Problem with USB Hubs in Windows Vista (Plus Extra Credit Questions!)

scottpbutler · 12-10-2007, 08:09 PM

I've explained my problem/question below with 2 extra credit questions at the end for you overachievers out there... :-)

My Problem

I have two USB hubs that are causing problems in Windows Vista Ultimate. I don't need both of them--I've just bought two in the effort to try to get one to work.

- Belkin My Essentials 7-Port USB 2.0 Hub (Model #F5-U259 ME)
- Belkin 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub (Model #F5-U234 Rev. 3)

Both devices work exactly as they are supposed to with no problems during normal use--except that they both cause Vista to hang on restart right after the "Dell" screen. Hang to the point where I have to power down the CPU, unplug the hub, power on, and then wait for the OS to load to plug the hub in. Then it works fine again. But obviously extremely annoying if you have to unplug your USB hub every time you want to restart (which is 1-2 times a day for me).

I've called Belkin regarding the issue and they said I needed an updated USB controller driver and to call Dell. I called Dell and they said they didn't have a USB controller driver for Vista (which I verified as true on their web site under my computer's type - Dell Dimension 8400).

My Questions

1. Does anyone know if there is a known incompatibility between Vista and all USB hubs, is the problem specific to Belkin, or is the problem specific to just these two models? Based on Belkin's response, one would assume the first answer but I have a hard time believing that would be the case without some sort of driver update/hotfix being deployed yet from Microsoft.

2. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Extra Credit Questions!

1. Do you lose speed by sending a USB 2.0 device through a USB 2.0 hub before it goes to the computer? If so, anyone have any idea how much speed? Obviously not an issue if you just have mice, keyboards, etc. going through the hub because how much of an issue can speed be in those cases, but in my case I am trying to run 4 1Tb external hard drives through the hub and I'm assuming I'm losing speed by running them through the hub. Perhaps not on an individual basis but if the computer is trying to write to all 4 drives at once it may experience a bottleneck/speed limitation in the USB cable running from the computer to the hub?

2. Are powered USB 2.0 hubs faster than non-powered hubs? I don't have any issue with the hub taking power from the computer since it is a desktop that is always plugged in (not like on a laptop where I might be worried about battery live), but I'm assuming that I am sacrificing speed if I use a non-powered device and just want someone to confirm it for me. Perhaps because the device has to dedicate some of the cables "bandwidth" to power instead of data? I'm not a hardware person so that is obviously a wild guess.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANYONE'S HELP!!!

12-10-2007, 08:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
scottpbutler Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate	Problem with USB Hubs in Windows Vista (Plus Extra Credit Questions!) I've explained my problem/question below with 2 extra credit questions at the end for you overachievers out there... :-) My Problem I have two USB hubs that are causing problems in Windows Vista Ultimate. I don't need both of them--I've just bought two in the effort to try to get one to work. - Belkin My Essentials 7-Port USB 2.0 Hub (Model #F5-U259 ME) - Belkin 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub (Model #F5-U234 Rev. 3) Both devices work exactly as they are supposed to with no problems during normal use--except that they both cause Vista to hang on restart right after the "Dell" screen. Hang to the point where I have to power down the CPU, unplug the hub, power on, and then wait for the OS to load to plug the hub in. Then it works fine again. But obviously extremely annoying if you have to unplug your USB hub every time you want to restart (which is 1-2 times a day for me). I've called Belkin regarding the issue and they said I needed an updated USB controller driver and to call Dell. I called Dell and they said they didn't have a USB controller driver for Vista (which I verified as true on their web site under my computer's type - Dell Dimension 8400). My Questions 1. Does anyone know if there is a known incompatibility between Vista and all USB hubs, is the problem specific to Belkin, or is the problem specific to just these two models? Based on Belkin's response, one would assume the first answer but I have a hard time believing that would be the case without some sort of driver update/hotfix being deployed yet from Microsoft. 2. Does anyone know how to fix this? Extra Credit Questions! 1. Do you lose speed by sending a USB 2.0 device through a USB 2.0 hub before it goes to the computer? If so, anyone have any idea how much speed? Obviously not an issue if you just have mice, keyboards, etc. going through the hub because how much of an issue can speed be in those cases, but in my case I am trying to run 4 1Tb external hard drives through the hub and I'm assuming I'm losing speed by running them through the hub. Perhaps not on an individual basis but if the computer is trying to write to all 4 drives at once it may experience a bottleneck/speed limitation in the USB cable running from the computer to the hub? 2. Are powered USB 2.0 hubs faster than non-powered hubs? I don't have any issue with the hub taking power from the computer since it is a desktop that is always plugged in (not like on a laptop where I might be worried about battery live), but I'm assuming that I am sacrificing speed if I use a non-powered device and just want someone to confirm it for me. Perhaps because the device has to dedicate some of the cables "bandwidth" to power instead of data? I'm not a hardware person so that is obviously a wild guess. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANYONE'S HELP!!!