D-Link DUB-H7/B 7-Port USB 2.0 Hub - UK Version

I originally bought this hub to add extra USB2 ports to my rather old and creaky Windows XP PC which I use for legacy software reasons. As expected when the hub was connected it was recognised by XP and installed without any problems what-so-ever (no additional driver needed).However when it come to actually using the hub some of the devices that I connected, namely a 3.5” USB Floppy Drive (yessss, I know !!) and a rather old USB Freecom Toughdrive had problems. In both instances the devices would periodically (and quite often) disconnect and then re-connect while in use. Other devices such as Mice, Keyboards, Trackballs, USB Pen Drives, Printers, and indeed the hub it’s self, would stay connected without any problem.I had a feeling that the problem lay more with my PC than the hub it’s self since these problems with the Floppy Drive and the Toughdrive would arise even if connected directly to my PC USB ports (one of the reasons for buying this hub in the first place). I therefore put my problems down to experience and decided disconnect the hub from my PC and put it into storage.However some months ago I built myself a new Ryzen based PC running 64bit Windows 10 Pro and decided to give this USB hub another go and I have to say that, so far, it has performed brilliantly. Obviously installation on Windows 10 was completely painless and any device which I connect to the hub, including the aforementioned USB Floppy Drive and the Toughdrive, run perfectly without any problems at all. The hub it’s self has so far proved totally reliable with no drop-outs or disconnects, despite having being powered-up pretty well permanently for the last 7 months or so. The fast charge ports work fine and come in handy when it comes to charging phones and tablets.Should things change for the worse I will update my review and rating accordingly but as of this moment I am more than happy to award this good quality, compact, neat and reasonably priced USB2 hub a five star rating – at least when connected to a Windows 10 based PC !RegardsAde.

Delivery;Arrived promptly within a few days, package was easy to open and protective.Reason for purchase;I bought the hub so I could use the back 4 (now 3 since the hub uses one port) USB ports and the two front USB ports for other equipment. I chose this specific hub over others due to the design, and the high ratings.Problems so far?;The only two problems I have encountered so far are:1. After putting the 4 USB devices in and installed, I put the 5th in and got a bluescreen.2. I put a Wireless USB stick into one of the ports and every once in a while it stopped connecting*.No other issues with the hub and it works flawlessly with whatever is plugged in.Design;It's smaller than I expected, though a lot of things look bigger in books/online. Suffice to say it's small, compact and does the job. It sits nicely next to my Desktop tower. Depending on what you use for your plug sockets you may have a few "quirks".- If you have a wall-socket with a 2/3 socket plug, you'll have to use an alternative, as the long plug will stop you plugging it on the top, and will block any plug if used on the front.- If you use an extension lead with multiple sockets you'll find the plug design to be no problem, even with a socket-plug (depending on if you have it hanging or on the floor).The ports position make it easier to use any wide USB's without fear of 'conflict'. The green LED's are not overpoweringly bright, and only the power LED remains on when the computer is turned off.Recommendations;I would definitely recommend this product to other people who need an easy compact hub for additional ports. I have yet to contact support for any reason.Other;I have currently got a webcam, printer, mouse, keyboard, and wireless USB stick plugged into the hub, and all work simultaneously. Also, the hub does not overheat quickly, instead it can sustain a cold/reasonable temperature for a relatively long time.--*however, other devices still work in the port and the USB wireless stick works in an alternative port. Probably a picky wireless stick.

This item is actually the black shiny one shown in the customer photos, not the silver older looking one.I use this hub with my work laptop so that I only have one USB cable to plug in when I sit at my desk (for mouse, keyboard, smartphone, USB pen-drive and other devices I use for work). This is the first hub I've used where the transfer speeds to and from my phone and pen-drive are similar to when they're plugged straight into the laptop. The power adaptor also means it can charge my phone at a descent speed, and carries on charging when I take the laptop away to a meeting.Here are some details for techies:According to the manual, all 7 ports supply 500 mA when connected to the PC, but when disconnected (or PC is shut down) the two high-power ports supply 1.2 A. If you want them to supply 1.2 A while connected to the PC, you have to download ipad_charge.exe from the D-Link website. This is no longer available, but you can get it here: [...]Running this utility doesn't seem to make any difference to the rate my phone charges; maybe it only works with an actual iPad, I dunno.Lost 1 star for software not being available and inability to tell whether ports are really supplying 1.2 A or 500 mA. Great hub though, certainly worth the money!