D-Link DUB-H7 High Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub Reviews

• Backward compatible with USB 1.0 and 1.1???

  
  By on 2004-06-18
  The product is and does what all the descriptions say. Looks good, nice and small etc. etc. It is, of course, backward compatible with USB 1.0 and 1.1, but I got a nasty surprise when I opened the box and read the "Quick Install Guide". Under the "tips" section, they state: "Connecting USB 1.1 devices to the DUB-H7 may cause all USB devices connected to the hub work at USB 1.1 speed. To ensure 480Mbps throughput for your USB 2.0 devices, do not connect USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices to the hub at the same time." Maybe this is common knowledge to a computer expert, but to me it wasn't! I have 1.1 and 2.0 devices which I want to connect, and now I have to start unplugging and re-plugging devices constantly? That's why I bought a hub with 7 ports in the first place! If I had known this, I would have bought two 4-port hubs: one for my USB 1.1 devices, and one for my USB 2.0 devices.

  You can download the Quick install guide I am talking about at Dlink's website: http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=149 and click on "Install Guides" for the PDF format download.
  
  

• This item is getting something of an undeserved rap here...

  
  By AI7BIKYQK7BGU on 2005-07-03
  I've had one for about six months now, and it's worked without problems. One of the things I particularly like with it is that it comes with one of the newer "slimline" power supplies that doesn't block other plugs, works anywhere in the world (100-240V), and is more efficient than the old "wall wart" power supplies.
  
  Let me address some of the other comments here:
  
  1) For the guy with the Lexar data card... it is a blight on D-Link's reputation that their technical support was clearly incompetent (this is sadly true of many companies today -- being pushed there in part by the relentless "drive to the bottom" by consumers who often care more about price than quality and support), but I doubt that even a really good company could have helped much. Although the hub may have somehow been at fault, it's also possible the Lexar card had problems -- even if it worked fine in other hubs. For the record, I've used a handful of USB drives with this hub without problems... although not a Lexar brand.
  
  2) Regaridng plugging in a USB 1.0/1.1 device and slowing the hub down -- this doesn't actually happen, at least in the hub I received, but what D-Link is doing is hedging their bets (hence the word "may" -- which unfortunately these days many manufacturers use when the word "will" is more correct!): Inside the hub you'll find a VERY generic hub IC (actually, two of them), and D-Link has a lot of freedom to use different vendors' ICs based on price, availability, etc. All of them are USB 2.0 hubs, but ones without so-called "per port transaction translators" will drop to full speed (12Mbps) if any of the ports have such a device plugged into them. Happily, ICs like this are pretty much extinct today (when USB 2.0 first came out they were around). In any case, your solution of just getting two hubs certainly still applies. I agree this should be a little bit more prominently advertised, but so should a lot of things about USB, WiFi, etc. -- the oft-touted data routes of 480Mbps and 54Mbps (respectively) are pure fantasy, for instance, in real world applications.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Works just fine - USB 1.0, 1.1 up to 2.0

  
  By A26KPX6CB4V4ZY on 2005-03-29
  I currently have 6 of the 7 sockets connected to different USB devices - some 2.0 and some less.
  
  Each works just fine - even the 2.0 high speed micro drive.
  
  
  

• DO NOT USE WITH YOUR LEXAR MEDIA JUMPDRIVE

  
  By ATDVZFI29Q0U1 on 2004-09-12
  I just purchased this item and it destroyed all the data on my LEXAR 2.0 256MB USB JumpDrive. Further more, D-Link was completely unhelpful, with customer serve reps who did not even understand what a USB-Hub (even though I gave them a part number) and kept asking me questions which referred to an Ethernet hub not a USB hub.
  
  I lost all of my dissertation data, let's just hope Lexar has better customer service than D-Link.
  
