D-Link 4 Port USB Hub on my XP HE

V

Vonda Botham

I have a 2 ½ year old XP Home Edition and the tower only has 2 built in USB
ports, so I bought a D-Link 4 Port USB Hub to compensate.

One of those USB 2 ports is used up wholly for the modem that connects me
to the Internet via the ADSL modem, and the 2nd USB port is used to connect
up the D-Link 4 Port USB Hub so I can hook up my scanner, printer, webcam
and digital camera.

The only problem is that when I want to download pics from my digital camera
I have to UNPLUG the scanner, printer and webcam, leaving just the digital
camera plugged in. This sort of defeats the purpose of me buying the D-Link
4 Port USB Hub in the first place.

I went to the D-Link website thinking I might find some answers there, but
didn't. Now my "computer man" tells me I'll probably have to spend up to
$100 Australian dollars to get 4 USB hubs installed internally. It just
doesn't seem fair to me.

These D-Link 4 Port USB Hubs are reputed to be able to work faithfully, so
what is going wrong for me?
Any feedback would be appreciated. If I am in the wrong "Newsgroups" I
expect someone will tell me so, and direct me to the correct Newsgroups for
this problem.
Vonda.
 
S

Sharon F

I have a 2 ½ year old XP Home Edition and the tower only has 2 built in USB
ports, so I bought a D-Link 4 Port USB Hub to compensate.

One of those USB 2 ports is used up wholly for the modem that connects me
to the Internet via the ADSL modem, and the 2nd USB port is used to connect
up the D-Link 4 Port USB Hub so I can hook up my scanner, printer, webcam
and digital camera.

The only problem is that when I want to download pics from my digital camera
I have to UNPLUG the scanner, printer and webcam, leaving just the digital
camera plugged in. This sort of defeats the purpose of me buying the D-Link
4 Port USB Hub in the first place.

I went to the D-Link website thinking I might find some answers there, but
didn't. Now my "computer man" tells me I'll probably have to spend up to
$100 Australian dollars to get 4 USB hubs installed internally. It just
doesn't seem fair to me.

These D-Link 4 Port USB Hubs are reputed to be able to work faithfully, so
what is going wrong for me?
Any feedback would be appreciated. If I am in the wrong "Newsgroups" I
expect someone will tell me so, and direct me to the correct Newsgroups for
this problem.
Vonda.

It sounds like everything is working as expected except the camera. Have
you thought about checking this situation from that angle?
 
G

Gene K

Vonda,
If your Computer is 2 1/2 years old (Mfg. in late 2001) one problem you have
not mentioned is that you probably only have USB 1.1 enabled Ports which
are connected directly to your Computers Motherboard. USB 2.0 enabled ports
only become generally available around March-July 2002 if my memory is
correct. If I am correct, what you really to install is a USB 2.0 enabled
PCI card with 4/5 output ports which you could buy in the USA for $25 US. It
does not take a computer expert to install it. SP 1 to XP made both USB 2.0
and Firewire [AKA i-link or ieee1394] possible. If you are into digital
camera use, I recommend you buy a USB 2.0/Firewire dual enabled PCI card
which in the US would run $30-40. Install it yourself or get a friend to do
it for you. Tis not Rocket Science. Most cards come with good instructions.
In closing, I doubt your problem is the Hub since I suspect you have a USB
2.0 capable Hub hooked up to a USB 1.1 capable Port. Consider that USB 2.0
claims to be up to 40 times faster than USB 1.1.
Gene K
 
V

Vonda Botham

Sharon F,

Yes, I did consider the camera could well be the problem.

It is a Sanyo LCD VPC-R1 and the software that came with it (Sanyo Software
Pack 6.0) does not mention/include the XP.

All other OS are mentioned: MS 95/98/Me/2000 Windows NT®4.0, as well as
Macintosh®.

