Question Would 2 x 5 meter powered usb extension cables connected together work better than 1 x 10 meter powered cable ?

[Aussie_Wolfhound]

I have my PC in my room because my house is quite small, however i spend most of my time in my living room as i'm a disability pensioner and walking these days isn't easy. I got a friend of mine to put a high-speed 10 meter HDMI cable from my PC up to a small hole in my room's ceiling, it then travels across the inside of my ceiling cavity and then comes down through a small hole in the ceiling in my living room and plugs into a 4K monitor i have on a small desk which i sit infront of and it always works perfect.

As for how i work a mouse and keyboard and any other external devices... my friend also did exactly the same with a 10 meter usb 3.0 powered extension cable which i then have connected to a usb 2.0 hub at the desk here which i have a keyboard, mouse and headphones plugged into and 99% of the time that works perfect too... just every once in a while (definitely not alot at all but still enough to be annoying) the signal drops out on the hub and i have to un-plug my stuff and then re-plug them.

I am not tech savvy by any means so that's why i'm asking here... i read somewhere that powered usb 3.0 extension cables connected to usb 2.0 hubs shouldn't be longer than 5 meters... so would it work better if i had 2 x 5 meter usb 3.0 extension cables connected together and both plugged into power sockets than just having one long 10 meter powered cable?

 

[CountMike]

I have my PC in my room because my house is quite small, however i spend most of my time in my living room as i'm a disability pensioner and walking these days isn't easy. I got a friend of mine to put a high-speed 10 meter HDMI cable from my PC up to a small hole in my room's ceiling, it then travels across the inside of my ceiling cavity and then comes down through a small hole in the ceiling in my living room and plugs into a 4K monitor i have on a small desk which i sit infront of and it always works perfect.

As for how i work a mouse and keyboard and any other external devices... my friend also did exactly the same with a 10 meter usb 3.0 powered extension cable which i then have connected to a usb 2.0 hub at the desk here which i have a keyboard, mouse and headphones plugged into and 99% of the time that works perfect too... just every once in a while (definitely not alot at all but still enough to be annoying) the signal drops out on the hub and i have to un-plug my stuff and then re-plug them.

I am not tech savvy by any means so that's why i'm asking here... i read somewhere that powered usb 3.0 extension cables connected to usb 2.0 hubs shouldn't be longer than 5 meters... so would it work better if i had 2 x 5 meter usb 3.0 extension cables connected together and both plugged into power sockets than just having one long 10 meter powered cable?

Problem isn't in power but signal strength in longer cables.

 

[Aussie_Wolfhound]

Problem isn't in power but signal strength in longer cables.

So what's the point of powered cables then?

 

[CountMike]

So what's the point of powered cables then?

So you can connect more devices in parallel.

 

[Paperdoc]

Some info for you on a website I found:

https://www.yourcablestore.com/USB-Cable-Length-Limitations-And-How-To-Break-Them_ep_42-1.html

The issue is a combination of power and signal strength. For USB 3 systems the signal strength degrades to the point of unreliable after about 5 m (16 ft) of cable. IF you put a signal booster into the line by that point, then you can "push" it for another 5 m. The the related issue is how you get power for the booster unit to its location along the cable run. Extension cables 10 m and over include a booster amp in the middle of the cable. SOME merely feed power from the host computer port along the cable to that amp, but that may not provide enough power for the amp to do its job fully. You say you have a "usb 3.0 powered extension cable" which SHOULD mean that cable came with its own "power brick" which you MUST use and plug into a socket on one end of the cable or the other (some designs have this socket in the mid-cable amp box) to provide power to that amp independent of the host port. If you have that, ensure that the "power brick" is connected and feeding power reliably.

Splitting this run into two 5 m extension cables will NOT help. Almost ALL Extension Cables I saw LESS than 10 m do NOT have any signal booster amp in them, so that is WORSE than having a 10 m cable WITH its built-in booster and power supply.

I do note one thing. With the arrangement you have, the signals reaching your Hub at the end are still on the weak side because they are at the END of the 5 m last leg of the cable. Furthermore, the POWER arriving at that Hub may be at lower Voltage for this same cable length reason. For this reason some users ensure that the HUB is POWERED by its own "power brick". That way the distribution circuits for the data signals to the hub's ports (which do some signal boosting) AND the power supplied to the devices attached to those ports is fully up to the USB3 standards. So, what type of USB2 Hub do you have there? IF it is NOT a powered Hub and relies solely of its host port for power, that may be your weak point. If that is the case, I suggest you replace that end Hub with a POWERED one. You have been using an older USB2 unit because all your devices are USB2, I guess, and maybe because that's what you had already. But if you buy a new one, just get a simple powered USB 3.2 Gen1 Hub. (All that jargon is the newest way that these things are labelled. ALL such devices are in the USB 3.2 family, and there are three basic speed versions of them. Gen1 can move data up to 5 Gb/s and is all you need (USB2 was up to 0.47 Gb/s); Gen2 is up to 10 Gb/s; Gen2x2 is up to 20 Gb/s.) Here's an example unit

