My mum, being sickly, is confined often to a chair. We currently run the monitor, mouse and keyboard of her desktop PC up to the chair. The place s getting crowded with USB cables. Given she also uses a USB memory stick often I obviously thought of getting a hub.

 

Investigating I discover that normal hubs may not be enough, as we will have several devices drawing power at once (stick, keyboard, mouse, possibly camera),. The extension from the PC has to be a metre or two if possible.

 

I know this sounds simple, but I'd prefer a personal recommendation that I can count on working. I have to mail it to the old baggage, and she'll freak if it isn't working perfectly.

My mum, being sickly, is confined often to a chair. We currently run the monitor, mouse and keyboard of her desktop PC up to the chair. The place s getting crowded with USB cables. Given she also uses a USB memory stick often I obviously thought of getting a hub.

 

Investigating I discover that normal hubs may not be enough, as we will have several devices drawing power at once (stick, keyboard, mouse, possibly camera),. The extension from the PC has to be a metre or two if possible.

 

I know this sounds simple, but I'd prefer a personal recommendation that I can count on working. I have to mail it to the old baggage, and she'll freak if it isn't working perfectly.

 

a) buy USB extension cord(s) for the device(s) that draw the most power (e.g. camera)

b) plug the rest into one (or two) hub(s) connected to the BACK USB socket (for maximum power and speed - front is usually ****)

 

No way to guarantee what I or anybody else suggests will work, personal recommendation or not, because we don't have exactly the same setup as her. Sorry. You have to test it yourself, or step her through the process.

Hmm... might have to try the extension cord thing for my joystick. It occasionally fails to work because it doesn't get enough power from the hub in my monitor. Said monitor hub is amusingly enough is detected as a "mass storage device", which I can eject (although I haven't seen it jump off my table yet).

 

*Notes down: Go shopping for USB extension cord*

Is a powered USB hub out of the question?

powered usb is not out of the question. I just don't know why you need it, when you need it.

 

Sounds like maybe I should be loking at just buying a bunch of extension cables? Seems a bit cack.

A powered USB hub simply provides an extra power source for the USB components attached to it. It's just like a normal USB hub except you don't have to worry about the power draw from the computers USB port.

 

If you go the USB hub route then get a powered one because even if the extra power isn't needed for the current periphirals it may be needed later.

I bought the powered USB hub in the end. I'll let you chaps know how it goes.