  

• Does not work as advertised

  
  By AY0H4F2GZ4UKU on 2006-07-09
  I have a fairly new high end computer with fewer USB ports than I have devices so I needed to expand. The reviews were great for the D-Link so I opted for this HUB. Clearly a misstake!
  I was expecting this unit to work with the following equipment:
  IPOD Nano
  Canon Powershot
  HP Printer
  Logitech Fusion Web Camera
  Plantronics Headset
  Skype phone device (connecting a regular phone to the computer)
  The only thing that works without problems is the printer. The IPod is not recognized when plugged in to the HUB but works fine in any of the computer's own ports, the Web Cam takes 2 minutes to be recognized when plugged in to the Hub, the Canon Powershot is recognized but none of the programs used (Picasa or Canons own import software) is able to import any pictures when the camera is plugged in to the HUB and finally the sound quality is affected when using the plantronic's headset.
  Further the HUB blocks other built in memory card readers when plugged in in one of the sockets but not in an other and it blocks the BIOS when booting up if the third slot from left is used. Maybe I got a bad one, but one expects the units they sell to be tested before they go on to the shelves.
  
  
• Really Great Piece of Hardware
  By A3I1BJIFFM4S21 on 2006-12-24
  I purchased this product about 6 months ago when I was fed up with all the cables I had to string around just to connect 7 USB cables to my computer. I had to use three different 4-port USB devices and daisy-chain them together (which caused me to waste two ports just in connecting them to each other!)
  
  This product, however, did the same amount of work as my three 4-port USB hubs for 1/3 the cost, 1/3 the hassle, and 1/3 the power cables taking up socket space on my power strip.
  
  Not only is this 7-port d-link more efficient, there is one other key difference. The ports are vertical instead of horizontal. This means that it takes a lot less space than an equivalent 7-port horizontal hub. Why is this? Because it is more efficient use of space. As a result, you can ALWAYS fit your USB microdrive in the usb slot without crowing out a neighboring slot. Sometimes the USB keychain drives are too wide, and it is difficult to insert one into a hub without pressing into the USB item next to it. With the slots being vertical, instead of horizontal, this is never a problem.
  
  One more thing, the power adapter is pretty small, and it is a "sideways" adapter. This means that with optimal placement you might just be able to place it where you only cover one wall socket on your power outlet/power strip.
  
  I am very happy with this purchase, and I would recommend it to anyone who needs more than one four port USB hub. I'll never go back to the 4-porter again...
  
  
• My Experience: Underpowered and Unreliable
  By ARL227KBO0C5Q on 2007-01-10
  I was excited to have this 7-Port USB 2.0 hub until I discovered that it cannot handle more than four devices reliability and it cannot handle any high power devices, such as an external hard drive at all. I tried USB powered externals (Seagate 100 GB) and external hard drives with their own power supply (Western Digital 250 GB) It just doesn't recognize these. My Seagate 100 GB external started making that funny noise it makes when it is not getting enough power.
  
  I also had trouble with my Linksys transmitter for my wireless Skype phone. It worked fine when plugged directly into one of the computer USB ports, but would not work at all with the D-Link Hub.
  
  I would think the unit was defective, except that the mouse, Cruzer USB drive, and keyboard that I have plugged into it work fine.
  
  This device has its own power supply, but it doesn't seem to be able to handle the load. I would not recommend it. I plan to replace mine with another brand.
  
  
• Works flawlessly & priced well. Who wants more?
  By A20ZQ989UGTXY4 on 2006-04-22
  
  ***** Stars!
  
  This is a fantastic hub for the price! I have both USB 1.1 devices and USB 2.0 devices plugged into it and the USB 2.0 devices operate at USB 2.0 speed without any problems.
  
  It is a misconception that it will only operate at USB 1.1 if you plug USB 1.1 devices into it. Perhaps some of the so-called "reviewers" here think once you buy a computer, all you have to do is occasionally run Windows Update, lol. You do need to go to your computer's maker, and update the Bios, drivers and the like at least twice a year, to be prudent.
  
  I'm quite happy with this hub. It has allowed me to plug my 2 printers, external hard drive, external DVD RW, wireless keyboard and mouse into it, and tuck it all away, out-of-sight, freeing the back of my computer from a jumbled mess!
  
