Tag Archives: USB 3.0

Uspeed Superspeed External Hard Drive Docking Station

  By Ani Fardreamer | September 2, 2012 - 8:49 am | ,
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Uspeed Superspeed USB 3.0 & eSATA to SATA External Hard Drive Docking Station for 2.5 or 3.5in HDD with USB 3.0 Cable and eSATA Cable

If you’re like me, you take the internal hard drives out before getting rid of your old PC. What to do with those hard drives? Well, now there’s an answer. The Uspeed Superspeed External Hard Drive Docking Station is the perfect solution for getting some use out of what once was. Go back and retrieve that data you thought you’ve lost or format the drive and use it like it’s a new external hard drive.

Setup was easy. I just connected the cable, plugged it in, dropped in the hard drive (it must be a SATA drive), and turn it on. I connected the dock to a USB 3.0 port, but the dock also has an eSATA option available. All the necessary cables are provided.

I formatted the hard drive. Then, I tried a quickie speed test. I transferred a 1.71 GB file to it, which took about 24 seconds. That’s comparable to my external USB 3.0 hard drives.

Wow. I’ve always wanted one of these. Now that I have one, it works exactly as I’ve ever hoped it would. I’m impressed, and very happy.

This product was provided for review by Laptopmate.

 

Cable Matters USB 3.0 Super Speed 7 Port HUB

  By Ani Fardreamer | August 25, 2012 - 9:20 am | ,
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Cable Matters USB 3.0 Super Speed 7 Port HUB

This Cable Matters USB 3.0 Super Speed 7 Port HUB is my third USB 3.0 7-port hub. What stands out is its most incredibly small size. It’s smaller than my iPhone.

The hub has three ports on one side and two on the other. Each port sports its own bright green LED light. The power LED light is bright red, so it reminds of Christmas lights when it’s all lit.

Speedwise, it is comparable to my other USB 3.0 hubs. Transferring a 1.71 GB file from my computer to my USB 3.0 external hard drive via the computer’s USB 3.0 port and this hub takes 25 seconds.

The Super Speed hub cannot be powered by the USB port. It must be plugged into an outlet. This means I can use it as a USB charging station when the computer is not on. The manufacturer says it cannot be used as a charging station for an iPad, but I don’t have and iPad to test it out. So far, I’ve used it to charge my iPhone, battery packs, keyboard, Kindle Fire, and Kindle 3G.

I like this hub very much. It’s going to replace my old hub, which is not very old and was working just fine. The compact size of this hub is what won me over. Very nice.

This product was provided for review by Cable Matters.

UDATE 11/26/12: I did notice some problems when plugging my iPhone or Kindle Fire in to charge while everything is plugged in and turned on. They seem to overwhelm the little hub and all the ports freeze. Plugging them in to charge when my computer is shut down is fine.

Seagate Expansion 2 TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

  By admin | June 27, 2012 - 11:02 pm | ,
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Seagate Expansion 2 TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive STBV2000100

The first thing I noticed when I opened the Seagate package was the Seagate Hard Drive was a little heavy. It’s about as big as my Western Digital My Book Essential 2 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive and looks like a metal brick.

The second thing I noticed is this brick needs to be plugged into an outlet. I do have a powered USB 3.0 port, so I tried it without the power cord, but that did not work. I do have to plug it into an outlet.

Once it was plugged in and powered up, the drive was instantly recognized by my Windows Vista Home Premium system. No need for manual installation of anything. The drive did not come loaded with backup software. I like that. When it comes with software, I am loathe to delete it; but I don’t use it, so it sits there, taking up valuable memory and adding to clutter.

There is a registration setup that was automatically populated — so quick and easy. I normally don’t register anything because of the hassle, but there was no hassle here. Registration is not necessary to use this device. It’s completely optional.

For comparison, I copied a 1.71 GB file first to My Book Essential and then to Seagate. For My Book, it took 26 seconds. For Seagate: 27 seconds. They are comparable.

Next, I copied 151 GB of data to the Seagate. That took me 49 minutes. Not bad.

PROS:
+ fast data transfer rates
+ no extra software installed to clutter the drive
+ plug and play, no need to manually install driver

CONS:
- too big to carry around on a regular basis — about 1.7 pounds and the size of a small book
- needs to be plugged into an outlet
- no backup software included (could be viewed as a positive thing, see above)

Although it’s portable, it’s not really one I’d want to carry on a regular basis. It’s too big, heavy, and needs to be plugged in. For portability, I recommend Western Digital My Passport 2 TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive, which not only is small in comparison but also does not need to be plugged into an outlet. However, there is a price $$ to pay for portability. If travel is not your concern and you are planning on leaving this on your desk, the Seagate External Hard Drive is a great device.

This product was provided for review by the Amazon Vine program.

Plugable PCI Express to SuperSpeed USB 3.0 2-Port Expansion Card

  By Ani Fardreamer | May 20, 2012 - 9:28 am | ,
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Plugable PCI Express to SuperSpeed USB 3.0 2-Port Expansion Card for Desktops (NEC/Renesas Chipset)

With this Plugable PCI Express to SuperSpeed USB 3.0 2-Port Expansion Card, I’m finally able to maximize the speed of Western Digital My Book Essential 2 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive. Installation on my Windows Vista Home Premium system was very easy. I just popped it onto the PCI Express slot, connected the cable from my power supply put everything back together and I was done. To install the driver, I used the CD provided. It went very smoothly, no glitches whatsoever.

Was it worth the effort? Most definitely. I tested it by transferring an 886 MB video file onto the external hard drive. Using my old USB 2.0 port, it took 45 seconds. On the USB 3.0 port, it only took 16 seconds. What a difference!

