Can front-panel USB ports damage to device?

[kimiraikkonen]

Hi,
I want to ask: I have ''4'' USB 2.0 rear ports plus ''2'' USB 2.0
ports located front panel of the chassis.

I heard sth. Does connecting a Hi-speed or Full-speed USB device to
''FRONT PANEL USB'' ports damage to computer or the device plugged in?

For example, for devices charging from USB(cell phones,mp3 players),
is it health to connect them to front panel USB ports or it doesn't
differ from rear ports?

Thanks

 

[Gordon]

Hi,
I want to ask: I have ''4'' USB 2.0 rear ports plus ''2'' USB 2.0
ports located front panel of the chassis.

I heard sth. Does connecting a Hi-speed or Full-speed USB device to
''FRONT PANEL USB'' ports damage to computer or the device plugged in?

For example, for devices charging from USB(cell phones,mp3 players),
is it health to connect them to front panel USB ports or it doesn't
differ from rear ports?

Thanks

Nope. a USB port is a USB port is a USB port......doesn't matter whether
it's on the front, the back or underneath....

 

[kimiraikkonen]

Nope. a USB port is a USB port is a USB port......doesn't matter whether
it's on the front, the back or underneath....

AS yo know, the front panel USB ports are connected to the motherboard
by extending an connector cable. So, does that mean they're extra for
the system or the main duty of the mobo's chipset to provide the sama
functionality to front panel ports?

 

[Gordon]

AS yo know, the front panel USB ports are connected to the motherboard
by extending an connector cable. So, does that mean they're extra for
the system or the main duty of the mobo's chipset to provide the sama
functionality to front panel ports?

Well I've got front USB ports on my machine and never found them any
different to the rear ones....

 

[Anna]

(and k. adds...)

Well I've got front USB ports on my machine and never found them any
different to the rear ones....

k. & Gordon:
Well, like so many answers in this business...yes & no...

First of all - we've never experienced any incidents of damage to the PC or
the USB device depending upon whether the device was plugged into a front or
rear USB port. And I've never come across any reports of such.

But we have experienced a significant number of incidents where USB device
recognition was an issue depending upon whether the device was connected to
a front or rear USB port. In nearly every case if a problem arose it was the
front panel USB port that was the problem. From what we could determine the
connection to the motherboard's USB header from the front panel port seemed
to be proper, but the system simply didn't recognize the existence of the
USB device while connected to that front port although there was no problem
when the device was connected to a rear USB port (the I/O panel).

The bottom line in all this is that if the user is experiencing USB device
recognition problems, at the outset he or she should try different USB ports
on the PC.
Anna

 

[Spoon2001]

Hi,
I want to ask: I have ''4'' USB 2.0 rear ports plus ''2'' USB 2.0
ports located front panel of the chassis.

I heard sth. Does connecting a Hi-speed or Full-speed USB device to
''FRONT PANEL USB'' ports damage to computer or the device plugged in?

For example, for devices charging from USB(cell phones,mp3 players),
is it health to connect them to front panel USB ports or it doesn't
differ from rear ports?

Thanks

See what Anna said. My system recognizes the front panel ports, but after I
installed to SP2, they were no longer recognized as high speed ports, but
only as full speed ports.

Also be careful about using USB to charge things or power up odd devices. A
USB port can only supply a limited amount of power, and these devices don't
properly report their power consumption to the port. A real USB device
reports its power requirements to the system.

 

[Noncompliant]

AS yo know, the front panel USB ports are connected to the motherboard
by extending an connector cable. So, does that mean they're extra for
the system or the main duty of the mobo's chipset to provide the sama
functionality to front panel ports?

If you're talking overall draw power, yes, they are extra duty. Their power
draw limitation drain is no different from USB ports on the rear of a PC.
They are additive though, if something else is drawing power from other USB
ports.

The only possible exception I can see is if the PC maker built such a PC
without providing an ample power supply for that draw of current with the
above in mind. With this rare and insignificant number not in the picture,
sounds like an urban legend.

Does not affect the chipsetS of the motherboard. Has no bearing. These do
not provide power to the USB connector aboard the motherboard.

You do not need to enable in the onboard bios settings such a USB port to
use it for charging a USB device.

 

[NoConsequence]

Hi,
I want to ask: I have ''4'' USB 2.0 rear ports plus ''2'' USB 2.0
ports located front panel of the chassis.

I heard sth. Does connecting a Hi-speed or Full-speed USB device to
''FRONT PANEL USB'' ports damage to computer or the device plugged in?

For example, for devices charging from USB(cell phones,mp3 players),
is it health to connect them to front panel USB ports or it doesn't
differ from rear ports?

Thanks

And this has what to do with the OS?

Ask elsewhere.

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

OK

No. What can go wrong, is that the folks who assembled the PC may
have incorrectly connected up the front connectors to the motherboard,
as many cases come with loose wires that the builder has to get in the
correct order. Having said that, power-related problems can arise
when "too many" things are connected via unpowered USB hubs, but
that's likely to apply to either set of sockets.

No, they're internally as integral as the ones at the back. Perhaps
the extra plugs and wires may have a near-neglible effect, if loaded
right up to borderline conditions.

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