What Is A USB Hub? An Easy Solution For Adding Extra Ports!

A USB Hub is as common as any other hardware in the world of PC. Short for Universal Serial Bus Hub, it’s a useful device to get additional ports for your computer system.

Besides allowing the PC users to expand the ports socket, a USB Hub is generally a better replacement for the PC’s built-in USB ports. I know this sounds to be the shortest possible definition and that you want to dig more into it.

Table Of Contents

What Is A USB Hub?
How Does A USB Hub Work?
What Is A USB Hub Used For?
Types Of USB Hubs
Components And Parts Of USB Hubs
All USB Hub Brands
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrap Up

Therefore, I have penned this long piece of post to make sure you learn all about the USB Hub. This post will serve as an Encyclopedia of USB Hub for the audience and would answer most of their questions.

What Is A USB Hub?

A Universal Serial Bus Hub is a device that features multiple ports to connect multiple devices/multiple USB devices to a computer. Generally, a computer comes with a few built-in USB ports which are not enough for some users. The old computers featured only a couple of ports.

To deal with the shortage of USB ports, a USB Hub comes into action allowing the PC users to add a few more devices or USBs to the computer. Unlike the old computers with limited features, the latest generation computers are used for multiple professional purposes giving birth to the need for additional USB ports.

How Does A USB Hub Work?

When the Universal Serial Bus Hub plugs into the computer, it allows the latter to control the operations. The computer, which now acts as the host, takes over the operations and starts scanning the devices plugged into the Universal Serial Bus Hub. It takes not more than a few seconds for the computer to scan the devices and collect data about their types.

This allows the computer to assign an address to each one of the devices according to their data transfer strength. The computer then transfers the data packets to the USB Hub with the aim to share them with the devices. Now the USB Hub takes the charge and shares the data packets with the connected devices according to their requirements. Besides sharing the data, the USB Hub also shares the power with the devices equally.

What Is A USB Hub Used For?

A USB Hub is used to deal with the common issue of the shortage of USB ports. If your computer’s built-in ports are occupied by devices and you need additional ports to connect more devices to the computer, you can use a Universal Serial Bus Hub which acts as ports extending machine.

Types Of USB Hubs

When it comes to the Universal Serial Bus solutions, there are two types of USB Hubs which are listed with short descriptions below.

Powered	This type of USB Hub depends on a reliable external source of power to run the connected devices
Non-Powered	This type of USB Hub requires the computer’s power to run the connected devices

Components And Parts Of USB Hubs

A modern Universal Serial Bus Hub comprises two main components that are responsible for its functioning.

Hub Controller

This part of the Universal Serial Bus Hub shares its configuration with the PC for connectivity. Additionally, Hub Controller also manages the devices attached to the USB Hub.

Hub Repeater

It comes second in the list of USB Hub components. The Hub Repeater carries out the hardware reset and blocks/unblocks the signals.

All USB Hub Brands

Although there are unnumbered brands offering exceptional quality Universal Serial Bus Hubs, only the best ones have been added to the table below.

HooToo	Provides remarkable C-type USB Hubs
Plugable	An influential trader of next-generation USB Hubs
EZQuest	Based in the U.S, it deals in all types of USB Hubs
Targus	Producer of powerful Universal Serial Bus Hubs
VAVA	Founded in 2015, they manufacture good quality USB Hubs
Ugreen	It markets the C-type USB Hubs for enhanced visuals
Lention	It builds cool USB Hubs for game-gadgets
Dell	A household name for Universal Serial Bus Hubs
Kensington	Ships different types of USB Hubs across the world
Accell	Designs futuristic USB Hubs for gamers
Elgato	Develops the flagship Thunderbolt™ 3 USB Hubs
Sabrent	It is known for delivering up-to-the-mark 7 ports USB Hubs
Anker	The brand offers compact-sized Universal Serial Bus Hubs
TP-Link	Dominates the Chinese industry of USB Hubs
AUKEY	A big name in the world of USB solutions
AmazonBasics	A division of Amazon that manufactures tech products
Acasis	It deals in sleek design budget-based USB Hubs
Caldigit	A renowned USB Hub brand that operates in the U.S

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many USB Hubs Can You Connect?

Before you inquire about the number of connectable USB Hubs, it is essential to know that a computer can support 127 ports. So, the number of connectable USB Hubs depends on the ports these hubs feature. A USB Hub features anywhere from 2 to 7 ports. Now, if you have a Universal Serial Bus Hub that features the maximum number of 7 standard ports, you can connect additional 18 USB Hubs to a computer through the daisy-chain process. 7 multiplied by 18 is equal to 126 ports which is the maximum number of ports a computer supports.

Is A USB Hub Bad For Gaming?

No, the answer to this question is the direct opposite of it. A Universal Serial Bus Hub is, in fact, good for an enhanced gaming experience. A game-grade USB Hub is all you need to connect multiple gaming gadgets to the computer. Instead of plugging the gadgets separately every time before playing the game, you can use a USB Hub instead to connect them all at once. After you are done playing the game, you can simply disconnect the USB Hub from the computer and use it later while keeping the gadgets plugged into the USB Hub.

How Much Power Does A USB Hub Use?

It varies from the version to the number of ports supported by a USB Hub. If we take a look at a USB Hub (3.0 version) supporting 4 ports, the power it would use would be 18 watts. Add more ports to the USB Hub and the power consumption rate would go up.

How Long Do USB Hubs Last?

A USB Hub carrying any number of ports is designed to last at least 5 years. Since USB Hubs require no extreme engineering, they usually last 6-7 years with ease.

Wrap Up

The significance of a USB Hub could be recognized by the fact that it has transformed our PC experience into an extraordinary one. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it has taken USB solutions to the next level.

Who doesn’t like to connect multiple devices to a computer and that too effortlessly? Yeah, we all do. Lastly, thank God, we don’t have to deal with the dust-filled and super-lazy built-in computer ports anymore. Frankly speaking, the world of PC is getting a lot better with USB Hubs.