Powered USB 3.0 Hub

[Dirigent82]

I've wanted to get a powered USB 3.0 hub for my SP3, since it only has one USB port. I have an external portable hard drive that I would want to connect to it. As I've dug around a bit, I've come across some conflicting advice: Some people advocate never connecting an external hard drive via a hub and others say it's fine if the hub is powered.

Anyone here connecting an external hard drive through a powered USB hub? Is it working okay? It seemed like a simple solution to the one-port problem, but some of the info out there concerned me a little bit.

Any recommendations on a quality USB 3.0 powered hub?

 

[rhapdog]

There are a number of powered USB 3.0 Hubs on the market. They are not all equal by any means. While I don't have a recommendation for a specific brand or model, I do have some recommendations on what to look for.

If you have a hub that has 4 ports, make sure it can handle at least 8 Amps at a very minimum. Preferably, 8.4 Amps. If it has 7 ports, it should be able to handle 14.7 Amps. 2.1 Amps is usually enough to handle most of your equipment.

What to look for with this? The Amperage provided by the adapter. If you've got a 7 port USB 3.0 powered hub, and it comes with a 5 volt, 10 Amp power adapter, you won't be able to plug in more than 5 high powered items, and you've lost 2 ports, though this is the best you will find on most 7 port models. I've seen 10 port powered hubs with a 7 Amp adapter. Steer clear. 2, 3, or 4 ports is probably all you'd need. I use a 4 port hub that has a 5 volt, 10 Amp adapter. That means it can handle a max of 2.5 Amps per port.

Now, will that hard drive work? That's the big issue. Many hard drives have a performance degradation issue when you use a longer cable. These generally come with a shorter cable, and the instructions tell you to not use it with an external hub. Many external hubs come with a sub-par USB cable, which will degrade the performance and prevent the HDD from working properly. Make sure you get a high-quality USB cable to go from the hub to the Surface, with less than 2 feet of length, and you will most likely be fine.

 

[Talldog]

I'm using an unpowered Cable Matters 3.0 hub to run a PNY 256Gb thumb drive and Silicon Power 1Tb drive simultaneously on my SP3. Works fine. As Ambassador said though, you need to pay attention to the power requirements of the devices you're going to be using together.

 

[Dirigent82]

I use a 4 port hub that has a 5 volt, 10 Amp adapter. That means it can handle a max of 2.5 Amps per port.

Thanks for your detailed reply!

Did you buy this adapter separately or did your hub come with a 10 Amp power adapter? Most I find are 2.0 or 2.1.