Making the point that I am quite able to use the camera on my XP, but NOT
in the manner I would have preferred, does that mean that IF I had purchased
a digital camera with XP explicitly mentioned on the software disc, that it
would have been "accepted" on the D-Link 4 Port USB Hub???????

Should that be the case, I might be better off investing the $100 in a more
current digital camera that's software includes the XP, rather than getting
4 USB ports installed into the tower.

I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I just don't think the
D-Link 4 Port USB Hub should spit the dummy no matter what. My D-Link 4 Port
USB Hub is supposed to be designed to accept a variety of peripherals,
regardless. I think D-Link is lacking in it's ability to produce what they
promised. The blurb on the box was quite specific.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I guess it is really now up to
me what I should do. I am disappointed in my D-Link 4 Port USB Hub.
Finis.
 
S

Sharon F

Sharon F,

Yes, I did consider the camera could well be the problem.

It is a Sanyo LCD VPC-R1 and the software that came with it (Sanyo Software
Pack 6.0) does not mention/include the XP.

All other OS are mentioned: MS 95/98/Me/2000 Windows NT®4.0, as well as
Macintosh®.

Making the point that I am quite able to use the camera on my XP, but NOT
in the manner I would have preferred, does that mean that IF I had purchased
a digital camera with XP explicitly mentioned on the software disc, that it
would have been "accepted" on the D-Link 4 Port USB Hub???????

Should that be the case, I might be better off investing the $100 in a more
current digital camera that's software includes the XP, rather than getting
4 USB ports installed into the tower.

I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I just don't think the
D-Link 4 Port USB Hub should spit the dummy no matter what. My D-Link 4 Port
USB Hub is supposed to be designed to accept a variety of peripherals,
regardless. I think D-Link is lacking in it's ability to produce what they
promised. The blurb on the box was quite specific.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I guess it is really now up to
me what I should do. I am disappointed in my D-Link 4 Port USB Hub.
Finis.

The USB hub is a pass through. It facilitates the communication between the
camera and the computer but ultimately it is the camera that identifies
itself. Since you can get the camera to work without anything else
connected to the hub it sounds like the camera is doing its job somewhat.

I qualify that statement with a "somewhat" because the other devices are
happily working side by side - two of which already fall into the image
device category (webcam and scanner). The arrangement falls apart when the
third imaging device is attached and it is *not* playing nicely with the
other devices. Hard to say if it's the camera or the hub that's letting you
down but it seems to me that the camera is the odd man out.

There is another option that you might want to consider: When XP was
released, I had an older digital camera. Although it worked fine with Win98
and WinME, it would not work when hooked up directly to an XP PC. I opted
for a USB reader - cost $20. I've since updated that camera and even though
this new one is XP compatible, I still prefer using the reader.

I don't even miss the "special" software that came with the camera. While
it is "nice" -- it only works directly with the camera and does not have as
many features for handling images as my other graphics programs.
 
S

Sharon F

If I am correct, what you really to install is a USB 2.0 enabled
PCI card with 4/5 output ports which you could buy in the USA for $25 US. It
does not take a computer expert to install it. SP 1 to XP made both USB 2.0
and Firewire [AKA i-link or ieee1394] possible.

This is a good suggestion as well and should work out well.
 
V

Vonda Botham

Gene,

The D-Link 4 Port USB Hub I have is definitely 1.1, going from what is
printed on the box:to quote:

"The D-Link DSB-H4 is a four port USB Hub that works with either a PC or a
Mac. It allows you to easily expand from a single USB port into four USB
ports.

And because it strictly complies with the USB 1.1 specifications, the D-Link
DSB-H4 is guaranteed to be compatible with any USB device that adheres to
the USB 1.1 specification. That means you can connect any USB product that
is based on the USB standard such as another USB Hub, a printer, a joystick,
a mouse, a scanner, a drive, a digital camera, a video camera, a speaker
system, a modem and many other devices.

