USB HUB

USB hub

What is a USB hub?

A USB hub, in its simplest form, allows you to access two or more devices through a single USB port on your computer. Typically, small USB hubs will offer you three USB ports or more, so that you can easily and effortlessly connect multiple devices to your computer.

A USB HUB will generally always have some kind of chipset that ensures that the USB signal is shared in your USB hub, so that bottlenecks and delays in the signal do not occur when multiple devices need to communicate at the same time.

Most USB hubs at the cheaper end of the price scale use a normal USB-A connector, which is often also of the USB 2.0 standard. In the slightly more expensive models, you can find USB-C connectors, also called a USB-C hub.

A USB-C hub will usually have the USB 3.1 standard, which allows more bandwidth and data through the hub. If you use storage devices such as an external hard drive, large amounts of data need to be transferred.

Can I get a USB hub with a power supply?

There are many different USB hubs for many different purposes. If you have USB devices that use a lot of power, it can be an advantage to choose a USB hub with a power supply to ensure that the connected devices receive enough power.

A USB hub with a power supply is usually more expensive than traditional USB hubs. This is of course because you get an included power supply so that your hub can supply the extra power that the connected devices and USB connectors may need.

If you choose a USB hub with a power supply, this will in some cases also be able to charge your smartphone and other connected devices, even when the computer is not turned on.

Are there USB hubs with other functions than just USB?

Many newer computers today are so thin that there is physically no room for simple ports, such as RJ45 for networks and the like. If this is the case with your computer, it may be an advantage to choose a USB hub with a built-in RJ45 (LAN connector).

In addition to the extra USB ports, you will also have the option of connecting your computer to the network cable directly through your USB hub. These USB hubs are often the most popular, due to this extra feature, and the fact that the price tag is still quite low, compared to the options you get.

All new laptops primarily use USB-C connectors for connecting external devices (e.g., new Macbooks only have USB-C connectors), i.e. USB-C for everything from charging to connecting a mouse (USB 2.0), monitor (DisplayPort/HDMI), hard disk (USB 3.0), network (RJ45), stereo headphone, microphone (MiniJack), and so on. It is an easy and standardised way to easily connect all your devices with a single cable type.
It quickly becomes difficult if you have many devices and cables connected to your workstation, and here it is advantageous to use a USB-C docking station or hub.
-Just a single USB-C cable and you are up and running!

USB-C to other connector types

Lots of new devices obviously have USB-C, as it is the new big common standard, and if you only have this type of products, you can simply settle for a normal USB-C hub/splitter, perhaps with a network connection. But if you have devices that were not born with USB 3.1 Type C, you can use one of the more advanced USB C docks or adapters, e.g. Displayport, HDMI, DVI, VGA etc.