Question Strange USB Problem

[Christian2000]

Hello alll,

I have a rather weird USB issue that I'm hoping someone might have come across. I've purchased a Startech powered USB 3.2 Gen 2 hub, which works fine when plugged into a USB 3 Gen 1 socket, but not when connected to a USB 3 Gen 2 socket. The motherboard, an Aorus X470 Gaming Wifi 7, has two ASMedia Gen 2 ports, one USB A, one USB C, but when connected to either the hub does not appear in file manager, device manager, USBTreeview or USBDeview, but it does cause USdevice manager and USBTreeview to endlessly refresh every 2 or 3 seconds. I have no other hubs with a type C input to test with, but I connected my phone to one of the Gen 2 ports and it worked fine. So, the hub works with other ports but not the Gen 2 ports, and the Gen 2 ports work with my phone but not the hub, they just won't work together. I've updated to the latest ASMedia USB Controller drivers, latest Windows updates and newest bios, whilst both Gen 2 USB cables I've tried are decent quality and brands, so I'm at a bit of a loss. Other hardware, for what it's worth, is a Ryzen 5900X, 3060 ti, 64gb of Crucial 3600.

 

[Paperdoc]

What you describe sounds like the Hub cannot communcate cleanly with the USB 3.2 Gen 2 port of either connector type. it is not recognized in Windows, and the behaviour of your USB utilities says they are constantly trying to refresh as if they keep getting failed responses from the Hub. I suggest you contact Startech Tech Support for a failed? Hub.

 

[Christian2000]

Hi Paperdoc,

I have a small, equally strange, update. I got my paws on a USB 3,2 Gen 2 portable SSD, plugged it in to one of those gen 2 sockets and it worked fine. But I then borrowed a completely different make and model of gen 2 hub, including a different chipset, and it behaved exactly the same as the Startech hub. So, it seems those two gen 2 ports are happy with a 'device' plugged in, like the phone or SSD, but are thrown by a hub

 

[Paperdoc]

You could have got two different hubs with similar problems. Getting them to work at the full speed (10 Mb/s max) if a Gen 2 port is tricky, and may NOT work if you try it with cables using the older style Type A connectors. Similarly, a long cable will be a problem irrespective of the Hub. It IS possible that your problem is the CABLE you are using, rather than the Hub itself. And you must be sure to connect its supplied "power brick" so the loads connected to the hub get enough power to operate.

 

[Christian2000]

Another update, albeit somewhat academic. I tried a third different gen 2 USB hub, this time with a really short c to c cable, but exactly the same result, while a gen 2 memory stick worked OK, but needed a restart to be fully recognised. In summary then, those ASmedia Gen 2 ports will not play nicely with any gen 2 hub, be they powered or not, or whether using type A or type C socket, at least not with the three drivers I've tried, including the latest. They will work with phones, portable SSDs and flash drives, but even then can be temperamental. All of which makes me wonder, is it just a fundamental issue with USB 3.2 Gen 2 being somewhat unproven and un-battle-hardened? Or is there still something I'm missing?

 

[Paperdoc]

A fascinating story for which I have no answers. Anyone else see such issues? Is it related to the particular USB 3.2 Gen 2 chip used by that mobo? Is there a Driver flaw? Certainly this does NOT appear to conform to the USB 3.2 Gen2 specs.

 

[terngz]

Hi,


Are you have any fix or solution for this problem?

I think I have a similar issues about USB 3.2 gen 2 and "Hub"

I just upgrade my PC to a brand new mainboard ASrock H670m/ITX which come with H670m chipset and USB 3.2 Gen 1, Gen 2

I have a Dell U2414H monitor which have a USB 3.0 hub and connect to m/b with USB 3.0 upstream cable type B to type A


Here's my problem, When I connect an Upstream cable to USB 3.2 port at the back of my M/B, I have problem with the drivers and it show "Safety Remove Device" icon at the corner of taskbar and continue flashing (seem like you plug and unplug in a second repeatly)

You can watch this issues form my YouTube link here
https://youtube.com/shorts/RMAMeLzRzTg?feature=share

(I am sorry for background music is too loud, you may turn the volume down first)

When I open Device Manager, I see a yellow badge sign on Generic SuperSpeed USB Hub.... but a thumb drive which I connect thru the monitor hub is still working normally but working in USB 2.0 speed (i guess)

and When i switch this monitor back to my old mainboard (H370m with USB 3
1) everything seems to be fine no flashing no yellow badge on Generic SuperSpeed USB Hub

back to my new Mainboard, an USB 3.2 port is work normally with USB 3 external Hard drive, USB 3 flash drive, a phone or anything if I connect directly

but when I connect a cable from Monitor to work as a USB 3.0 hub the flashing icon is issues but I didn't see any error in Windows Events Viewer

Anyway I found some trick to have it work by Turn on and off Monitor several time and If i lucky there will no yellow badge on Generic SuperSpeed USB Hub no icon flashing and everything is work perfectly as it should be, But if I restart windows all the issues is comes out again 😭😭

or another trick If I plug the cable from monitor to USB 2.0 port everything is work fine as well

by the way, I doesn't have newer monitor with hub to test, doesn't have a USB 3.2 device to specific cause of this issues is comes from USB hub on monitor not compatible with USB 3.2 or any defect on my USB 3.2 port or just problem about silly Windows 11 driver managent

Thanks to read
Hope you are fully understand

 

[Paperdoc]

Your post says the Hub in your monitor is stated to be "USB 3". In the new labelling system, that is called USB 3.2 Gen1, with a max data transfer rate of 5 Gb/s. Then you say the cable from computer to monitor is Type A to Type B. The USB people particularly say that a cable using Type A connections is NOT guaranteed to work at the Gen 2 max speed of 10 Gb/s, but it might if you're lucky AND if it is short enough. The build quality of that cable (details of shielding, twist, etc.) is also a factor here. However, a USB 3.2 Gen2 port is supposed to be able to work smoothly with a Gen1 system at the Gen1 speed. It appears your computer's USB 3.2 Gen2 port does not with that Hub in the monitor, but does work well with some other USB 3 devices (Gen specs not known, but I suspect Gen 1.) My guess is the issue is that the Hub built into the monitor is not dealing properly with communication with a Gen 2 port. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that these devices use some sort of initial negotiation protocol when first connected so they both can agree on the data rate they will use. Some of that, no doubt, is done by hardware at each end of the connection. It is possible that the hardware in the monitor was not really designed for that if it was built before Gen3.2 systems were designed. OR, the issue MIGHT be simply with the device driver for the USB 3.2 port on your mobo OR with the driver for the Hub in the monitor. Check with the makers of those components whether an updated driver might do any good.