4 Port USB 3.2 Gen 1 Mini High-Power Hub w/ Port Status LEDs

USBGear Model #USBG-4PminiH – 4-Port USB 3.0 High-Power Metal Hub for PC or MAC – Certified Chip Because of its small size, I decided to purchase this mini hub. After using it, this is a great 4 port mini USB 3.0 hub for tight space applications or organized connections for several of your USB 3.0/2.0 devices. First Visual Observations: I was surprised to find a Sunday delivery, the item had been delivered in a padded envelop boxed in the manufacture’s box. The item’s box itself was a thin white box approximately 8 inches long by 1 1/2 inch high. The Mini USB 3.0 hub was received packaged neatly in the manufactures box that included: – Hub’s power supply – USB 3.0 A to Mini-B cable – USB 3.0 hub – User manual The Mini Hub is small enough that will fit into a small space no bigger than your open hand. The USB 3.0 cable connectors are a tight connection into the USB 3.0 Mini-B port as is the power supply connector needed when using the hub for devices with higher constant power consumption requirements. Hub Operation: I used a Windows 8.0/8.1 (ASUS) laptop with the operation of this hub. My basic process with hubs is to connect the USB cable to the hub, then the cable to the host USB port. This laptop is very quick so I had checked my device manager for the connection; the “Generic SuperSpeed USB Hub” was listed in my Universal Serial Bus Controllers list. I should note that this hub has a (Red) Power LED and becomes brightly illuminated with the hub connected to the computer’s USB port. The power supply this hub comes with is only for additional power, not for initially powering the hub, the USB 3.0 Type-A to Mini-B cable must be connected as this is the medium for transferring the data. This is a 4 port USB 3.0 hub, USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0/1.1 devices which is what I am using with this particular hub. Backward compatibility means that the hub will operate USB 2.0 devices through its USB 3.0 ports but will only have USB 2.0 data transfer speed (480Mbps). Once my connection was made, I had plugged in several thumb drives, when a USB device is connected the hub’s corresponding “Green” LED becomes active indicating that particular port is connected. The thumb drive data instantly appeared on my screen and I was able to browse folders very quickly as I would when accessing my hard drive. Using the thumb drives in my case was the intent of purchase of the USB 3.0 mini hub. Although I didn’t mount the hub in any way, it does include mounting flanges as part of its construction to accommodate for mounting to a table top or wall. There are no screws included but looks like standard mounting screws (two on each side) will work. Based on my usage of it so far, this hub has a good, solid chassis construction, all ports including the power port have a tight connection and it is instantly recognized by my Windows system, I did not have to go through a separate installation process for it to do what I needed, switching between data sources was just a matter of opening folders to that thumb drive. Recommendation: Being as small as it is, I would recommend this USB 3.0 4 Port Mini Hub for tight places may require some sort of hub integrated into its equipment or out in the open where multiple port connections need to be made, possible in an office, school or industrial environment. It was operational as soon as I connected it. Pros: – Extremely small and capable piece of equipment for running multiple USB data sources – Easily connects to a Windows system running 8.0/8.1 – Includes LED for power and individual port connection – Backward compatible with USB versions 2.0/1.1 – Worked right out of the box Cons: I found no CONS with this device’s function, worked right out of the box. Additional Information: The USB 3.0 Mini Hub’s power supply adapter is labeled: – Input: 100-240V – 50-60Hz 1.5A – Output: 5V – 4000mA