What You Need to Know About Computer Hubs & USB Hubs

Computer hubs serve as network hardware devices that expand a single USB port into several ports that you can connect with other devices such as printers, computers, and other peripheral hardware for convenient data exchange. You can also use your computer hub to share a local area network and its bandwidth with multiple computers.

What Are Computer USB-C Hubs?

USB-C hubs have USB extenders that expand the female USB-C port on your devices to allow multiple possibilities of connectivity. They have the ability to connect to HDMI output cables, producing crystal clear video streaming with incredible fluency. USB-C hubs also have a slim and compact design that's perfect for everyday carrying. Models like the Thunderbolt 3 hub come with Ethernet ports to offer direct access to internet cables. With these multi-port USB hubs, you can connect keyboards, mice, thumb drives, cameras, scanners, and other devices. They also enable you to charge and synchronize your mobile devices to a local network. To achieve the connectivity to various USB ports, some hubs may require USB controller cards. Ethernet network interface cards are essential to connect computers to FireWire hubs for quick transfer of data.

Powered vs. Unpowered USB Hubs

USB hubs are available as powered or unpowered. Powered USB hubs use an external power source to bring each hub port into the same energy level as the system port. They also don't divide power consumption across all connected devices, but have converters and splitters, which split data bandwidth across all the devices. They're ideal for offices, as you can connect and charge multiple devices without any lag on your system.

Unpowered USB hubs lack an external power source and use the power from the computer's USB port. Since computer USB ports produce small amounts of current, they're ideal for devices that need low voltages like smartphones and tablets. Additionally, most of these models are portable and easy to use—simply plug and play.

Check out B&H Photo and Video's wide selection of computer hubs to find the right accessory for your USB connectivity needs.