USB Sockets

[priscus]

Why are USB connectors on rear of computers almost always more reliable than those on the front?

I realise that once upon a time, they were an add-on.

The wiring, and small amount of circuitry immediate to the socket probably not same manufacturer as mobo.

But they have been around for more than a decade now.

Surely long enough for any detected inadequacy within hardware to be rectified.

 

[Elizabeth23]

do you know that I have 4 usb sockets in the back of my tower 2 being used for my printer and speakers, and I have not ever used the other 2, I have always used the 2 in front,

 

[Mike_Walsh]

I've got 4 at the back. These run keyboard, printer, webcam.....and the fourth is connected to a 7-port self-powered hub. This is 'Blu-Tak'd to the top front of my tower.

I have 3 at the front (one is part of a media-card reader, and is in fact the only part of this that still works). My Logitech mouse runs from here, as does a NetGear wireless adapter I sometimes use. Sometimes it'll work, sometimes it won't, so.....there may be some truth in what priscus says.

I have a USB 3.0 adapter card in my only PCI-e x16 slot. This gives 2 more. This runs an external 1 TB Seagate drive, also 'Blu-Tak'd to the top rear of the tower.....

And a Belkin 4-port adapter card in one of the PCI slots.

Total: 19 ports in all. You can never have too many USB ports!

 

[Goldfynche]

An old (ish) thread, but I'll chip in anyway! I have four at the rear which are the ones built into the motherboard. These I find are the most reliable.
I have two at the front. Also part of a media card reader in which I have permanently connected bluetooth dongles, one for my Logitech keyboard/mouse and the 2nd for bluetooth headphones. I've found that certain USB devices won't work with the front panel ones.

 

[jim davis]

And a Belkin 4-port adapter card in one of the PCI slots.

is that a USB male to wire to 4 port female

is there any speed issues with extension ports like that??????

 

[Mike_Walsh]

is that a USB male to wire to 4 port female

is there any speed issues with extension ports like that??????

Hi, Jim.

No. This is an adapter card. It plugs into one of the 4 PCI slots on my motherboard (these give rear-facing outputs). This provides 4 x USB 2.0 female sockets.....and the transfer speed is the same as a built-in USB socket that's soldered directly to the mobo.

To cope with all these extra sockets (just in case I ever need them all at once), the original 300-watt PSU has been long since uprated to an 800-watt one. Never hurts to have a beefy power supply.


Mike.

 

[jim davis]

To cope with all these extra sockets (just in case I ever need them all at once), the original 300-watt PSU has been long since uprated to an 800-watt one. Never hurts to have a beefy power supply.

so whats this mean, if i have five usb sticks on standby in my xp by for extra memory I need to raise the USB power supply.

 

[cornemuse]

The sticks/thumbs are not so power hungry, but 5 usb hdds plugged in all at once would be another story. Some 2½" hdds draw a lot of 5v power, could put a strain on 5v portion of psu.

I have a number of usb hdds that will not work without an external power source plugged into the usb aux power port, the 'dual usb cables' (with extra usb power source plug) dont get it going.

 

[jim davis]

and speakers

Dear Lady Elizabeth
how do you hook speakers into a USB port, cause my speaker input hole has no left channel

 

[jim davis]

The sticks/thumbs are not so power hungry,

Thank you

 

[vmbox]

do you know that I have 4 usb sockets in the back of my tower 2 being used for my printer and speakers, and I have not ever used the other 2, I have always used the 2 in front,

Im pretty late but.. What do you use for your mouse and keyboard then lol

 

[vmbox]

Why are USB connectors on rear of computers almost always more reliable than those on the front?

I realise that once upon a time, they were an add-on.

The wiring, and small amount of circuitry immediate to the socket probably not same manufacturer as mobo.

But they have been around for more than a decade now.

Surely long enough for any detected inadequacy within hardware to be rectified.

The ones on the back are the motherboards usb's and those are always much better than the case usbs on the front. I don't think there is a USB 3.1 Port on the motherboard without using a third-party adapter to get better usb's in the front aka, case usbs