laptop, and W7-32 Toshiba laptop, all with
USB2 only ports, we get something like "a USB device has malfunctioned"
when we connect it. That's plugging it in directly. On the Dell desktop
if we plug it in via another (USB2) hub, there is no indication that it
has been detected at all. The connection to the W7-32 Toshiba laptop was
via a (USB2 I think) hub.

On a W10-64 desktop (motherboard something like Sabertooth Z77; it
certainly has USB3 ports anyway, and we were definitely using one of
them [it has both 2 and 3 ports]), we still got a similar error message;
the message included text similar to "request for [something] number
failed". (The attempt on the W10-laptop-with-only-USB2-ports might have
included that text, too.)

I suspect the hub is faulty - do you agree? (A tiny blue light comes on
on it when connected or powered.) It has an external power input socket;
we've tried fee ding that too, and it made no difference.) My friend is
pretty sure it came with no disc; I'd have thought W10-64 on a
motherboard with USB3 sockets 2ould have supported USB3 natively anyway.

Some USB3 hubs have firmware. The example here uses VIA brand chips.

https://plugable.com/2014/07/23/plug...y-2014-update/

https://plugable.com/2013/01/29/via-...-hub-firmware/

https://plugable.com/2013/06/07/trou...-0-7-port-hub/

Paul

In message , Paul
writes:
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
My friend has accidentally bought a USB3 hub, which we have not been
able to recognise on anything:
On W7-64 Dell desktop, W10-64 laptop, and W7-32 Toshiba laptop, all
with USB2 only ports, we get something like "a USB device has
malfunctioned" when we connect it. That's plugging it in directly. On
the Dell desktop if we plug it in via another (USB2) hub, there is no
indication that it has been detected at all. The connection to the
W7-32 Toshiba laptop was via a (USB2 I think) hub.
On a W10-64 desktop (motherboard something like Sabertooth Z77; it
certainly has USB3 ports anyway, and we were definitely using one of
them [it has both 2 and 3 ports]), we still got a similar error
message; the message included text similar to "request for
[something] number failed". (The attempt on the W10-laptop-with-only-
USB2-ports might have included that text, too.)
I suspect the hub is faulty - do you agree? (A tiny blue light comes
on on it when connected or powered.) It has an external power input
socket; we've tried fee ding that too, and it made no difference.)
My friend is pretty sure it came with no disc; I'd have thought
W10-64 on a motherboard with USB3 sockets 2ould have supported USB3
natively anyway.

Some USB3 hubs have firmware. The example here uses VIA brand chips.
[]
Paul

Those (seem to apply to ~2012/3 kit; my friend will have got hers in
2018) look as if the un-updated ones still work, including looking OK in
Device Manager, before the upgrade. Ours doesn't.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

It's OK to be tight on
The seafront at Brighton
But I say, by Jove
Watch out if it's Hove.
- Sister Monica Joan, quoted by Jennifer Worth (author of the Call the
Midwife books, quoted in Radio Times 19-25 January 2013)

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
In message , Paul
writes:
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
My friend has accidentally bought a USB3 hub, which we have not been
able to recognise on anything:
On W7-64 Dell desktop, W10-64 laptop, and W7-32 Toshiba laptop, all
with USB2 only ports, we get something like "a USB device has
malfunctioned" when we connect it. That's plugging it in directly. On
the Dell desktop if we plug it in via another (USB2) hub, there is no
indication that it has been detected at all. The connection to the
W7-32 Toshiba laptop was via a (USB2 I think) hub.
On a W10-64 desktop (motherboard something like Sabertooth Z77; it
certainly has USB3 ports anyway, and we were definitely using one of
them [it has both 2 and 3 ports]), we still got a similar error
message; the message included text similar to "request for
[something] number failed". (The attempt on the W10-laptop-with-only-
USB2-ports might have included that text, too.)
I suspect the hub is faulty - do you agree? (A tiny blue light comes
on on it when connected or powered.) It has an external power input
socket; we've tried fee ding that too, and it made no difference.)
My friend is pretty sure it came with no disc; I'd have thought
W10-64 on a motherboard with USB3 sockets 2ould have supported USB3
natively anyway.
Some USB3 hubs have firmware. The example here uses VIA brand chips.
[]
Paul

Those (seem to apply to ~2012/3 kit; my friend will have got hers in
2018) look as if the un-updated ones still work, including looking OK in
Device Manager, before the upgrade. Ours doesn't.

As far as I know, the USB2 section is needed to bootstrap
the USB3 section. The initial negotiation uses the USB2 part.
If the hardware detects a USB3 section, it can hand off to
that once all the details are worked out.

If your USB2 won't work, then I would predict the USB3
rates should be unavailable as well.

The kinds of failures I would expect:

1) DC power failure, so no VBUS available at the peripheral.
Using a device with a LED, might indicate whether power
is getting to the downstream side.

2) Individual port failure. Change ports and retest.
Of course, you've already tried this.

3) Firmware issue. Firmware erased by Xray machines
in customs and excise. At least some firmware-based
devices, pass a checksum over the executable image,
to detect corruption. If the checksum (CRC) is bad,
the devices refuses to perform any function and
just sits there. Some devices will have "ROM" and
base code present, so they're never really completely
dead. The manufacturer can add an external Flash if they
want the ability to change the firmware later. Less
frequently, a device has nothing but EEPROM onboard
(erasable), and could end up completely devoid of
CPU functions inside because there is no code.

Paul