Author Topic: Which USB hub for 2017 iMac?  (Read 741 times)

slope

  • Inclined to distraction
    • Current pedalable joys
Which USB hub for 2017 iMac?
« on: 25 February, 2021, 04:23:06 pm »
Fed up with scrambling around the back of my iMac to access the USB ports, so want a 4 port external hub.

Is a powered one recommended rather than the cheaper non-powered? Do powered ones mean power cables and plugs? I have both a USB 3.0 and a USB-C Apple mains power adapters knocking about - would they help?

Would a hub with a USB-C out be useful? Don't need any SD card readers or suchlike.

Have seen a couple (Sabrent and Satechi) that secure to the underside of the iMac case - but that means stuffing prongs up into cooling/air intake vents which seems a bit daft!

The choice is rather overwhelming and I'm not very ofay with such things. Apple UK have a £60 Belkin. Does one need to spend that much?

https://tinyurl.com/7w9n4h85

I'd be very grateful for any recommendations and advice

EDIT#1: I do manual backups using an SSD and spinny disc external drives and it would be convenient to charge an iPad and iPhone too

EDIT#2: Does it make any difference if the hub is connected to a USB-C or USB 3.o port on the back of the iMac?



fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Which USB hub for 2017 iMac?
« Reply #1 on: 25 February, 2021, 04:54:33 pm »
Powered depends on what do you want to plug into it? If you want to use external hard drives, or CD drives, or charge your phone, probably worth getting a powered hub. If just a few flash drives, they won't need much power.

Anker have some quite cheap options. I've got one of these, works fine. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O0L2NWI

ian

Re: Which USB hub for 2017 iMac?
« Reply #2 on: 25 February, 2021, 05:05:57 pm »
I have an Anker powered USB hub. Problem-free, I have three external disks and a scanner plugged in (which all need power from the hub). It also charges my phones at the same time, powers a magic levitating lamp and, in summer, a desk-top fan.

It wasn't the cheapest, but it wasn't that expensive either.

slope

  • Inclined to distraction
    • Current pedalable joys
Re: Which USB hub for 2017 iMac?
« Reply #3 on: 25 February, 2021, 05:09:54 pm »
Thanks fuaran. Should have said -  I do manual backups using an SSD and spinny disc external drives and it would be convenient to charge an iPad and iPhone too. Will edit my post, forthwith.