USB Hub condundrum

[PoloniumFist]

Here's the squidealio.

 

I've arranged my battlestation in a more permanent position. Getting real serious about cable management. First things first -- I have a bunch of USB devices, that's a lot of cables, can't have that on my desk like octopus. This ain't a sushi place. I get a 7-port powered USB hub, route my keyboard (Corsair K95), mouse (Corsair M95), microphone (poopy Dynex, hopefully a Snowball soon), and amp/DAC (FiiO E10) down under my desk. The hub is plugged into a USB 3 port on the motherboard (the hub is USB 2, so that probably doesn't matter), and the hub's AC power in the power strip.

 

Thangs is cool.

 

Works great for about half an hour. Suddenly the hub power cycles -- all my devices are lifeless. A few seconds pass, hub comes back. My devices are functional again. One thing... audio is potato quality!  :angry: All audio gets this stuttery effect, but it's not lag, it's just jittery.. garbled. Sounds like if someone had my audio in a piece of paper and is scrunching up the paper. Best analogy I'm capable of.

 

Audio is the most important thing, I plug it into the mobo until I get a USB extension cord to reroute under the desk.

 

So I've got a hub with KBM + microphone and then my amp in the mobo. No biggie, the amp is hi power so I say "I suppose this makes sense" and deal with it.

 

Later, in a skype call, others are complaining that I'm transmitting a whining sound (not complaining, high pitched tone). I say 'wtf' and test the mic in a mobo USB port. Whining gone. WTF. What's the point of a USB hub if I can only have my mouse and keyboard plugged in!

 

I do some research. Inconclusive. Assume defective hub. Go back to BestBuy, get a Dynex USB hub. I discover the power output is the same 5V 3.5A as the Belkin. Leery, I test all my devices in the Dynex. Everything works fine. Sweet. Set everything up. All my devices -- mouse, keyboard, mic, amp -- plugged into it under the desk.

 

I test the mic. There's the whining sound.. Oh well, at least audio is fine.

 

A little bit later the hub power cycles. Audio goes poopoo.

 

I get upset. I try the hub's AC power in the wall instead of the power strip. Everything's fine... 

 

That leads us to now.

 

I don't know if the hub will power cycle while plugged into the wall, I'm certain that it will eventually.

 

Someone help me out. Are USB hubs a joke? Is there something about USB I'm missing? This is annoying me to no end. What's the point of a 7 port powered USB hub if I can only power my mouse and keyboard. I've checked the power requirements of all my devices and there should be no problems at all. Each port on the USB hubs should be receiving 500 mA, the standard amount of power for a USB hub(3.5 A / 7 ports = 0.5 A).

 

I've been told a powered USB 3 hub might help and I've been told I'm overloading the port the hub is plugged into. Neither makes sense to me except maybe USB 3 might have more bandwidth to handle the data of macro keyboard/mouse + audio equipment.

 

I'm at a loss. I call upon the power of the LTT community!

[csmith1991]

Try and remove one device at a time. Find the lowest common denominator. Once you have it working add parts back one at a time. Once it goes wrong you've found the problem.