USB 2.0 hub recognized as 1.0

[Steel_Falcon]

Hi to all. I've recently bought three new USB 2.0 hubs. The problem is that, when I connect each of them into a 2.0 port and plug a 2.0 pendrive in the hub, a message appears: "This device can perform faster if you connect it to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port." There's no message if I connect the pendrive directly to the port, without a hub.

If I click the message box, this window appears.

As you can see, the main internal hub is recognized as 2.0 ready (it is in bold), but my external hub (where my pendrive is plugged) is recognized as 1.0 as it is not in bold.

I proceed to make a benchmark with USB Flash Benchmark. Same port, same pendrive, same conditions. The results are depressing. 🙁

•Without hub = 8,8mb/s
•With hub = 0,84mb/s

Because of the lack of bandwith, devices that require 2.0 connections (such as a camera I have), do not work with the hub. It seems that I have been sold a 1.0 hub as a 2.0 one, but I make a last analysis with USBview.

The underlined lines show that the hub is 2.0 ready, so I'm confused. It seems to be a problem related to the OS/drivers, but the drivers of my mobo are updated and I have tested the hubs in a W8.1 laptop with same results.

What can I do? Advanced thanks.

 

[ss202sl]

Is it the hub, or the actual USB port. Is there an updated deiver for you(pc's) USB? The generic USB(driver) may be limiting it.

Plug the pendrive directly into the USB port(not the hub), and see if you get the same error.

 

[GhislainG]

If you get the same issue with 2 different systems, then I would presume the hubs are not fully USB 2.0 compatible. What happens if you connect the pendrive to the hub before connecting the hub to the PC or laptop?

 

[GhislainG]

Is it the hub, or the actual USB port. Is there an updated deiver for you(pc's) USB? The generic USB(driver) may be limiting it.

Plug the pendrive directly into the USB port(not the hub), and see if you get the same error.

The OP already ran that test and the pendrive works at full speed when connected directly to the PC or the laptop.

 

[Steel_Falcon]

If you get the same issue with 2 different systems, then I would presume the hubs are not fully USB 2.0 compatible. What happens if you connect the pendrive to the hub before connecting the hub to the PC or laptop?

Thanks for the answer. With and without the external power supply, exactly the same. 🙁

As the hub is announced as being 2.0 and being able to handle 480Mbps, could it be that each of its ports are limited to a quarter of the total bandwith (as the hub as 4 ports)? I mean, even if the three other ports are unused and turned off (each port has an individual switch).

 

[GhislainG]

I don't think so because the bandwidth is shared. At a quarter you should get 2.2mb/s, not 0.84mb/s. What hubs did you buy? Did you contact the manufacturer?

 

[Steel_Falcon]

I don't think so because the bandwidth is shared. At a quarter you should get 2.2mb/s, not 0.84mb/s. What hubs did you buy? Did you contact the manufacturer?

I bought this model.
It might be from a chinese brand, as there wasn't any brand name in it or in its case, and saw the same model in ebay from Hong-Kong sellers as well. As the previous USBview screenshot shows, the internal circuit is manufactured by Genesys Logic (idVendor), but the only thing they have available to download in their webpage are circuit blueprints, not drivers.

If I don't find any solution, I'll try to contact the seller (a pc store in Madrid, Spain), but I want to avoid it as the shipping would cost more than the hubs in itself. And, even then, the hubs are not broken, they work (but with lower speed), and I don't want to go in "CSI mode" with benchmarks to a seller that maybe doesn't even understand what he is selling.

 

[GhislainG]

Drivers should not be required for a hub. I presume you're not the only buyer having that issue; contact the store as they may know how to make them work at USB 2.0 speed.