  I have used a D-Link Router & wireless G set-up for almost two years now, without ever encountering a problem. I am sold on D-Link quality.
  
  
• Works with both USB 2.0 and USB 1.1
  By A1F9Z42CFF9IAY on 2006-04-19
  This is a great USB hub for the price. I have both USB 1.1 devices and USB 2.0 devices plugged into it and the USB 2.0 devices operate at USB 2.0 speed with no problem. It seems to be a misconception that it will only operate at USB 1.1 if you plug USB 1.1 devices into it, not true for me.
  
  I'm quite happy with this hub, now I have plenty of USB ports, it works flawlessly and was priced well. Can't really ask for much more than that.
  
  
• Wouldn't even run the keyboard...
  By A3R9KRIO25CKZV on 2006-08-08
  I'm baffled, too. I don't know why a powered hub won't run my MacAlly iceKey keyboard, or my Canon S600 printer, or the brand new CanoScan LiDE60 scanner I had bought to use it with, but it looks as if I'm back to square one. All of the above items worked as soon as I plugged them straight into my MacMini's USB ports. Everything lights up I've plugged and unplugged the hub, and each time I get the "low power" warning, even for the keyboard. A hub like this is supposed to be plug and play, especially on a Mac. Something is wrong, somewhere. I've wasted an evening trying to get it to work. I'm out UPS 2Day shipping, but I'm sending it back.
  
  
• usb hub lets you use all slots
  By AA4QAC7AS5NRX on 2005-10-17
  7 slots and thanks to a great simple design, no matter how wide the usb plug, you can use all the slots. Great.
  
  
• Does not function as a powered hub
  By A2L6FB3EPR86DP on 2006-11-30
  I purchased this hub because it appeared to provide powered ports which I required to avoid the low power warning I would get when plugging a Verbatim 2Gb flash drive, and a Sandisk multicard reader into the unpowered keyboard port on my iMac running Panther (they ran fine when plugged into the mac's rear powered ports.) I needed the extra capacity to accommodate a printer and scanner as well as the flash drive and card reader. Unfortunately, in spite of having a power supply, neither the flash drive nor the card reader would work when plugged into the D-link hub, both giving the low power warning . There are numerous other complaints of this exact problem with this product. I suggest you shop for a different product.
  
  Additionally, on two calls to the D-link tech support, I was disconnected in the middle of the call after providing the "tech" with copious amounts of tracking data, but having no opportunity to state my problem. With support this bad, I would not consider any D-link product in the future.
  
  
• Couldn't get two devices to work. Gave up on it!
  By A2SW560X584UEF on 2007-11-14
  
  This is a device you either love or hate. You love it if you plug it in and everything works fine. You hate it if your devices won't work with it.
  
  I'm in the latter category. I decided to replace my old 4-port hub with this 7-port device even though I haven't (yet) added more USB devices. I had my printer, scanner, card reader and PDA cradle plugged into my old HUB and everything was working smoothly. I succumbed to the temptation of getting a high-speed HUB since my newer devices are high-speed and I got tired of the "this device can perform faster" message from windows.
  
  I installed this Hub and the printer and scanner both registered and installed perfectly. I plugged in my card reader and the computer wouldn't recognize it. I unplugged it and reinstalled the software. Still couldn't get it to recognize it. I plugged it directly into my computer and it ran fine.
  
  Same thing happened with my mobile device.
  
  After working for several hours to get everything to work, including reinstalling the software, I set everything up on my old hub and again everything ran fine.
  
  I've been working with computers since the old CPM days (including DOS!) and I'm not such a rookie that I can't plug in a new USB Hub. I'm returning this unit for a refund.
  
  A few other frustrating things I encountered:
  
  1) The hard plastic packaging was extremely hard to get into. I ended up practically tearing it to shreds.
  
  2) There is minimal documentation. An insert says to refer to the owners manual on the enclosed CD -- but there IS NO CD!
  
