How to get best usb usage from pcmcia?

bimmerpc · 09-01-2006, 08:07 AM

I use a pcmcia cardbus like this one:
http://www.computernyc.com/usb20iepcad6.html
it has 2 usb ports
I´m thinking I will not use the usb so I´ll might switch it for a similair card but with 4 usb ports on it since I will be using a lot of usb devices.

Now my nr1 question is, I will be using some external hubs anywa so How do I ensure the best usage of bandwith? Will the pcmcia card with 4 ports output more usb bandwith than the one with just 2 or? I mean does both cards have the same bandwith and shareing it between the amount of ports?

nr2: when using a hub I connect it to a port of my pc, the bandwith is devided to the amount of ports on that hub right? so a port output devided into 4, and then if I connect another hub to that hub, even if it´s active/powered, does this mean I get a 1/4 share again?

I mean If I plan to install bandwith hungry devices like dvd-players can they use the full bandwith available on the whole system if it needs or does it just take the 1/16 part that is on the usb port that it is connected to if I put it in after a double-hub chain?

Edit: redefined question: Is the bandwith available on the usb bus shared among all ports even if many ports are free or can it be dynamically re-transfered to devices currently needing more bandwith?

KaBoOoM · 09-02-2006, 03:52 AM

I think, not sure, that when you put in a pcmcia card each usb from that gets its own bandwidth. And the hubs split it up. I'm pretty sure, but not 100%

W3bMa5t3r · 09-02-2006, 04:24 AM

Just my experience, having tried a few different cardbus USB ports... the only one that really worked was a 2 port DLink one. The cardbus only has a certain amount of system bandwidth and it seemed like it didn't take much to eat that little bit up, Esp in a 4 port one I had. for what it's worth...

bimmerpc · 09-02-2006, 05:16 AM

Yep.. I notices something in the device manager that mostly like 10 or 25% said to be reserved for this device from the system bandwith... Maybe there´s a fix to make the cardbus take as much as it wants...?

bimmerpc · 09-02-2006, 04:01 PM

Ahhhhh I´m getting mad at my card, I might go by a Mega ultra computer doctor software since this thing is getting me some nasty things going on with my laptop. Now people say there are a lot of usb problems occuring when connecting many devices into one computer... Now I have a small laptop with 2 usb 1.1 on the back. to this I have attached 3 hubs, 1 active repeater to test long range usb cable, bluetooth dongle, irda dongle, touchscreen, gps, slim dvd-writer, optical mouse, usb keyboard, and yep! all works at the same time connected, not a single problem

now... I connect the pcmcia card after uninstalling, installing, removal of drivers (usb 2.0) reinstalling of drivers, fiddeling with device manager, removed the card over and over again to make it work but no-no...
everytime I try to connect some devieces to it it either does nothing or just says "unkonw device connected" regardless of what I connect. These devices work flawlessly under usb 1 on the back of the laptop. Why does this happen? If I am lucky I get like one or two devices to work but with variable stability, it can go out of function at the next boot and say unknown again...
Anyone else experiencing similair problems?
If my pcmcia cardbus card is connected just by itself with no other devices connecte to it - the device manager shows no problems at all, the cardbus is there and not malfunctioning in any way, it´s just when I connect other things to it when the problems starts
The cardbus is powered by an external power source /wall socket so there should be enough power

W3bMa5t3r · 09-02-2006, 06:43 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by bimmerpc

Ahhhhh I´m getting mad at my card, I might go by a Mega ultra computer doctor software since this thing is getting me some nasty things going on with my laptop. Now people say there are a lot of usb problems occuring when connecting many devices into one computer... Now I have a small laptop with 2 usb 1.1 on the back. to this I have attached 3 hubs, 1 active repeater to test long range usb cable, bluetooth dongle, irda dongle, touchscreen, gps, slim dvd-writer, optical mouse, usb keyboard, and yep! all works at the same time connected, not a single problem

now... I connect the pcmcia card after uninstalling, installing, removal of drivers (usb 2.0) reinstalling of drivers, fiddeling with device manager, removed the card over and over again to make it work but no-no...
everytime I try to connect some devieces to it it either does nothing or just says "unkonw device connected" regardless of what I connect. These devices work flawlessly under usb 1 on the back of the laptop. Why does this happen? If I am lucky I get like one or two devices to work but with variable stability, it can go out of function at the next boot and say unknown again...
Anyone else experiencing similair problems?
If my pcmcia cardbus card is connected just by itself with no other devices connecte to it - the device manager shows no problems at all, the cardbus is there and not malfunctioning in any way, it´s just when I connect other things to it when the problems starts
The cardbus is powered by an external power source /wall socket so there should be enough power

Sounds like you're having the problems I had. I had the two 1.1 ports on the back of the laptop, and had the cardbus 2.0 ports (two). My devices were gps, cd/dvd, 2 powered hubs, my laptop auto on module, bluetooth dongle, sound blaster live, wintv, mini keyboard, optical mouse, and touchscreen. It actually took me hours and hours if not days of frustration to work out a configuration that worked. I honestly don't know the science behind it, why it works, or anything. It was crazy as hell. My gps module only liked being plugged in into one of the powered hub ports, my touchscreen and sound blaster live would only work if plugged directly into the 1.1 ports. The powered hubs and their devices only worked if plugged into the 2.0 cardbus ports... optical mouse/keyboard, cd/dvd didn't care where they were plugged in. It took plugging one device in and installing the drivers, doing about 2-3 reboots for each device before installing the next... etc.. I had to use the plug'n'play port blocker for the gps module so it wasn't detected as a mouse and the cursor go haywire jumping all over...
but yeah... it was finally worked out... through lots of trial and error, sweat and blood

bimmerpc · 09-03-2006, 04:14 AM

Thanks for the input.
I too cant find any logic in what I´m doing, for example my bluetooth dongle now seems to work when connected to my cardbus, my flashdisk also works both directly plugged into the cardbus and from a distant external hub with long cord. but when I plug in my usb wireless engenius senao usb adapter, the computer freezes. It doesnt do that on usb 1.0.

Do You have Your cardbus powered, and if so, from what? usb port or wall socket?

W3bMa5t3r · 09-03-2006, 05:33 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by bimmerpc

Thanks for the input.
Do You have Your cardbus powered, and if so, from what? usb port or wall socket?

My old 4 port one was and it was crap, straight up couldn't get anything to work right. My Dlink 2 port is not powered, but works well as mentioned above

... lol

bimmerpc · 09-03-2006, 08:17 AM

ok so the d-link works but gives alot of trouble?

Maybe I should get myself a better/more expensive one?

W3bMa5t3r · 09-03-2006, 08:20 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by bimmerpc

ok so the d-link works but gives alot of trouble?

Maybe I should get myself a better/more expensive one?

no no, that's not what I'm saying. It works great and since I figured out where everything 'needs' to plug in, I haven't had a problem. I couldn't keep the 4 port one stable for more than 1 or 2 devices at a time, and that was a really expensive one...