https://www.amazon.com/Splitter-Charging-Individual-Switches-Extension/dp/B07G8CMR18/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1QIHMRMWLUI2T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6qEY_8Nbipg3-LkLyDXZFuiNU4IDXAuPS_tOuzuLNCBC0aYjxGxC2ztgeP7FaiwkB0GXFwjK2ptIzd0HwLBloKQ6Rz42LI0JzS-9UwrXo86d1KxeK-QDN-pKamSDQ4CMR6M_Fmun-CkT8w0ehaNTurX_AHSNgEeRNEOMgFJtQ39iakrJmQLtCgs6tvXLeECXHjueRxeqCgtT7Q1KYe7T1plSsrWgmWV4Z4aOw4ZM-M4.wMQSJ3mMOWX6YV5cIxPMTpHOxfdpw0jNi9J-MEcP04U&dib_tag=se&keywords=powered+usb3+hub&qid=1708789381&sprefix=powered+usb3+hub,aps,86&sr=8-5&th=1

It is labelled "USB 3.0", but that's the old name for USB 3.2 Gen1. It has 7 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A sockets to plug in devices. Each socket has its own On / Off switch and an indicator light, and it also has a non-data Charging Port I suggest you do not need. It comes with its own "power brick" you MUST use that is quite adequate for your use. You CAN plug any USB2 device with a Type A plug on its cable into these sockets and it will work perfectly, although at the USB2 data rates. This will NOT change any performance speed of what you have, but that's no issue. You are using low-speed data devices anyway.

 

[Aussie_Wolfhound]

Some info for you on a website I found:

https://www.yourcablestore.com/USB-Cable-Length-Limitations-And-How-To-Break-Them_ep_42-1.html

The issue is a combination of power and signal strength. For USB 3 systems the signal strength degrades to the point of unreliable after about 5 m (16 ft) of cable. IF you put a signal booster into the line by that point, then you can "push" it for another 5 m. The the related issue is how you get power for the booster unit to its location along the cable run. Extension cables 10 m and over include a booster amp in the middle of the cable. SOME merely feed power from the host computer port along the cable to that amp, but that may not provide enough power for the amp to do its job fully. You say you have a "usb 3.0 powered extension cable" which SHOULD mean that cable came with its own "power brick" which you MUST use and plug into a socket on one end of the cable or the other (some designs have this socket in the mid-cable amp box) to provide power to that amp independent of the host port. If you have that, ensure that the "power brick" is connected and feeding power reliably.

Splitting this run into two 5 m extension cables will NOT help. Almost ALL Extension Cables I saw LESS than 10 m do NOT have any signal booster amp in them, so that is WORSE than having a 10 m cable WITH its built-in booster and power supply.

I do note one thing. With the arrangement you have, the signals reaching your Hub at the end are still on the weak side because they are at the END of the 5 m last leg of the cable. Furthermore, the POWER arriving at that Hub may be at lower Voltage for this same cable length reason. For this reason some users ensure that the HUB is POWERED by its own "power brick". That way the distribution circuits for the data signals to the hub's ports (which do some signal boosting) AND the power supplied to the devices attached to those ports is fully up to the USB3 standards. So, what type of USB2 Hub do you have there? IF it is NOT a powered Hub and relies solely of its host port for power, that may be your weak point. If that is the case, I suggest you replace that end Hub with a POWERED one. You have been using an older USB2 unit because all your devices are USB2, I guess, and maybe because that's what you had already. But if you buy a new one, just get a simple powered USB 3.2 Gen1 Hub. (All that jargon is the newest way that these things are labelled. ALL such devices are in the USB 3.2 family, and there are three basic speed versions of them. Gen1 can move data up to 5 Gb/s and is all you need (USB2 was up to 0.47 Gb/s); Gen2 is up to 10 Gb/s; Gen2x2 is up to 20 Gb/s.) Here's an example unit

https://www.amazon.com/Splitter-Charging-Individual-Switches-Extension/dp/B07G8CMR18/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1QIHMRMWLUI2T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6qEY_8Nbipg3-LkLyDXZFuiNU4IDXAuPS_tOuzuLNCBC0aYjxGxC2ztgeP7FaiwkB0GXFwjK2ptIzd0HwLBloKQ6Rz42LI0JzS-9UwrXo86d1KxeK-QDN-pKamSDQ4CMR6M_Fmun-CkT8w0ehaNTurX_AHSNgEeRNEOMgFJtQ39iakrJmQLtCgs6tvXLeECXHjueRxeqCgtT7Q1KYe7T1plSsrWgmWV4Z4aOw4ZM-M4.wMQSJ3mMOWX6YV5cIxPMTpHOxfdpw0jNi9J-MEcP04U&dib_tag=se&keywords=powered+usb3+hub&qid=1708789381&sprefix=powered+usb3+hub,aps,86&sr=8-5&th=1

It is labelled "USB 3.0", but that's the old name for USB 3.2 Gen1. It has 7 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A sockets to plug in devices. Each socket has its own On / Off switch and an indicator light, and it also has a non-data Charging Port I suggest you do not need. It comes with its own "power brick" you MUST use that is quite adequate for your use. You CAN plug any USB2 device with a Type A plug on its cable into these sockets and it will work perfectly, although at the USB2 data rates. This will NOT change any performance speed of what you have, but that's no issue. You are using low-speed data devices anyway.

