A Question about USB 2.0 cards

[Guest]

I have a computer with an ASUS motherboard. The motherboard is about
5 years old now. The computer has USB 1.1. I want to add a card to
let me use 2.0.

I've seen some internal USB 2.0 cards at TigerDirect for only about
$12 bucks. Are these okay? Do I need to get a specific kind of USB
2.0 card? Or will just any card fit into the motherboard slot?

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[Rich Barry]

Here's a good guide
http://www.usbman.com/Guides/usb_2 pci cards.htm

 

[Guest]

Stay the hell away from Tiger Direct. Go with NewEgg or Zipzoomfly, or
better yet go to your local CompUSA and get the card. If it doesn't work
out, at least you can bring it right back and get your money back.

 

[Guest]

Ok. But why? You've got me bad scared of TigerDirect now. And my
nearest CompUSA is 60 miles away. Can I buy just any USB 2.0 PCI card
I feel like? Or do I need a certain shape, size, model number, wires
made of gold or not, etc etc?

I'll have to unplug everything, move all the furniture, get down on
the floor, fiddle around with the case, install the card, hit my head
on the shelves, run the cats out of the way, and whatnot; installing a
PCI card will take me about 4 hours. I don't want to have to do it
twice.

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In the last exciting episode on Fri, 19 May 2006 20:30:01 -0700,

 

[Guest]

USB 2.0 add-in cards are very very common, even Staples sells them. I was
recommending a local store (where you will pay more than online) because it
would be easy to return the card if it somehow didn't work with your older PC
(which is probably unlikely). Most USB 2.0 add-in cards with WinXP don't
even require a drivers install, Windows installs them automatically. Tiger
Direct has a return policy from hell, they will put you through all kinds of
misery before they will even think of giving you a RMA number. Newegg and
Zipzoomfly are easy to deal with, their return policy is customer friendly.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the follow up. I'm glad to be aware of TigerDirect's bad
return policy. I don't like that.

I'll check with Office Depot and Staples, which are local. Thanks!

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In the last exciting episode on Sun, 21 May 2006 10:00:01 -0700,

 

[Guest]

Tiger Direct also tends to sell a lot of defective merchandise that they get
making their "big deals" and "truckload bargains." They would be the
retailer I would never buy a PC from.

Right now Newegg is at the top - lowest retail price - fastest shipping on
earth. Zipzoomfly is second, but just as trustworthy.

http://www.newegg.com
http://www.zipzoomfly.com

 

[Uwe Sieber]

I have a computer with an ASUS motherboard. The motherboard is about
5 years old now. The computer has USB 1.1. I want to add a card to
let me use 2.0.

I've seen some internal USB 2.0 cards at TigerDirect for only about
$12 bucks. Are these okay? Do I need to get a specific kind of USB
2.0 card? Or will just any card fit into the motherboard slot?

They fit all as long as you have a free PCI slot.

Try to get a card with a NEC chip. They are known for
best compatibility.


Greetings from Germany

Uwe

 

[Guest]

I HAVE the manual for my motherboard. Someone on this list told me to
look in device manager for "enhanced," which would indicate USB 2.0.
Another told me to look for the EHCI entry and update the driver to
bring the ports up to USB 2.0 standard.

The motherboard says I have 2.0 ports but need to get the drivers.
That was published in Nov. 2001, but the mobo was installed on Aug.
2001.

Later, I applied SP1 to XP Home. The USB 2.0 drivers are included in
SP1. Somebody on this list told methat I do not have USB 2.0 ports
because they weren't available in 2001 and that I need to buy a USB
2.0 card.

As you see, I've been getting conflicting information. I need to
figure out
1. Do I have USB 2.0 ports? (yes, because the ASUS user's
manual says so).
2. Do I have USB 2.0 drivers installed?
3. How do I find out if I have USB 2.0 driver's installed?
4. If they aren't installed, how do I install them?

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In the last exciting episode on Tue, 23 May 2006 07:45:26 -0500, Bob I

Get the manual for your motherboard here
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

In the last exciting episode on Fri, 19 May 2006 01:26:43 GMT, "Rich

Here's a good guide
http://www.usbman.com/Guides/usb_2 pci cards.htm

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[Guest]

Well, I just ordered a microphone and a fancy mouse from newegg. I
don't want somebody else's junk, and it sounds like TigerDirect is
selling quite a bit of it.

But it seems maybe I don't need a USB 2.0 hub after all. My user's
guide for the motherboard says the ports are USB, but that the
motherboard was made and sold before the USB 2.0 drivers were
available, and to download them from MS. That was in Nov. 2001.

I checked which files I'm supposed to have to make the USB 2.0 ports
work, and they're all correct. I guess they came from the SP 1 update
a couple of years ago.

But I cannot find any reference to EHCI or "enhanced" in the device
manager; I'm told I have to see that, or else it means the computer is
still using 1.1 drivers.

I'm all confused.

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In the last exciting episode on Sun, 21 May 2006 21:00:01 -0700,

 

[Guest]

OK Guys,. I got into the Bios.

============================================================
BIOS & MY CHANGS:
One selection was whether to allow Legacy USB 1.1 to be enabled.
I left it enabled.
Another selection was whether to allow Enhanced USB. I changed
it to ENHANCED.
Another selection was for USB 1.1 -- its options were None, 1, 2,
or 3 controllers. It was set at three and I left it there.

I rebooted. All USB devices are working.

============================================================
I checked Device Manager. It says:

UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS CONTROLLERS
Generic USB Hub
Intel 82801DB/DBM USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller - 24CD
Intel 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C2
Intel 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C4
Intel 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C7
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
============================================================

Here are my QUESTIONS:
1. Why do I have TWO "USB Root Hub? ________
2. How many of my USB ports are set to USB 2.0?
3. What do 24CD, 24C2, 24C4 and 24C7 mean?
4. I have SIX USB ports on the ATX case. Four are in the back
-- same as in the mobo manual and the manual you had me download. the
other TWO are on the right-side of the computere case. WHICH ports
are showing up in Device Manager?
5. Is there a way to plug in a USB "tester" into each port and
check the speed, and find out that way if they are set to USB 1.1 or
to USB 2.0?
7. If I DISABLE Legacy Support for USB 1.1, will my old USB
devices still work?
8. Should I set the USB 1.1 settings to NONE?

============================================================
AFTERTHOUGHTS:
9. Do I still have to install a separate USB 2.0 card, as
earlier recommended?
10. Do I still have to install XP Home SP 2 in order to get USB
2.0 drivers, as earlier suggested?


Thanks so much for your patience. It's frustrating for me, but
bit by bit I learn a little more, and get my computer to do what I
need.

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In the last exciting episode on Wed, 24 May 2006 08:17:51 -0700,

Well, I just ordered a microphone and a fancy mouse from newegg. I
don't want somebody else's junk, and it sounds like TigerDirect is
selling quite a bit of it.

But it seems maybe I don't need a USB 2.0 hub after all. My user's
guide for the motherboard says the ports are USB, but that the
motherboard was made and sold before the USB 2.0 drivers were
available, and to download them from MS. That was in Nov. 2001.

I checked which files I'm supposed to have to make the USB 2.0 ports
work, and they're all correct. I guess they came from the SP 1 update
a couple of years ago.

But I cannot find any reference to EHCI or "enhanced" in the device
manager; I'm told I have to see that, or else it means the computer is
still using 1.1 drivers.

I'm all confused.

<*((((><{
(e-mail address removed)



In the last exciting episode on Sun, 21 May 2006 21:00:01 -0700,

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