Power supply of usb ports. What does the lack of power supply to the hub port mean? Increase in port capacity

Consumers of storage products are often faced with the fact that their devices do not have enough power from the USB connector.

Because of this, the devices do not work as they should - they constantly turn off, periodically disappear from the list of disks, or do not turn on at all.

And this happens, as always, according to the law of meanness, at the most inopportune moment, when it is urgently necessary to get access to your data. The article will discuss how to provide your portable hard drive with good power.

I'll make a reservation right away that this problem occurs with the USB 2.0 port, since the more modern version of USB 3.0, according to the specification, has a large output power, which is quite enough for starting and operating the drive.

So what to do in case of a power shortage

There are two options. The first one is simple: you need to find a very short USB cable - about 15-20 cm.According to experience, losses on such cables are minimal, therefore HDD will work even from the old USB port.

Usually such a wire can be bought in one of the computer markets or breakdowns, and in addition, such wires are liked to put in the set of their products by the well-known manufacturer of portable products Western Digital.

Chances are good that a short cable will fix the problem. In addition, such a "lace" is convenient to carry with you, it is light and does not take up much space, even if it is tiny in a purse or small purse.

Option two - you have to fork out a little. You need to buy a device that will feed your hard drive. There are also two paths here. You can take an internal solution or an external one. The first will suit the owners stationary computers, the second - to the owners of laptops and other portable equipment.

An external solution includes the purchase of a USB hub (hub) for 4-7 ports with an external power supply, which has enough power to power devices in all ports at once.

The advantage of this solution is its versatility. It can be used with a laptop, a desktop, and in general with any device. If necessary, such a hub can be easily thrown into a bag and taken to work / friend / dacha, etc. However, there are also disadvantages, albeit not significant. First, an extra busy socket.

It may seem that I am finding fault, however, as practice shows, the sockets are clogged with devices quickly enough, and soon they may not be enough. Secondly, this is extra space on the table and a bunch of additional wires. For lovers of minimalism, and just order on the table, this option will not seem the best.

The internal solution is much better in this regard. Purchases a 3-inch internal Molex-powered USB hub.

This device also has a card reader, so in addition to everything you get a memory card reader, which is a definite plus.

Since no power supply is required (power is supplied from the computer's power supply), such devices are usually very cheap. Their price rarely exceeds 250-350 rubles.

V this case the solution is very elegant - there is no space on the table, there are no extra wires, everything is at hand.

It will be especially convenient for those users who do not have front USB ports on the computer case (only on the rear panel).

On the downside, such a device will only work with desktops, and also only if you have a free internal connector on your motherboard. It should be noted that such internal connectors are a dime a dozen in modern motherboards.

Why is there not enough power for USB devices

What is the reason for the lack of food. A USB 2.0 port at 5 volts is only capable of delivering 0.5 ampere of current. That is, the power of one port will be 2.5 watts. Starting current hard disk also is 0.5 (and sometimes a little more) Ampere.

If the computer's power supply unit (like it itself) is not new, then not 5 volts may be issued, but, say, 4.6-4.8 volts. That is, the total power can decrease, limiting the power supply to the hard drive already working at the limit.

A long wire has more resistance than a short one, which also reduces the power supply of the hard drive. Fortunately, manufacturers of portable hard drives take into account this problem and put hard drives with less consumption.

True, this does not in the best way affect the speed characteristics.

A more modern USB 3.0 connector has a specification current of 0.9 Ampere (almost 2 times more previous version). Therefore, such devices do not have problems with power supply.

In addition, this connector provides faster data transfer rates. Since backward compatibility exists, then USB device 3.0 can be plugged into USB port 2.0.

In this case, it will run in compatibility mode at lower speeds. Therefore, I recommend buying hard drives with USB 3.0.

Even if you do not have this modern connector in your computer, it will be a good start for the future. When it appears, you will see a significant increase (3-4 times) in speed.

If you have any questions, write in the comments.

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Source: http://pc-hard.ru/hardarticles/88-usb-power-supply.html

How do I fix the power shortage on a USB hub port?

Connectors on system unit the computer is often sorely lacking, so many users purchase additional devices - hubs.

But not everyone understands electronics, and often there is a shortage of power supply to the USB hub port.

Anyone who has encountered such a message on the monitor screen has to figure out what to do in this situation.

What is a USB hub

Initially, the u-es-bi (USB) standard was designed to connect third-party telecommunication devices to a computer. Who would have thought that today almost every conceivable technique is connected to this port:

Low-power speakers;
Keyboards;
Mice;
Modems;
Portable flash drives;
Charging cables from smartphones, etc.

Thus, there is a dissonance between the need to connect multiple devices to the machine and the limited number of ports. For example, a MacBook computer latest model has only one socket of this type: as a result, it will be impossible to simultaneously charge the device and use the USB flash drive.

One way to get around the flaws of computer manufacturers is to purchase special equipment - a USB hub. This miracle, when connected to the port, gives at the output several jacks at once, where you can insert several devices.

Hub types

There are several modifications of hubs on sale:

Connected directly to motherboard... In order to use this type of device, you will need to remove the PC case cover. For those who are not entirely sure of their computer literacy, it is better not to buy such equipment. In case of an error, the damage will be estimated at thousands of rubles.
The second category of these devices is much easier to use, since they can be connected to one of the external USB jacks. The number of connectors available at the output can reach 5. However, it is better not to connect some power-hungry devices to them.
The third type of hubs is generally similar to the previous one, with one exception: in addition to being connected to a computer, for their stable operation, they need to be powered from the network. This solves the problem with the energy "greedy" peripheral computer devices.
The fourth group of hubs has a very highly specialized scope. Namely - they are adapted only for portable laptop PCs (laptops)

What does the lack of power supply to the hub port mean?