What about USB 2.0 devices? I connected my Plugable USB 2.0 10 Port Hub with all manner of 2.0 devices hooked to it with no problems.

This card has two bright blue LED lights, which I find useful. My computer tower sits in a darkened nook under my desk and I have to crawl back there sometimes to put a plug in or pull one out (like attaching the USB cable from my external hard drive to this USB 3.0 port). No longer do I need a flashlight to see. It’s plenty bright enough to illuminate my way, although I know that can be a problem for some people.

I have decided to switch to a USB 3.0 7-port hub in order to take advantage of my new USB 3.0 ports. All my devices are so much more responsive. It’s like the Force. I can feel it. I’m very happy with this USB expansion card. It performs wonderfully.

This product was provided for review by Plugable.

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This review was originally posted on 4/7/12.

UPDATE 5/16/12: I have recently discovered a problem with this card. At first, I thought it was my hub that was connected to the card causing me problems. It would disconnect occasionally. After I moved the hub to my computer’s native USB 2.0 port, it no longer had any problems.

The controllers are set to not turn off my devices. The driver was updated per instructions from Plugable, but the problem continues. It is a minor inconvenience to me. For others, it can be a bigger problem, and so I must lower the star rating to four stars.

Uspeed USB 3.0 7 port Hub

  By Ani Fardreamer | May 19, 2012 - 7:20 am | ,
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Uspeed USB 3.0 7 port Hub with USB 3.0 Cable and Power Adapter Backward Compatible with USB 2.0

I installed this Uspeed USB 3.0 7 port Hub on my Windows Vista Home Premium system. It was very easy, works right out of the box.

SPEED

I tested this against a USB 2.0 10-port hub I own and the results were as follows:

** Transferring a 1.71 GB movie file to Western Digital My Book Essential 2 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive via the USB 2.0 hub: 1 minute, 6 seconds.

** Transferring a 1.71 GB movie file to the external hard drive via the Uspeed 3.0 hub: 26 seconds.

Both hubs were connected to a Plugable PCI Express to SuperSpeed USB 3.0 2-Port Expansion Card port. The difference in speed is significant.

POWER

Whereas my USB 2.0 hub could function without a power adapter when attached to a powered USB port, this USB 3.0 hub could not. It must be plugged into an outlet or no USB devices attached to it will work. Keyboard, mouse, fingerprint sensor, flash drive, headset, external hard drive — no-powered, low-powered, self-powered — the computer cannot see them unless the hub is plugged into the outlet.

When it’s plugged in, this hub will charge USB devices even when the computer is off. That makes it a handy USB charging station. It’s how I charge my Kindle Fire overnight.

COMPATIBILITY

I plugged in my USB 2.0 flash drive into this hub and it works. I plugged the hub into a USB 2.0 port. It works. This Uspeed USB 3.0 hub is compatible with all my 2.0 devices and ports.

LOGITECH

I know the product description says Logitech devices do not play nice with the hub. That had me a little worried, because I own all manner of Logitech devices. But not to worry. I have my Logitech mouse, Logitech keyboard and Logitech headset all hooked up to this hub right now. Everything works, no problem.

PROS:
+ 7 USB ports
+ very fast transfer rates
+ compatible with Logitech devices
+ charges devices when computer is off
+ backwards compatible with 2.0 USB ports and devices

CONS:
- must be plugged into an outlet to work
- seven very bright, blue LED lights (only light up when port is active)

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I love the increase in speed. Believe me, it’s noticeable. This Uspeed hub plays nice with my computer and all my devices, no problems at all. I am very happy with this hub.

This product was provided for review by Laptopmate.

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Review originally posted on 4/8/12.

UPDATE 4/24/12: After using this hub for a few days, I have noticed one problem. Occasionally, some of the ports turn off and stop communicating with the computer. In order to reset them, I must take out the power plug and plug it back in. This happens with or without my Logitech devices. Laptopmate sent me a second unit that also behaves the same way. They have concluded it is the overload protection stepping in to turn off the ports. The way I use this hub, I consider it a minor inconvenience. It doesn’t happen every day and it’s easy to fix. It is an inconvenience all the same and may be more of a concern for those who rely on the hub to be always on, so I will adjust my rating from five stars to four stars.

UPDATE 5/12/12: I continued to try different tactics to fix my problem until finally, I tried plugging my hub into a different USB port on my computer. That seems to have done the trick. I did not think it was the port. My controllers were set to not turn off the device. Nevertheless, ever since I switched ports, I have not had any problems. Right now, I’m connected to now is a USB 2.0 port. I am going to install a different USB 3.0 port and try this hub on the new port later. For now, I will update the star rating to reflect my original opinion. It is a five star product.

UPDATE 10/14/12: The above review is for the old version. The seller gave the updated version the same ASIN#. I will be reviewing the new version soon and amending this review shortly after.

UPDATE 10/14/12: The above review is for the old version. The seller gave the updated version the same ASIN#. I will be reviewing the new version soon and amending this review shortly after.

UPDATE 10/27/12:  The new and improved hub looks just like the old one but with two upgrades:

1) The power adapter was changed from 12V 2A to 12V 3A.  What this means is it’s better for charging high power devices.  I always try to charge my tablet on devices with higher amps, because it charges more quickly.
2) It includes the latest VIA VL812 chip.  The manufacturer claims it runs cooler, more efficiently and has broader compatibility.  It’s definitely cool to the touch, and I am impressed with the compatibility.

Remember my problem above with the Plugable PCIE USB 3.0 port?  I have had absolutely no problems using this new and improved 7 port hub with that port.  Wonderful!  Now, I can plug my hub into that port and take full advantage of this hub’s 3.0 capability.

This product’s rating is a solid five stars and remains so.  I am very happy with the improvements the manufacturer has made.

The upgraded product was provided for review by Laptopmate.