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- Connect the Plugable 4-Port Hub to a USB 3.0 port on your system
- Connect USB devices to available ports on the hub
Questions? We're here to help! Please reach out to us at support@plugable.com
Plugable Rotating 4-Port USB 3.0 Portable Bus Powered Hub
SKU: USB3-HUB4R
List Price : $19.95
Amazon Rating :
(329 Reviews)
Features
- EXPAND CONNECTIVITY—Expand your USB functionality by connecting up to 4 USB 3.0, 2.0, or 1.1 devices to any USB 2.0 or 3.0 capable computer. Silver aluminum finish with three front facing ports and one side port
- 180 DEGREE ROTATION—Compact design and a rotating USB connection to the host system can help to accommodate tight spaces and keep other ports unobstructed using a variety of orientations
- USB POWERED—Power is provided by the host computer's USB port and shared by all USB devices connected to the hub. (900mA total when attached to USB 3.0 systems, 500mA total on USB 2.0)
- COMPATIBILITY—Compatible with Windows 11, 8.x, 7, Vista, and XP, macOS, and Linux. Bluetooth and WiFi adapters, may not work in close proximity to USB 3.0 devices or hubs
- 2 YEAR WARRANTY—We love our Plugable products, and hope you will too. All of our products are backed with a 2-year limited parts and labor warranty as well as Seattle-based email support
The Plugable Bus-Powered 4-Port Rotating USB 3.0 Hub (USB3-HUB4R) is a portable USB 3.0 travel hub that enables connecting four low-power USB 3.0 devices on a single USB 3.0 port. The hub features a unique 180 degree rotating USB connector to allow convenient placement on a variety of host computers like laptops, tablets, or 2-in-1s. As a bus-powered hub, it's great for USB devices with low power draw like wired keyboards and mice, flash drives, and card readers.
USB devices which have higher power draw such as bus-powered hard drives and CD/DVD drives are not recommended for use with this hub. 2.4GHz wireless devices, such as wireless keyboard/mouse receivers, Bluetooth adapters, and WiFi adapters, may not work in close proximity to USB 3.0 devices or hubs. Connecting wireless devices to a USB 2.0 port is recommended for best results.
Rotating USB Connector for Flexible Placement
The unique rotating design allows the hub to be positioned in numerous ways and is able to work with a large number of laptops and tablets that may have their built-in USB ports in inconvenient locations. With 180 degrees of rotation the hub can fit just about any situation.
Features
- Requires no driver installation (although individual devices may require drivers)
- This hub is USB bus-powered, drawing its power from the USB port on the host computer. No external power supply or AC adapter is required)
- Full forward and backward compatibility between USB 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1 hosts and devices. Newer USB standards will be limited to USB 3.0 5Gbps throughput
- Featuring the VIA VL813 USB 3.0 hub chipset updated to firmware version 9011 for maximum compatibility with almost all USB 3.0 hosts
Compatibility
- Supports Microsoft Windows XP through 11, macOS, and Linux kernels 3.0 and later
- Not recommended for use with older Texas Instruments, Fresco Logic, Etron, or Wistron USB 3.0 host controllers
- Apple SuperDrive is not compatible. Older MacBook Pros with USB 3.0 PCI Express add-on cards may not work with this or any USB 3.0 hub
- 2.4GHz wireless devices such as wireless keyboard/mouse receivers, Bluetooth and WiFi adapters, may not work in close proximity to USB 3.0 devices or hubs. Connecting wireless devices to a USB 2.0 port is recommended for best results
- As a bus-powered hub, the power is provided by the host computer's USB port and shared by all USB devices connected to the hub. (900mA total when attached to USB 3.0 systems, 500mA total on USB 2.0). The hub functions as a USB hub only and there is no special functionality for charging an iPad, iPhone, tablet, or smartphone devices
In The Box
- USB3-HUB4R 4-Port Hub
- Quick Install Guide
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USB Port Types
USB-A
pietz, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This is the standard USB connection that most computers offered prior to the introduction of USB Type-C (USB-C). Even after the introduction of USB Type-C, this is still quite common.
It can provide data transfer rates up to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 gbps) specification depending on the host and device, but does not directly support video in the way that USB-C Alternate Mode does. This limitation makes DisplayLink USB graphics adapters and docking stations ideal on systems that do not have USB-C, or in instances where more displays are needed beyond available video outputs of a PC.
USB-B
Fred the Oyster, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
IngenieroLoco, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This type of connection comes in a couple different styles depending on whether USB 3.0 and higher transfer rates are supported (bottom graphic). Usually this type of connection is used to plug into USB devices that do not have a fixed cable connected, such as USB docking stations, USB hubs, printers, and others.
USB Mini-B
Fred the Oyster, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
One of the first connectors for charging a smartphone, wireless game controller (such as the Sixaxis and DualShock 3), and other small devices such as external hard drives. Not commonly used today, but is still used in some cases. Most devices using USB Mini B are using USB 2.0, though a USB 3.0 variant does exist. This specification also added USB On-The-Go (OTG) functionality, though it is more commonly implemented with Micro USB.
USB Micro-B
Fred the Oyster, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
IngenieroLoco, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
A smaller connector that serves many of the same uses as the Mini B connector, with added optional features such as Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) to allow devices like smartphones to output video to larger displays without requiring a dedicated port for video output.
The larger variant of USB-B is most commonly used for external hard drives for higher 5Gbps transfer rates.
USB-C, Thunderbolt™ 3, and Thunderbolt™ 4
Niridya , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The most recent USB connection, USB Type-C (USB-C), represents a major change in what USB can do. The connector is smaller, can be connected in two orientations, is able to carry substantially more power and data, and can directly carry video signals of multiple types (HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.) Intel has also adapted the USB-C connector for use with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4.
It is important to note that while all Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 connections are USB-C, not all USB-C connections can be used with Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 devices.
More details regarding physical USB connections can be found on Wikipedia . The graphics depicted here are adapted from Wikimedia Commons by various artists under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Self-Powered vs Bus-Powered USB Devices
While all USB ports provide some amount of power for attached devices, the available power may not be enough for certain high-current devices such as USB hubs or external hard drives. High-current devices usually come with their own power adapter, making them self-powered, in contrast to a bus-powered device that draws all of its power from the host computer's USB interface. Bus-powered devices can cause issues if they need more power than is available from the host machine.
Many of our devices that include power adapters, especially USB hubs, will function in either self-powered or bus-powered mode. However, even though the device may function, each additional device attached to the host computer reduces the total available bus power. If the power runs out, any USB device attached to the computer may suddenly disconnect. If this were to happen to a USB storage device, such an event could result in permanent data loss.
If a device comes with a power adapter, we recommend that the adapter stay connected at all times, otherwise the device may not function as designed.
Self-powered USB device - A device that takes all of its power from an external power supply
Bus-powered USB device - A device that takes all of its power from the host computer's USB interface.
Is this hub a good match for my Raspberry Pi?
Because the Raspberry Pi is a USB 2.0 device and can’t take advantage of USB 3.0 functionality as well as mixed results from users, we do not recommend this hub for use with the Raspberry Pi. The hub we do recommend is our 7 port USB 2.0 hub.
Why does my wireless mouse or keyboard appear sluggish or not work properly when used with the hub?
Most USB receivers for wireless mice and keyboards operate in the 2.4Ghz band. When connecting the receiver to any USB 3.0 port there is potential for interference that can affect the devices performance. The most effective method is to add a short USB 2.0 extension cable between the hub and the receiver to mitigate the effect, and many wireless keyboards and mice come with such a cable for this reason.
