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Patch reliability is unclear, but widespread attacks make patching prudent. Go ahead and patch, but watch out for potential problems. |
As @Paul T pointed out, a powered USB hub should not provide any power to the PC.
The USB interface on a PC’s motherboard is designed to sent power to devices (PC ⇒ USB device), not receive power from them (PC ⇐ USB device) and USB hubs normally get all the power they need from the PC so they don’t really need an external power source.
For example, I’ve got a 3-port + SD/microSD card reader USB hub plugged into my Desktop PC and it works just fine without needing to use the “option” A/C adapter to power it.
So, unless you’ve got something that draws a lot power plugged into your hub, it should work just fine powered only by the PC’s USB port without needing an A/C adapter.
BTW, does the PC’s power light go out if you unplug the USB hub?
Either use it without power or buy a better unit.
cheers, Paul
Good day,
Some advice please.
I have a powered 4 port USB Hub, is this safe to use permanently connected
to my desktop PC.
I notice that after shutting down my PC, the power light on the PC remains
on. Is this safe or is power being fed back to the motherboard?
Thanks, Dave
I unplug the power from my computer every night and disconnect all the peripherals. It might be overkill but better safe than sorry. If a thunderstorm develops in the night I don’t have to worry about a lightning strike. That may not be a very practical solution though if you’re USB hub is connected to the back of your computer. If there’s an outlet that’s easy to access you could at least unplug the power from the USB hub.
My USB hub is connected to my laptop that is on 24/7/365 and is connected to a UPS.
Not at all relevant since the OP indicated they shut down their PC!
I’m always wary of multi port USB hubs..never used since the Windows 98 era.
The mains power to the USB hub may be to compensate for a USB power drop provided by the PC when ALL the HUB ports are in use. It’s likely to work if you only have 1 or at a push, 2 low power demanding devices attached to the HUB using the PC USB connection as a power connection with data.
You would need to read the specs of the USB HUB to determine this.
Hi Microfix, thanks for the reply.
Have attached specs for the Hub.
The one I have is this one: Amazon.com: Powered USB Hub [Durable Aluminum] USB Hub 3.0 Powered, Individual Switch Buttons Smart Charging USB Port Expander Fit for External Hard Drive Electronics Gaming Laptop Desktop PC : Electronics.
Mine is 7 ports though, but that one doesn’t seem to be available right now (at least on Amazon). It appears to be identical to mine except for the number of ports. It’s USB 3 but backwards compatible. I’ve had a few minor quirks and issues with it but over all it’s good. The price is pretty good too. There are a lot of different makes and models available that have individual switches.
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