The D-Link DSB-H4 is easy to use too, with Plug and Play software drives
installing is a snap It's a perfect companion for a Pc or a Mac. The D-Link
USB-h4 supports both high and two speed USB devices, up to a full 12 Mbps
(million bits of date per second. The D-Link USB - H4 Hub USB hub's high
speed 12 Mbps is more than 100 times faster than serial port connections and
it is up to 12 times faster than parallel port connections." unquote.

However, I do not know what sort of specifications the two internal/built in
USB hubs are, but from what you have explained, and I know very little, the
mere fact that my tower is so old seems to be the problem.

At least now I am able to make an educated decision and I thank you and
Sharon F for all the help you have provided me.
Regards,
Vonda.
FINIS.

Gene K said:
Vonda,
If your Computer is 2 1/2 years old (Mfg. in late 2001) one problem you have
not mentioned is that you probably only have USB 1.1 enabled Ports which
are connected directly to your Computers Motherboard. USB 2.0 enabled ports
only become generally available around March-July 2002 if my memory is
correct. If I am correct, what you really to install is a USB 2.0 enabled
PCI card with 4/5 output ports which you could buy in the USA for $25 US. It
does not take a computer expert to install it. SP 1 to XP made both USB 2.0
and Firewire [AKA i-link or ieee1394] possible. If you are into digital
camera use, I recommend you buy a USB 2.0/Firewire dual enabled PCI card
which in the US would run $30-40. Install it yourself or get a friend to do
it for you. Tis not Rocket Science. Most cards come with good instructions.
In closing, I doubt your problem is the Hub since I suspect you have a USB
2.0 capable Hub hooked up to a USB 1.1 capable Port. Consider that USB 2.0
claims to be up to 40 times faster than USB 1.1.
Gene K

--
Gene K
Vonda Botham said:
I have a 2 ½ year old XP Home Edition and the tower only has 2 built in USB
ports, so I bought a D-Link 4 Port USB Hub to compensate.

One of those USB 2 ports is used up wholly for the modem that connects me
to the Internet via the ADSL modem, and the 2nd USB port is used to connect
up the D-Link 4 Port USB Hub so I can hook up my scanner, printer, webcam
and digital camera.

The only problem is that when I want to download pics from my digital camera
I have to UNPLUG the scanner, printer and webcam, leaving just the digital
camera plugged in. This sort of defeats the purpose of me buying the D-Link
4 Port USB Hub in the first place.

I went to the D-Link website thinking I might find some answers there, but
didn't. Now my "computer man" tells me I'll probably have to spend up to
$100 Australian dollars to get 4 USB hubs installed internally. It just
doesn't seem fair to me.

These D-Link 4 Port USB Hubs are reputed to be able to work faithfully, so
what is going wrong for me?
Any feedback would be appreciated. If I am in the wrong "Newsgroups" I
expect someone will tell me so, and direct me to the correct Newsgroups for
this problem.
Vonda.
 
G

Gene K

Vonda said:
Gene,

The D-Link 4 Port USB Hub I have is definitely 1.1, going from what is
printed on the box:to quote:

"The D-Link DSB-H4 is a four port USB Hub that works with either a PC or a
Mac. It allows you to easily expand from a single USB port into four USB
ports.

And because it strictly complies with the USB 1.1 specifications, the D-Link
DSB-H4 is guaranteed to be compatible with any USB device that adheres to
the USB 1.1 specification. That means you can connect any USB product that
is based on the USB standard such as another USB Hub, a printer, a joystick,
a mouse, a scanner, a drive, a digital camera, a video camera, a speaker
system, a modem and many other devices.

The D-Link DSB-H4 is easy to use too, with Plug and Play software drives
installing is a snap It's a perfect companion for a Pc or a Mac. The D-Link
USB-h4 supports both high and two speed USB devices, up to a full 12 Mbps
(million bits of date per second. The D-Link USB - H4 Hub USB hub's high
speed 12 Mbps is more than 100 times faster than serial port connections and
it is up to 12 times faster than parallel port connections." unquote.