  3) The Quick Installation Guide says nothing about needing to reinstall device software. Only when you go on the D-Link support website do you read this information.
  
  4) As others have noted, if you are using even a single USB 1.1 device, there is a chance that ALL devices connected to the hub (even high speed ones) will work at USB 1.1 speed. So much for "backwards compatible."
  
  
  
  
• Avoid this USB2 hub like the PLAGUE.
  By A1NJV1EI28TLQY on 2006-02-09
  After reading the mixed reviews on Amazon, I decided to take a leap of faith and purchase this USB2 hub. Oh man o man o man... I have had problem, after problem, after PROBLEM with this thing.
  
  First off, if ALL OF YOUR DEVICES ARE NOT USB2, it will revert to usb1. For USB1 purposes, it's decent.
  
  Secondly, I am experiencing massive and sporadic incompatibility issues with my 2.5" hard drives, Canon PIXMA 4000 printer, etc.
  
  I have never ever had any other problems with USB hubs, so I assumed this would be a decent experience, but it's been a nightmare
  
  
• Simply Ideal
  By A2U7CZX5IEUI0Y on 2006-12-19
  A usb hub is a simple appliance, right? It either works or it doesn't. Well, there are a few differences among hubs, and I'll point them out. The H7 incorporates the preferred feature in the descriptions below.
  
  1) Externally-powered beats usb-powered most of the time. Usb-powered units divide the available power across all the ports that are in use, so the more plugged in, the less power for each. I have a 4-port usb-powered hub that is only good for products that do not need much power. Things that work well in it are powered external hard drives (or other powered devices), a mouse, or a solid state memory device. High capacity/fast portable hard drives without their own power supply don't work well. They need a lot of juice.
  
  2) Vertical slots almost always beat horizontal ones.
  
  For example:
  [|||||||] is better than [-------]
  
  With the slots positioned vertically, I can use all 7 slots without a problem. If they were horizontal, and close together, some of the wider cables would not fit side-by-side. This is especually true with memory card devices. My sd card adapter is so wide, it would prevent another input on either side of it if they were horizontally oriented. I also like that all the slots are on one side of the unit. It's easier to organize cables when they are all plugged into the same area, rather than into several sides of the unit.
  
  3) Smaller and lighter is better. This unit is small and light, but not flimsy. It's the smallest 7-port device I have seen. It can be tucked into any number of spaces, so it fits well into your work space. One feature that would be nice would be a couple mounting slots so I could anchor it to a desk or wall using screws. The only downside of its weight is it can move around the desk, especially if there are several cables plugged in to it. On the plus side, the device is easy to pack and bring on trips.
  
  Overall, I can't think of a 7-port powered usb hub that offers more for less money than the H7.
  
  
• Great Performance!!
  By A1D50TF2K6NNOA on 2005-09-08
  D-Link is trustable. This HUB is all that I want. Small, fast, flexible. It's a nice piece of hardware.
  
  
• Best of the USB 2.0 HUBs
  By A5RCD3AMGA2D1 on 2006-08-14
  This is a fantastic buy. It is wonderfully compact and tough. I have burned through three other USB 2.0 hubs from other companies in the last two years, all of which were more expensive, larger and cheaper feeling. This is the one to buy.
  
  (people complaining about USB2.0 -> USB1.0 backwards compatibility issues don't completely understand how USB2.0 backwards compatibility works. The D-Link works exactly as well as any USB2.0 can work with USB1.0 plugins. Simply put, DON'T use USB1.0 plugins on ANY USB2.0 HUB. It will slow the hub down)
  
  
• Not enough power
  By A64LB6RHNGVA7 on 2007-01-10
  I have a multitude of accessories for my computer including a scanner, printer, memory card reader and an ipod. The hub only works with accessories that have their own power sources. If I plug in any of the accessories without their own power sources (like the ipod or keyboard) I get a low USB power notice and cannot communicate with the attatched accessory. Even though this hub has its own power supply, it only alots a certain amount of power to each port, thereby decreasing the amount of power each accessory can use. I would not recommend this product and would return it if I could.
  
