Question flaky USB hubs?

[DLes]

I usually use powered hubs for all my USB expansion, and they work great. But occasionally, I just want to connect low power (mouse, keyboard), so I defer to an unpowered hub. They RARELY work. I have one USB2 unpowered hub I just got that misbehaves. I plug it in, with a mouse. It doesn't work. I pull the hub plug to the computer, and plug it back in, and the mouse works, for a few minutes, and then stops working. I move the mouse to a different port in the plug. Same thing happens. Over and over. What the @#$%^&*( is going on? BTW, when the mouse is plugged directly into my computer, there are never any problems. This seems to happen with many unpowered USB hubs.

All my computers are Macs, BTW.

 

[Aeacus]

If you already know that unpowered USB hubs (splitters actually) doesn't work for you as you want it, then why waste your money and nerves on those?

As far as why it isn't working, well, USB 2.0 is rated up to 2.5W. Use 2-way splitter and you're looking <1.25W per port. If you have 4-way splitter then <0.75W per port. And so forth.
Non-LED KB uses 0.7W - 0.8W. Non-LED mice uses 0.4W - 0.5W.

As far as if there is any diff with Macs (e.g less than 2.5W per USB 2.0) vs PCs, i don't know. I haven't had any Macs (or any Apple products in that matter).

 

[DLes]

OK, we're talking about a MOUSE. It is an LED wired mouse. No way that needs much current. And a 2.5W splitter should provide all 2.5W if there is only one thing plugged in. This mouse should need about 500mW. If a USB splitter can't power a mouse, what in the world are they for?

 

[Ralston18]

@DLes

Regarding:

"It doesn't work. I pull the hub plug to the computer, and plug it back in, and the mouse works, for a few minutes, and then stops working. I move the mouse to a different port in the plug. Same thing happens. Over and over."

Consider that the hub is either defective or beginning to falter and fail if it worked before.

The cycle of events that you describe appears to me as being heat related.

Even with seemingly small currents/wattages components warm up. Could be that some component is warming up and expanding. Likely shorts out or causes some disconnect.

You move things around and a cooler component is used and works. Until it heats up.

Likely the hub components cool down very quickly between unplugging and replugging.

Those unpowered hubs are made as cheaply as possible with likewise cheap components.

Then you get into design and manufacturing. Also cheap and problematic.

Plus, when it comes to manufacturer power related specs (either provided or used) I tend to be quite skeptical.

 

[DLes]

I've gotten a few of these cheap hubs, and it seems to happen with each one. I guess I have to assume that they are all intrinsically defective.