Sorry for the slow reply but thank you so much for that detailed response... really answered alot for me. The usb extension cable i have is exactly the same as this one with the little dangly bit hanging off at the connector bit at the end which joins with the small cable coming out of the usb hub and yes i do have a power brick connected to it which is then plugged into the wall and a little red light comes on to let me know it's being powered...

https://www.jaycar.com.au/active-usb-3-0-extension-cable-10m/p/XC4128

You have me very interested with that usb hub you gave a link to up there... mainly because of the on/off switches and an additional port i could use for charging my phone and other devices. I will admit where i said i had headphones plugged into my hub i actually meant i have a bluetooth dongle for my wireless headphones because i didn't think the signal would reach all the way from my room through a wall to me here if it was plugged straight into the PC.

However i tried it after i posted last and it works perfect... and i've noticed since i took the dongle out it hasn't cut out once. I think i might just monitor it for like a week ot 2 now before i make my mind up on that 3.0 hub because i'm in Australia and the exchange rate and all that means it's not cheap. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Paperdoc]

Thanks for extra details. So your CABLE has its power supply connected and working. Does your HUB also have its own power supply module connected, or does it get power only from its connection to the host via that cable?

The fact the headphones are themselves battery-powered, and only their dongle is plugged into the hub means they (actually, only the dongle) use VERY little power from the Hub.

A couple notes on the "Charging Port" of that USB Hub. This port is to be used only for charging things; as far as I can see it is NOT able to move DATA, so you can't use it for common computer peripheral devices. Bu it HAS an impact on the requirements of the "power brick" supplied with it.

The electrical power supplied by any USB 3.2 port (including each of those on this Hub) is at 5 VDC, and limited to 0.9 A max current. That particular Hub has 7 normal ports, so hypothetically that comes to a max of 6.3 A max current for the Hub total, but the "power brick" Supplied is capable of 4.0 A, or 63% of max. That "under-rating" is NORMAL because one almost NEVER tries to load the Hub with ALL of its ports connected to high-power devices ALL working simultaneously. So that power supply unit is adequate for this Hub. The Charging Port can supply up to 2.4 A max current to its device. So IF you are using it at that high charging rate for something, the rest of the Hub (all 7 data ports) can supply only 1.6 A total to all data devices. In your case, OP, you say that is the keyboard, mouse, and one headphone dongle. Those three are very low power devices and this WOULD work for you. Just be aware if you try to do this with MORE devices added, you might exceed the power supply module's capacity.

A bit more info to help. I linked to that Hub just because it is widely available in the USA where many posters are and it is an EXAMPLE of a Hub. But USB 3.2 Gen1 Hubs with Type A ports and their own power supply module are available everywhere, so you should look at sources close to you where prices and shipping are reasonable. You do need a bit more, though, on assessing the power supply part. The info I posted above is for that particular Hub, and all was based on its module that provides power at 5 VDC, up to 4.0 A, and I did take into account your small power needs. More generally I like to see a power supply module able to provide 70% or more of max hypothetical load for users who MAY have higher-power devices like Laptop Hard Drives. Plus, many such Hubs have one or more Charging Ports that require extra care in calculating max Hub load, as I did just above here. Basically, you calculate max load for the standard data ports of the Hub, then additional max load for the Charging Ports, then add them IF you may actually use them.

But here's where it gets a little tricky. Oddly, many such Hubs come with modules that provide power at 12 VDC, and the Hub converts that to 5 VDC for its ports. So the calculations need to be done in WATTS, where Watts = Volts x Amps. A standard USB 3.2 port needs 5 VDC up to 0.9 A, and that is 4.5 W per port. Multiply that by the number of ports for max hypothetical load, then de-rate to about 70% of that for likely max real load. (Maybe de-rate to lower if you expect your case to be low load.) Now do the same for any Charging Ports, then add them. Compare that total to the output rating of the power supply module. That MAY be stated in Volts and Amps so you multiply those, or it MAY be in Watts already. Some powered Hubs are sold with what I think are power supplies too small, but to some extent that depends on what you anticipate for your actual load on the Hub. One hint: if necessary, look for a Hub with too many output ports for you to use, because those large units often come with a higher-rating power supply module.