Top USB Hubs

The Good

• Super lightweight and compact design, a great looking hub.
  

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• Brilliant plug and play connectivity for the Home or Business user.
• Excellent power levels when running high energy devices.
• Connects all devices without conflict, whether heavily dependent on power or not.
• The 7 high bandwidth USB ports have best in class data transfer rates.
• Has a novel top loading USB slot for quick and easy access.

The Bad

• Tested with some serious power draining devices and comes up trumps almost every time. Did struggle with high powered devices on a couple of laptops - Samsung Q45 and Asus U2E. Devices to watch when run together - Camcorder, External Hard Drive and Media Players.

The Good

• Best in class for size/weight combination (the size of a credit card).
  

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• Excellent for portability with fast connectivity.
• Built in cable management eliminates annoying wires hanging around.
• Faster transfer rate than LinkSys Compact USB Hub.
• Best in class for a USB Hub that you will not notice or feel obstructed by.
• Works beautifully on Desktop, Laptop and Tablet architecture (Lenovo ThinkPad, Panasonic Toughbook and Toshiba Portege M700.

The Bad

• None

The Good

• The most durable USB Hub reviewed, a very robust unit.
  

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• Simple setup and go technology, best in class. Tested on Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook.
• Connects without conflict to any devices used, Camcorder, Webcam, Media players, etc.
• As with most multi-port USB Hubs (more than 4) you need to run it from the power adapter.
• Works supremely on Vista, XP, ME and 98.

The Bad

• The LED's for active ports are very bright, it looks more like the Vegas Strip than a USB Hub when running in a darkened room.
• Devices can hinder each others performance, especially during multi-device data transfer.
• Can overpower the Hub when multiple high energy devices are connected in every port.

The Good

• Award winning plug and play USB Hub with a simple, compact and uncomplicated design.
  

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• No hassle to install, easy user guide, as it says on the tin! - 'turns one USB slot into seven'.
• Self powered and provides impressive shared power across multiple active ports.
• Easily recognizes devices in seconds, connecting all major devices without conflicts.
• One of the best 7-Port USB Hubs, tested on Lenovo ThinkPad and HP Compaq 2710P.
• Works perfectly on Windows ME, XP and Vista (not tested on 98 but assume OK).
• Competitive price considering the extensive high energy devices it can run simultaneously.

The Bad

• Flaky performance/poor data transfer rates with External Hard Drives and Media devices.
• Works perfectly with 1.0 and 2.0 USB but not at the full 2.0 rates.
• Can get quite hot when connecting more than 4 high energy devices. i.e. Camcorder, MP3
• Testing scenario with some laptops (HP Compaq 2510P) demanded mains power to run.
• USB slots and Power Adapter are situated on the same side panel (front). Can get cluttered.
• The Belkin 5-Port USB Hub is just as good and cheaper, if you don't need the extra 2 slots.

The Good

• Best looking USB Hub in class. Slick black 'domed' design, non slide and lovely weight.
  

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• Quick plug and play connectivity. Best in class ability to 'daisy chain' linking of devices.
• Connects all major devices without conflict. Can struggle with 'no-name' media storage.
• Excellent data transfer rate, but rate reduces considerably if multiple devices are transferring.
• Works supremely on Vista, XP, ME and 98. LED display clearly shows active and non-active ports.

The Bad

• Only 4 port extension, begs the question if you are buying extension USB capacity why not go with 5 or 7 slots. Especially as for the price you can get a 7-Port USB Hub.

The Good

• A lovely looking USB Hub, compact but still ultra reliable.
  

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• Connects almost instantaneously with 1.1 and 2.0 USB devices.
• Slick to drag and drop, multi-tasking and impressive transfer rates.
• Card Reader component works with all major memory card technologies.
• The Free Ulead Photo Editing software bundled with the Hub is worth a look.
• Very quick to recognize active/non-active slots and devices connected.
• More than just a USB hub, provides additional PC connectivity for Media and Card Readers.

The Bad

• Can be temperamental when unplugging devices. i.e. have known of system lock-ups and even some card readers failing when simply unplugged without a right click and close.
• Only 3 USB ports, begs the question, if you are buying extension USB capacity why not go with 5 or 7 slots.
• As with other Belkin USB Hubs, it requires the power adapter to power the unit effectively. Doesn't work so well with old motherboard chipsets.

Read on to find out about 3 more USB hubs worth considering.