Low-Priced, Yet Decent-Quality 7+ Port Hub?

E

ElectroPulse

New Member
Hello, all!

Alright, I am currently in the market for a power USB hub... I currently have a 4-port non-powered USB hub I got many years ago... It is full, and so are several ports on the back of the computer due to overflow.

So anyway, I am looking to get a 7-port or even a 10-port powered USB hub. Requirements:
7-10+ Ports
All powered (as in, 3.5A if a 7-port, 5A if a 10-port)
At least decent quality (like, build quality, as well as how well it works... Like, providing the full 500mah to each port, as well as things like overvolt protection (or whatever the thing is called that keeps the hub from frying devices))
Price range: $25-40 (I would REALLY prefer toward the $25 end of the spectrum...)

Would like:
Material - Metal

I ran across this, and it looks quite nice, but I would much rather pay quite a bit less than $50: http://serialstuff.amazonwebstore.com/Metal-7Port-USB-2.0-Powered-Slim/M/B004ESP144.htm
Also, could somebody explain how the 4A works for a 7-port hub? Is the extra 0.5A to send to a port if a device needs more than just 0.5A?

Thanks!
 
Anyone....?

I did find a couple of intersting looking ones... the Dr. Bott T7Hub (http://www.drbott.net/product/3121-T7UH/) and the NewTech USB2HUB7 (http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/USB2HUB7/). It looks like both provide 500mA to every port.

If you are someone reading this that is knowledgable about the Dr. Bott T7Hub, I have a question about it... I noticed that it said "Overcurrent protection with limits between 500 mA (min.) / 750 mA (typ.) / 1250 mA (max.), overcurrent shutdown is indicated by LEDs." Why exactly are there different numbers for overcurrent protection? I am going to be buying a device in the near future that pulls anywhere between 500mA and 1A (depending on how hard it is running). Does the quoted information mean that it would be possible for such a device to pull the required current through one port? (otherwise I would need a Y cable to plug into two downstream ports). If this is the case, how does the hub determine whether a device genuinely needs the higher current, or if it is a "defective devices drawing too much current" (quoted from the page)? Is there some way to manually set it, or is it automatically determined?


Any other suggestions are welcome!
 
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