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Belkin 7-Port BusStation USB Hub
By Tikkler - October 26, 2000
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First developed a few years by a group of companies, USB has finally become the standard that it was originally designed to be. Almost any device can be found using the USB interface these days; from printers to scanners, joysticks to speakers, to even hard drives and CD-ROM and CD-RW drives, USB is now the true standard for computer devices and peripherals. The advantage of USB over its older grandfathers of external interfaces is also becoming common knowledge between knowledgeable computer users. USB is fast-it can transfer data at 12Mbps, USB is hassle-free-hot plug devices without having to reboot your computer, USB is easy to install-plug it in and it works and, most of all, USB is expandable-use up to 127 devices on just one port by daisy-chaining a device called a USB hub.
With so many different devices that are now available for use with your USB port, it's no wonder that the standard 2-ports (4 if you're lucky) that are found on computers these days are not enough. One solution is to take advantage of the hot plug feature of the USB standard by plugging in only the devices that you use and unplugging them for room for other devices. That, of course, could become a huge hassle, especially if you have your USB ports on the back of your computer. The solution to this problem is to use a simple device called a USB hub, and today I'm reviewing one from Belkin.
The unit that I'm reviewing today is Belkin's 7-port model. Using their unique stackable design, Belkin has used 4 "levels" to give us the 7-ports that we can plug our devices into-4 ports on the first level, 1 port on each of the 3 other levels.
This stackable feature is found in all of Belkin's USB products. By using this stacking feature, you can purchase different "modules" for different functionalities and simply plug them into the main "station." Belkin has a complete line of USB modules to choose from such as the USB network module for connecting your computer to a standard 10BaseT network.
First Impressions
 Included in the package is a USB cable for plugging it into a port on your computer, a very small manual (who needs a manual for something as simple as this anyways?) and a very nice AC to DC adapter that does not take up multiple plugs on my power bar like most other power boxes do because the "box" portion of this one is not on the plug, but in the middle of the cable. The reason for this AC to DC adapter is so that your USB devices that are plugged into your hub can use the power from your outlet instead of the precious power coming from your computer's power supply. Each of the ports on the hub is protected from any surges that may come through from your wall outlet.
Physically, the hub is a bit larger than I had wanted it to be, but since it's larger vertically, it really doesn't take up much space on my desktop and actually makes it look cooler!
Speaking of looks, the hub that I received is just a plain black one, but Belkin also has other models where you can choose different colors (translucent too!), such as tangerine.
One problem that I see in this product is that the included USB cable is very short (only 1.8m long). This limits to where you can place it on your desk, as the cable will not stretch very far.
Powering Up...
There is a row of LED's that light up to let you know that all the ports are working properly and they have two "modes," a "bright" mode and a "dark" mode-you can figure out the difference between the two. If they're in "bright" mode, it means that all ports are using power from the included AC to DC adapter and if the LED's are in "dark" mode, it means that the hub and all the devices that are plugged into it are taking power from your computer. Unfortunately, that is the only function that these LED's have. There are also rows of LED's on each of the "levels" on the hub, but these LED's do not light up for anything, which, I thought, was very strange.
Installation, as I expected, was uneventful. I simply plugged it in and Windows picked it up immediately and, since this is just a USB hub, there was no need to install any drivers.
After the very simple installation process, I plugged in my USB devices and, sure enough, all of them worked perfectly. Plugging and unplugging the devices into the different "levels" also created no problems.
Conclusion
If you're finding that you have a need for more USB ports, then the Belkin 7-port USB hub is an excellent choice. Its advantage over other USB hubs is in its expandability. By using other modules that Belkin offers, you can expand your docking station to have much more functionality than any stand-alone USB hub can provide and, because all of these modules are stacked on top of each other, they will be in a neat little pile that won't take up any more desk space than having just one of these modules.
Unfortunately, for about $100 USD, the BusStation is also a little on the hefty side in terms of price, but if you really need the extra USB ports and would like something other than just a USB hub, then I suggest you seriously give this little device a try!
Pros
- 7 USB ports for plenty of expansion
- BusStation allows for more flexibility when compared to any stand-alone USB hub on the market
- Vertically stackable modules; saves desk space
- Provides its own surge-protected power to USB devices plugged into it; won't suck precious power from computer power supply
Cons
- Included USB cable is a bit too short
- Price is a little expensive for a USB hub
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