Belkin CableFree USB Hub

baudi · 03-02-2006, 12:35 PM

This looks very interesting: a cable-less USB Hub from Belkin.

skadoo323 · 03-02-2006, 12:43 PM

perfect for a carputer environment

Drake69 · 03-03-2006, 11:54 AM

Yeah, but you gotta remember, cablefree or "cold" hubs don't always work with all USB connections. The problem with cold hubs is they rely on the same power outlet that your PC is using, which is perfect for directly connected devices, but there is a limit to how much you can connect up. Powered or "hot" hubs that plug into a separate power source are guaranteed to run all USB devices, no matter how many are connected up.

Think of it this way:

PC <--> USB device = 100% power to that port.

PC <--> USB cold hub = 100% power to that port.
cold hub <--> USB device = 25% (dividing power)
<--> USB device = 25% (dividing power)
<--> USB device = 25% (dividing power)
<--> USB device = 25% (dividing power)

PC <--> USB hot hub = 100% power to that port (not needed).
hot hub <--> USB device = 100% (supplied directly)
<--> USB device = 100% (supplied directly)
<--> USB device = 100% (supplied directly)
<--> USB device = 100% (supplied directly)

A cold hub might work with two devices if they don't demand too much power from the hub, but three or more would be pushing it, causing problems with one or all the other devices already connected. Low-yield devices like memory cards or single mem-card readers would be okay, but USB Notebook harddrives would not work if at all.

baudi · 03-03-2006, 12:13 PM

I think you misunderstand this product. It's not a cold hub. It's a wireless hub. It communicates wirelessly with the USB dongle, and provides 4 USB ports in a remote location. It is plugged in to its own power supply, so it should be able to provide full power to each port.

NRGZ28 · 03-04-2006, 01:42 AM

Why poop on his party ? I'm sure to him it sounded like he knew what he was talking about!

"cablefree or "cold" hubs...."

Think about it.. a wireless hub would HAVE to be plugged in or be powered somehow. So, using some common logic, it would definetely be a "powered hub", which is the correct term to use!

lookinco · 03-04-2006, 02:03 AM

what is a cold hub?

buurin · 03-04-2006, 10:05 AM

A battery attachment would be KEY!

And for the record.. I'm running Wifi, Touchscreen, GPS, 1GB USB Stick off a 'cold' hub.. well actually i suppose my hub is 'lukewarm' because it uses two usb ports.

Very cool device. I dont need/want one in my car but the mention of such a device for a media center pc is a good idea (putting it near the sofa for plugging in controllers, usb sticks, cams, etc...)

Whats the speed like? I have not heard of the specs on ultra wide band.

baudi · 03-05-2006, 07:34 PM

Ultra wide-band operates at different speeds depending on the application. 100 Mbps to 220 Mbps implentations are common, and 480 Mbps to 1 Gbps are possible. So it's fast -- similar to Ethernet speed.

baudi · 03-08-2006, 11:00 AM

http://www.wifinetnews.com/archives/006201.html

Belkin Shows Wireless USB Hub with UWB at CES

By Glenn Fleishman

Belkin didn’t have a working demo, but did have prototypes of its recently announced ultrawideband (UWB) based USB hub: The hub comes with a USB 2.0 dongle that plugs into any USB port and bridges to the USB hub within a few dozen feet. No special software or drivers is required to use either the dongle or the hub. A Belkin spokesperson at CES confirmed that these devices will run at 110 Mbps, with future models reaching the full 480 Mbps of both UWB and USB 2.0, and that they are sold only in matched pairs.

The matched pair issue is a small problem because it means that you cannot have multiple dongles associated with the same USB hub (which might confuse USB devices, but could work like a USB switcher, too), nor can you associated multiple hubs with a single dongle, nor mix and match hubs and dongles. This will change in future releases, I’m sure, as all of the UWB vendors interested in USB 2.0 replacement want to offer users as much flexibility as possible.

chewwtoy · 05-20-2007, 07:50 PM

I bought one of these the other day to give it a test. The advertised range is stated as up to 30 feet. I did not have much success with this range. However when connected the device worked great. 30 feet seems great if it would get there.. had more luck with the 15 to 20 foot range.

Anyone else tried it?

baudi · 05-21-2007, 08:50 AM

Not yet. It hasn't gotten very good reviews, mainly because of the throughput. What's your experience?