However, I do not know what sort of specifications the two internal/built in
USB hubs are, but from what you have explained, and I know very little, the
mere fact that my tower is so old seems to be the problem.

At least now I am able to make an educated decision and I thank you and
Sharon F for all the help you have provided me.
Regards,
Vonda.
FINIS.

Vonda,
If your Computer is 2 1/2 years old (Mfg. in late 2001) one problem you
have

not mentioned is that you probably only have USB 1.1 enabled Ports which
are connected directly to your Computers Motherboard. USB 2.0 enabled
ports

only become generally available around March-July 2002 if my memory is
correct. If I am correct, what you really to install is a USB 2.0 enabled
PCI card with 4/5 output ports which you could buy in the USA for $25 US.
It

does not take a computer expert to install it. SP 1 to XP made both USB
2.0

and Firewire [AKA i-link or ieee1394] possible. If you are into digital
camera use, I recommend you buy a USB 2.0/Firewire dual enabled PCI card
which in the US would run $30-40. Install it yourself or get a friend to
do

it for you. Tis not Rocket Science. Most cards come with good
instructions.

In closing, I doubt your problem is the Hub since I suspect you have a USB
2.0 capable Hub hooked up to a USB 1.1 capable Port. Consider that USB 2.0
claims to be up to 40 times faster than USB 1.1.
Gene K

--
Gene K
I have a 2 ½ year old XP Home Edition and the tower only has 2 built in
USB

ports, so I bought a D-Link 4 Port USB Hub to compensate.

One of those USB 2 ports is used up wholly for the modem that connects
me
to the Internet via the ADSL modem, and the 2nd USB port is used to
connect

up the D-Link 4 Port USB Hub so I can hook up my scanner, printer,
webcam
and digital camera.

The only problem is that when I want to download pics from my digital
camera

I have to UNPLUG the scanner, printer and webcam, leaving just the
digital
camera plugged in. This sort of defeats the purpose of me buying the
D-Link

4 Port USB Hub in the first place.

I went to the D-Link website thinking I might find some answers there,
but
didn't. Now my "computer man" tells me I'll probably have to spend up to
$100 Australian dollars to get 4 USB hubs installed internally. It just
doesn't seem fair to me.

These D-Link 4 Port USB Hubs are reputed to be able to work faithfully,
so
what is going wrong for me?
Any feedback would be appreciated. If I am in the wrong "Newsgroups" I
expect someone will tell me so, and direct me to the correct Newsgroups
for

this problem.
Vonda.
Vonda,
Thanks for the thanks. To wind up, I again recommend that you buy a PCI
Card which would add both USB 2.0 and Firewire capability to your PC
since you are in the Digital Camera business already. REMEMBER, if you
upgrade, you will also have to replace your present Hub since it does
not support USB 2.0. USB 1.1 is fine for slow speed stuff such as your
Mouse, Keyboard, and a few other things but for the high speed stuff you
will want USB 2.0 and/or Firewire. USB 2.0 devices are backwards
compatible with USB 1 and 1.1.
By the way, if you cannot figure out the correct Newsgroup to post a
question to, I advise people to go Windows XP General.
Gene K
 
L

Larry Brown

Try using the computer BIOS to disable "USB Legacy support." Then
uninstall your USB hub and allow it to reinstall. I had a problem of
the computer would not recognize my devices when I plugged them to the
hub and this solved it for me. According to another post I read, "USB
Legacy Support" allows the BIOS to assign an IRQ to the usb ports
before XP gets control, and then XP can not change the IRQs, resulting
in possible problems. Disabling the legacy support allows XP to
control what IRQs it wants to use. The legacy support is for
supporting devices from DOS mode, which might be important if you are
using a USB keyboard.
Hope this helps you like it did me.
LB

 

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