What are USB ports on Monitors for? ?

[GamerBlake]

Hey everyone, this may sound like a totally n00b question but..I noticed my monitor (MSI Optix MAG271CQR) has 2x USB ports on it and I’m wondering what they’re for?  

 

I mean I can’t plug my mouse or keyboard or USB thumb drives into it (well I can but they won’t work) so what is meant to be plugged in? What kind of things did they intend people to use those USB ports for?

 

Thanks!

[Bombastinator]

Just now, GamerBlake said:

Hey everyone, this may sound like a totally n00b question but..I noticed my monitor (MSI Optix MAG271CQR) has 2x USB ports on it and I’m wondering what they’re for?  

 

I mean I can’t plug my mouse or keyboard or USB thumb drives into it (well I can but they won’t work) so what is meant to be plugged in? What kind of things did they intend people to use those USB ports for?

 

Thanks!

Generally they’re just ISB hubs.  I suspect there’s a third port somewhere on the back, brobably a “b” port, that you plug into your computer.

[GamerBlake]

5 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Generally they’re just ISB hubs.  I suspect there’s a third port somewhere on the back, brobably a “b” port, that you plug into your computer.

So I can’t actually plug anything useful into them? Is it just like another display plug option such as HDMI and DP in case people don’t have one of those?

[Bombastinator]

5 minutes ago, GamerBlake said:

So I can’t actually plug anything useful into them? Is it just like another display plug option such as HDMI and DP in case people don’t have one of those?

No.  You can plug stuff into them fine.  You just have to attach the cable from the USB hub to your computer.  Then it acts like a USB hub.  If all you’ve got plugged into your computer is a display cable how is it going to do anything but show display?

[mariushm]

keyboard, mouse, card reader on the desk under monitor, other crap.... it's basically a usb hub in the monitor.

Reduces the number of cables between the pc and the desk. or makes it possible to extend the distance between peripherals and unit (ex left handed person using mouse on its left side, with the pc tower on the right side of the desk)

[GamerBlake]

14 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

No.  You can plug stuff into them fine.  You just have to attach the cable from the USB hub to your computer.  Then it acts like a USB hub.  If all you’ve got plugged into your computer is a display cable how is it going to do anything but show display?

Oooh I see what you mean! So I can just get any old USB cable and plug that into my computer and then use the other USB slot on the monitor to something else and it will work because it’s connected to my PC?

[mariushm]

Yeah that's the basic idea.

[GamerBlake]

9 minutes ago, mariushm said:

keyboard, mouse, card reader on the desk under monitor, other crap.... it's basically a usb hub in the monitor.

Reduces the number of cables between the pc and the desk. or makes it possible to extend the distance between peripherals and unit (ex left handed person using mouse on its left side, with the pc tower on the right side of the desk)

But it’s a USB hub with only 1 USB port? Because I have 2 USB ports but doesn’t one of them have to be plugged into my PC leaving 1 left?

 

 

[mariushm]

1 minute ago, GamerBlake said:

But it’s a USB hub with only 1 USB port? Because I have 2 USB ports but doesn’t one of them have to be plugged into my PC leaving 1 left?

 

 

There's 3 ... two regular type A  and one type B (where you plug cable going to pc)

It's a 4 port usb hub with only 2 usb 2.0 ports visible... or it's a 2 port usb hub chip inside the monitor (kinda silly, 4 port controller chips are more common)

 

Rightmost connector is usb b - cable goes to pc .. ex: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-USB-2-0-Cable-Male/dp/B00NH11KIK/

the next 2 connectors are usb type a

 

[GamerBlake]

5 minutes ago, mariushm said:

There's 3 ... two regular type A  and one type B (where you plug cable going to pc)

It's a 4 port usb hub with only 2 usb 2.0 ports visible... or it's a 2 port usb hub chip inside the monitor (kinda silly, 4 port controller chips are more common)

 

Rightmost connector is usb b - cable goes to pc .. ex: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-USB-2-0-Cable-Male/dp/B00NH11KIK/

the next 2 connectors are usb type a

 

Ohhh ok! I think my monitor actually came with one of those cables (The one you posted the amazon link too) do you know if manufacturers sometimes ship the monitor with that cable?

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, GamerBlake said:

Ohhh ok! I think my monitor actually came with one of those cables (The one you posted the amazon link too) do you know if manufacturers sometimes ship the monitor with that cable?

They’re cheap.  Sometimes they do.  You’re looking for a usb b to us a cable I suspect

[GamerBlake]

2 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

They’re cheap.  Sometimes they do.  You’re looking for a usb b to us a cable I suspect

This is the one that came with my monitor. Is it the right one?  

[Bombastinator]

Yep

[Kalm_Traveler]

you may want to test things - the USB hub built into my older Asus PG348Q monitor works fine for keyboard and mouse but the one build into this new LG monitor doesn't seem to work correctly with mice. Keyboard worked fine in either port but the mouse would never connect so I ended up just saying screw it and plugged them both directly into motherboard USB ports.

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, Kalm_Traveler said:

you may want to test things - the USB hub built into my older Asus PG348Q monitor works fine for keyboard and mouse but the one build into this new LG monitor doesn't seem to work correctly with mice. Keyboard worked fine in either port but the mouse would never connect so I ended up just saying screw it and plugged them both directly into motherboard USB ports.

Weird.  That shouldn’t happen.  Is the mouse old by any chance?  I could see a hub maker screwing up 1.0 compatibility.  It is a point though just because the hub is built into the monitor doesn’t mean it’s a good one.

[GamerBlake]

3 hours ago, Kalm_Traveler said:

you may want to test things - the USB hub built into my older Asus PG348Q monitor works fine for keyboard and mouse but the one build into this new LG monitor doesn't seem to work correctly with mice. Keyboard worked fine in either port but the mouse would never connect so I ended up just saying screw it and plugged them both directly into motherboard USB ports.

I actually tried it already and I plugged my mouse and headset into the monitor and everything worked fine for me.  

[GamerBlake]

57 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Weird.  That shouldn’t happen.  Is the mouse old by any chance?  I could see a hub maker screwing up 1.0 compatibility.  It is a point though just because the hub is built into the monitor doesn’t mean it’s a good one.

I just set it up today and plugged my mouse and headset into the monitor and it’s working great! Thanks for helping me out! All my cables are much better now.  

 

Im glad I got to use one of the features I paid for instead of it just sitting there with no purpose.

[Kalm_Traveler]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

Weird.  That shouldn’t happen.  Is the mouse old by any chance?  I could see a hub maker screwing up 1.0 compatibility.  It is a point though just because the hub is built into the monitor doesn’t mean it’s a good one.

yeah this was the first time I'd come across it. I tried 3 mice all less than 2 years old and they all did the same thing - they'd flicker on and off.
They all 3 work fine through the old Asus monitor, and all 3 don't work through this brand new LG.

 

I asked around a few places and someone mentioned that some USB hubs (in general, not just built-in monitors) don't handle "polling" devices well - which I guess a mouse is.

[Bombastinator]

8 minutes ago, Kalm_Traveler said:

yeah this was the first time I'd come across it. I tried 3 mice all less than 2 years old and they all did the same thing - they'd flicker on and off.
They all 3 work fine through the old Asus monitor, and all 3 don't work through this brand new LG.

 

I asked around a few places and someone mentioned that some USB hubs (in general, not just built-in monitors) don't handle "polling" devices well - which I guess a mouse is.

Yup.  They put a cheap or possibly defective hub in the monitor.  Many hubs do polling devices fine.  Or fine enough anyway.  It may depend on how fast the polling is.  Some mice poll very very fast.