This is a fairly common problem with Type 2 hubs. Let's highlight the main possible reasons and how to resolve them:

Too many power-hungry devices are connected to the hub. The equipment simply cannot cope with the load that has piled on it. The only thing that can be advised as a way out of the situation is to turn off too "gluttonous" devices.
If given error is typical for absolutely all ports of the hub, then, most likely, the problem is in itself. As a rule, this indicates a wire breakage or problems with the hub's microcircuit.
Another common problem is related to using the so-calledUSB extenders... This is a cable (usually 1–2 meters long), which is often purchased by modem owners. mobile internet to place the Internet device closer to the window. However, cheap Chinese cables have incredibly high resistance, and almost no energy reaches the device. In this case, it is worth purchasing a more expensive brand name cable.

Increase in port capacity

In order to supply more power via USB, there are a few steps to follow:

Find out all the information about your computer and its structural components. This can be done easily using the Everest utility. To do this, you just need to run a scan and wait a few minutes. After that, find the item with the motherboard model.
If the board model allows you to increase the power supply through the ports, then the next step is to open the window BIOS settings... Then you need to increase the indicator to the maximum, exit the program and save the settings. In the case of outdated models mother cards This cannot be done, so the only way out of the situation is to update the computer.
You can also purchase a separate power adapter that plugs into this type of jack.
Another way to fix the problem is to use a special adapter that increases the voltage supply. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the quality of the product, since cheap crafts labeled made in China tend to spoil ports.

How to choose an active hub?

Perhaps the surest way to provide sufficient power to each USB device is to buy a splitter that draws additional power from a regular mains power supply and distributes it to the output.

Here are the ingredients for a successful purchase:

Don't skimp on a quality device. The price of good hubs can go up to 3,000 rubles, but such gadgets are worth their money.
You shouldn't contact chinese online shopping... First, the quality of these untitled devices is highly controversial. Miracle machines from the Celestial Empire have broken the computer of more than one gullible user. Secondly, delivery from China can take up to a month or more. That's why The best way buy good product here and now - visit the page of a large chain store.
Pay attention to the brand. Recognized masters in their field: Hama, TP-Link and Greenconnect. It is better not to take unknown brands.
The distance between the slots on the hub also matters. Some users complain about the lack of space to connect all the necessary devices.
If you can hold the equipment in your hands, you need to estimate its mass. It should be neither too small nor too large.
Carefully inspect the power cable and the place of its attachment. This is one of the most common "sore spots" of hubs.

The use of cheap hubs in conjunction with power-hungry appliances is the most common cause of power shortages on a USB hub port. What to do depends on financial resources.

Ideally, you need to purchase a more expensive hub, but if this is not possible, then you will have to avoid connecting gluttonous devices through problematic ports.

-solution: fix the error

In this video Dmitry Zakharov will tell you how to fix the "lack of power supply to the USB hub port" error in windows 8.1.

Even modern system units sometimes lack USB outputs to connect all the necessary devices, not to mention older units and laptops. In such cases, they often resort to using USB hubs (aka USB hubs). But when using them, there is a problem of lack of power supply to the USB hub port. What to do and how to solve the problem is described below.

What is a USB Hub

Initially, the USB standard was developed for the exchange of data between a computer and telecommunication devices. But today the list of connected devices has grown significantly and includes speakers, modems, portable hard drives, cables for charging mobile gadgets, etc.

Of course, laptop users are the ones most often faced with a shortage of USB ports. And the owners of MacBook in general sometimes feel real discomfort. To solve this problem, USB hubs have been invented. Their purpose is the ability to connect several USB devices to a computer due to a number of corresponding outputs that switch through one USB port of the hub itself.

There are such variations of these devices on the market:

The USB hub is connected directly to the motherboard. Not the most common method for inexperienced PC users, since the slightest carelessness or mistake can seriously damage other parts of the computer.
The hub is connected via a regular external USB output. A fairly common variation among a wide variety of users. The standard port limit is five. But connect it especially powerful devices Not recommended.
The hub is similar to the previous one, but at the same time it must be connected to the network for full functioning. This solves the problem of connecting energy-consuming devices.
A dedicated hub that is exclusively used for connecting to laptops.

Hub port power shortage problem

Operating room Windows system may show a warning notification that there is a power problem with the USB hub.

Important! When such a notification appears, disconnect all devices from the hub or from the computer itself.

Among the main reasons leading to this problem are:

Therefore, the main options for solving the problem with a lack of power supply to the hub port are as follows:

When using new motherboards in the BIOS settings, you can increase the amount of power supplied via USB. This decision suitable for more experienced users.
Using a special adapter to increase the voltage supply. In that case, it is definitely not worth choosing the cheapest options, as it should really make the devices work.
Using a USB hub of the required type (depending on the connected devices) described at the beginning of the article. But even among them, it is worth choosing those that are somewhat more expensive than the standard options. Famous models include Hama, TP-Link and Greenconnect.

Advice! Monitor the condition of the power cable and where it is connected. Most often, breakdowns occur there, due to which the device does not work correctly.

conclusions

The lack of power supply to the USB hub port can be solved in several ways (depending on the reason), such as: increasing the power supply for the ports in the BIOS, using a special adapter or USB hub of a suitable type from a well-known manufacturer.

Connectors on the system unit of a computer are often sorely lacking, so many users purchase additional devices - hubs. But not everyone understands electronics, and often there is a shortage of power supply to the USB hub port. Anyone who has encountered such a message on the monitor screen has to figure out what to do in this situation.