  
• awesome
  By A2W1LV4CYX6Z3T on 2005-12-04
  Works fine even without power supply. So far I haven't encountered any problems such as USB2.0 devices slowing down when used with USB1.1 devices. (...).
  
  
• USB 2.0 Hub
  By A1ZBRZYB5MQG8U on 2006-06-26
  Great product:
  (1) USB 2.0 speed
  (2) Dedicated power supply. So you can connect many of these power hungry devices like printer, external hard drive, or external DVD burner to your computer.
  (3) I like the size and the design of this hub. It makes the wiring part easy.
  
  
• Beware of D-Link Rebate Policies
  By A1BC369IGW8GO on 2006-11-17
  The USB hub is fine...it is a USB hub, so how great or bad can it be? It works with all of my devices and it's small...like every other USB hub I have ever bought.
  
  However, D-Link did not honor my rebate. Unlike the other poster who got a phone number to call, I only got a card in the mail with an address stating that I need to resubmit. I sent them a letter explaining that Amazon is not excluded on their form (some retailers are) and showing them a printout of the Amazon page with a link to the rebate form.
  
  It has been about 1 month since I did that and they have not replied. I am not keeping my hopes up about that $10.
  
  
• D-Link Self-powered Seven-port USB 2.0 Hub
  By AT75TBRGBX8S7 on 2007-04-19
  Every day more and more external devices are using USB hubs to connect to a PC. Some of these devices require a significant amount of power. A hub recognizes the dynamic attachment of a peripheral device and provides at least 0.5W of power per peripheral during installation. Under the control of the host PC driver software, the hub can provide up to a maximum of 2.5W of power. For the most reliable operation, I recommend that you use self-powered hubs which plug into an AC adapter. Bus-powered hubs draw their power from the PC's root hub connector and aren't always capable of providing adequate power for high-powered devices such as optical mice.
  Self-powered hubs provide the most flexibility for future downstream devices. Incidentally, if you're using a USB hub, don't disconnect it's power supply, don't turn off the hub's power, and don't remove any components while Windows XP is still running. Use the "Safely Remove Hardware" feature in the system tray. I also recommend the use of an uninterruptible power supply.
  
  
  
• Did not work as advertised with my iMac
  By A2QSGOSPEX3UTO on 2005-12-28
  This is a nice, small, inexpensive hub with clear instructions. Unfortunately, it does not seem to work with Macs as advertised. When I tried to use it with my iMac G5, it would not work with powered USB devices (hp laser printer, powerwave, and ipod). My camera's download cable worked OK, but I didn't buy the hub just to plug one device in. I found a web page online that suggested other Mac users have had this problem with the hub. But neither the D-Link web site nor the Apple web site included any information about the problem I had.
  
  
• A powered hub with not enough power
  By A2YMDNYWY5EVYY on 2006-07-10
  I bought this to hook up 7 different USB products. Unfortunately, even though it is a powered Hub, several of the products plugged into this hub would not work through the Hub: they needed to be plugged directly into my iMac. I got an error message saying that the hub could not supply enough power to connect my keyboard, my iPod, or my mulit-photo card reader. The power light was on, but somehow it did not produce enough power. The product was useful in organizing my cables, but was not useful in enabling me to avoid having to plug and unplug my USB products repeatedly. Not recommended for this reason.
  
  
• worthless
  By A1QXLI41BROJCW on 2006-08-11
  We needed a powered USB hub to hook up scanner, webcam, and digital camera to our G4 iMac. The first two on the list needed to be plugged in directly to the iMac, or to a powered hub, so we were always shuffling plugs between these items.
  
  We bought this D-Link. Scanner, webcam both generated "Low Power" warnings on our screen and were unusuable. We had plugged in the power supply, done everything as per instructions.
  
  Finally just returned this to Amazon, and bought an IBM hub for about $10 less at local computer store. It works fine.
  
