Can this hub act as a stand-alone charging station when plugged into an AC outlet, without being connected to a computer?
1244790
With the newer Apple IOS and linked products like iPhone 5, the answer is NO. Older iphones, iPads may or may not charge directly from the hub connected only to AC. Apple hasn't made it easy for third party vendors to adapt fast enough. Current apple IOS will not allow any device to charge through the connected hub indirectly to the computer, but at least they still sync, as does my canon printer and two separate lacie drives. IMHO, the charger is now obsolete, and can only cause computer hiccups with IOS related devices.
1244791
I believe so, I just tried by unplugging the USB from my computer, and the red charging light on my GoPro still remained on. I love this hub, highly recommend it.
1244792
The hub's charging capabilities are independent of the computer. I have numerous devices charging at the same time via the hub, not through the computer, even though they both are connected.
1354445
Yes. I have connected multiple external hard drives to this hub. It is a powered hub and will power drives that are not externally powered themselves (Drives which have only a USB connector and no DC adapter input).
1089889
Yes, it can be used without connecting the power adapter if your USB device power requirements are low enough. The only power available in that case would be the power supplied by your USB port on the computer, usually only 500 ma.
1911114
AC adapter is not included in the package. You can find a matching AC adapter easily at local electronics retailers such as Radio Shack. USB ports in typical USB hub provides 500mA of power only. It is ideal for low-power USB devices such as flash drives, mice and keyboard. USB Hub is not ideal to charge devices such as smartphone (1A minimum power requirement) or tablet (2.1A minimum power requirement).
377432
The hub has a 12 volt, 2 amp power supply. I assume the amp capacity is divided among the 4 ports. You'd need to find out what the current draw is of the external drive to be sure.
780192
No, it will not work as a USB hub at all. It will only charge elcectronic devices....
242527
If you want only usb cable, yes. It is not AC powered, though. I use one to supplement an AC powered 4-port USB hub.
594082
You need to connect the AC power to power this 7 port hub. It come with the unit.
95052
Yes. The manual clearly states that external power is required at all times. USB 3.0 ports are supposed to provide up to 900 mA, each, so requiring an external power source for hubs is pretty much written in stone. Also, it is worth noting that older computer systems probably do not have USB 3.0 ports built into them. My own laptop is a 2011 ThinkPad, and I had to buy an adapter card to get the support.
1087918
You might need a AC adapter If you dont wanna charge it on your desktop/laptop
2248472
It probably mentions only portable devices because it is small, lightweight and bus-powered, making it ideal for portable devices. If you are using it with a desktop machine, it should work. However, you might want to consider an AC-powered hub instead because some devices you might plug into the hub (most notably hard drives) draw more power than a bus-powered hub can provide. Lugging around a power brick along with your laptop would be a nuisance. Not so for a desktop computer that stays in one place all the time.
700605
Normally you can use these USB ports for charging , it works , but not the same as a standalone device charger . A single USB port's power specifications is 5V 0.5A when a standalone device charger is 5V 1A , it will be very slow when you using a USB port for charging and that's why we say "USB hub only, not a standalone device charger"
84948
No you cannot. I just tried to connect my iPad and it indicated "Not Charging".The email I received from the manufacturer following my purchase from Amazon explained that one could not use this particular hub as a source for charging.
1551587
The device does require external power. It cannot run off of USB or eSATA power alone. So, yes, it does plug into an AC outlet if that is what you are referring to.
1647312
I suspect that you could plug one of the USB cable into an external power source. The question is, "which one"! I would suggest trying the plug on the end to your computer first, then the 2nd plug, (the one with the short lead), to the power source. However, if this does not work, then swap the 2..... One of the plugs is for power only, (no data line in that one)..... However, when all else fails, add a cheap, 2 or 4 port "active" hub to your computer, then plug a couple of your other USB devices to the HUB.... This can cost less than $20.00 This wireless adapter works so well, adding a small hub still makes this adapter the ONLY way to go wireless!
2061903
There is no dedicated, traditional AC port that I can find. It has a one, mini USB slot that they consider both the "DC in" (when plugged into a computer) and the "AC in" slot (when you use it with a mini USB cable that has an adapter to plug into a regular AC wall outlet). The USB cable is not included.
329624
This hub isn't for doing that. It's for adding USB slots when your computer's USB slots are filled. I have USB lines from two external drives, a printer, a mouse, and a cooling pad hooked up to my hub. You'll still need to plug your external drives power adaptors into a suge surpressor.