Adding USB Ports

[nweissma]

If I am posting this in the wrong section then Administrators feel free to relocate.

USB ports can be added using three designs: External with its own power; External using USB's power; and Internal expansion board.

What are the pros and cons and intended uses of each design, and what do you recommend?

Thanks.

 

[Canon]

Well external USB hubs with power are intended for devices that need more than 500ma of current (combined between all ports on the hub).

External USB powered hubs are designed for lower power draw devices like digital cameras, keyboards/mice, printers etc. Most people still recommend using a powered USB hub if it's an option.

As for the expansion cards, this would be mostly appropriate in older PCs, many PCs from back in the day came with only 2x USB 1.1 ports (not even USB 2...) and a couple more on a USB header. These expansion cards can allow you to enable these older devices to have USB 2.0 ports and also augment the limited supply of USB ports. Modern desktop PCs of today normally come with 4-6 ports on the back panel plus a couple more USB headers, these things are loaded with ports by comparison and they are all USB 2.0.

This pretty much eliminates the need for an expansion card in my opinion but I'm sure you could still use one if you wanted to just have all cables running the PC, the USB hubs can actually allow you to streamline things since you could mount them to your desk etc. and run one wire instead of 4.