  So...either the D-Link design is poor, or we got a dud item.
  
  
• No Complaints
  By AXSQF7GCC83I5 on 2007-02-07
  This is a 7-Port USB hub, meaning that you can connect up to 7 USB devices (hard drives, printers, mice, keyboards, etc) to it, and then connect the hub to a single USB port on your computer.
  
  The 7-Port hub comes with a wall outlet connection, but with 4 hard drives, a printer, and a mouse connected, I have not normally needed to use the outlet connection. I only needed it once when the operating system (Windows XP) did not recognize one of the hard drives. Not sure why that happened, but I just rebooted and all the devices were recognized.
  
  I've been using this hub 24/7 for about one month. No problems.
  
  
• Works well if you don't overload it
  By A2J1WRE1KQ5CS2 on 2007-02-12
  I like the way this hub is styled, I have to say that much. Functionally, it gets a passing grade, and frankly if you grade it on a curve against other brands, it does very well indeed.
  
  It works quite well, as long as you don't overload it. The supplied power adapter provides 5V/3A which, if you do the math, is only enough to fully supply 6 ports with power. Real world, it supplies even fewer than that. So, this will work well for you if only some of your devices require bus power, but if a lot of them do then you will have problems. I have 6 ports loaded up with a mix of powered/unpowered devices and it works. But if I try to plug something into port 7, it rarely works- just not enough juice.
  
  You could probably fix this if you sourced yourself a different power adapter, but let's face it, that would probably cost more than buying another hub.
  
  All this being said, I'm still going to buy a second one to supplement my first one, because, quite frankly, it seems like most of the other brands of 7-port hubs are worse. At least this one is perfectly reliable if you don't overload it- no overheating problems, no random drop-to-usb-1.1-speed problems, no disappearing device problems (again, as long as you don't overload it), and it doesn't look terrible on my desk.
  
  I have terrible luck with USB devices and this is the first hub I've run into that comes halfway close to working properly, so despite the flaws, this one is worth considering.
  
  
• I just lost a day of work!!!
  By A2CN90VRVFE2B0 on 2005-11-03
  Ok I had a litle Vantec 4 port USB Hub and it died on me. I go to the store and buy a D-Link DUB-H7 to replace the old one. I tough that if I pay more it would be better!!! What a joke! First let me give you my setup: Toshiba Satellite A30 laptop, external 2.5" 20GB and 40GB hard drives, external DVD burner, additional external 3.5" hard drive(ATA) plus a few other device that I use. First of all the 2.5" external hard drive don't work at all. They use 2 USB port (to power the drive 'cause it does not have an external power source). It worked fine with my cheap Vantec USB HUB. The rest of my device (HDD, DVD, Card reader, Wacom tablet...) give me errors (write delay error),(I have XP Home) and corrupt the data sometime. Windows lose the device connection after the error and then reconnect the device. It's not a problem with my laptop. I tried with my other PC (regular desktop) and have the same problems with the 2.5" HDD. The rest of the devices worked seems to work fine until I did a backup on DVD. Some of my images where corrupt.
  
  It look like this HUB work for some people bur not for me.
  If you have the same problem, don't think your going crazy.
  Do yourself a favor and buy something else.
  
  
• great product
  By A37Z3ERWI0H3NX on 2006-02-25
  vertical slots make for more useable ports. I can put a jump drive in the port and still use the ports alongside, unlike other brands which have horizontal ports that become obstructed when you put someting bigger than just a usb cable into it. Good job from D-Link, as always.
  
  
• Better then expected
  By A30X750M8V1XXW on 2006-04-27
  I read all the reviews and from all the brands this one seemed to be the best of the bunch. I agree, it is good. It was pretty small in size (which is good), easy to hook up and it worked with all my usb printers ( i have 4). They are all 2.0 so i'm not sure about the reviews saying if you pug in a 1.0 and the 2.0's drop down to all 1.0. I like it and i'm happy with my choice.
  
  

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