Home > Consumer Reviews > Aten Technologies 4-Port USB Hub Bus/self Powered With Cables & Power Supply

USB hubs are much like one another, and most work perfectly, so one must review them on just the subtle points. This one is inexpensive and just the right size (very small but with enough room between the plugs to avoid crowding). More importantly, it includes an AC adapter which you can use if you're plugging in devices that consume a lot of power. This is an important feature missing from some USB hubs.

Despite the unfamiliar brand, I'm completely pleased with the product, and would buy it again.

I really didn't want to learn that much about USB technology except to increase the number of available USB ports I could use. I only had 2 USB ports and needed more. The more I read about the gillzion USB Port Hubs on the market, the more confused I was about which USB Port Hub to get. Finally, I saw the Aten 4-Port USB Hub listed here at Amazon.com and it had high review ratings and comments about how easy it was to install and use. Based on that (plus the price was within my budget), I purchased the Aten 4-Port USB Hub.
Thankfully, the reviews were correct. All I had to do was turn off my PC, plug the Aten USB Port Hub into one of my USB ports, and turn on my PC again. It worked like a charm. This Hub runs on a standard Microsoft Windows driver to operate (I have Windows 98 Second Edition). I then tested it by plugging in a digital photography media card reader (the Delkin eFilm 6 in 1 Card Reader) and it worked perfectly.
The Aten 4-Port USB Hub is great. It has an amber power light and a green light for each of its 4 ports to indicate they are operating correctly. The Hub can be self-powered (meaning it can run without the auxiliary power supply), or you can use the power supply that comes with the hub. Some devices you attach will not need the power supply and some will. For me, I didn't want to learn the difference. it was just as easy to connect the power supply and forget it.
I highly recommend this USB Port Hub to expand the number of USB ports on your computer. It is small (less than 4" x 2"), and comes with everything you need to use it., right out of the box.
I've had mine for a couple of months now and it is still working perfectly. If you need extra USB ports, this is a good one to consider.

I recently bought a Dell laptop and it does not send enough power down the USB line to drive my scanner. Technical support recommended a powered USB hub.

I tried just about all the major brands (Belkin, D-Link, Linksys, etc.) and none of them worked. Some wouldn't power the scanner at all. Others would, but then if I re-booted the computer, the scanner would no longer be recognized. I would have to unplug the scanner, re-boot, and then plug it back in so that the OS (WinXP) would recognize it.

I must have tried 1/2 dozen hubs and I was pretty much ready to give up when I finally bought this Aten model from Amazon. It works great!

I highly recommend this as it does everything a hub is supposed to do and much more than all the others. It's also very small (the image above makes it look bigger than it really is) which is great because it hardly takes up any space. I love it!

I got this USB hub to go with my PowerBook G4. So far, I've found it to be adequate. I use an external keyboard and mouse with it. I havent tried any powered devices yet, but it comes with an AC adapter, so that should be an issue, as long as those devices are plugged in. Mac users, if you're looking for a cheap hub that works FINE, go with this one.

I connected this to my 3 year old 800 MHz Dell and it works fine. I have a digital camera and a UPS plugged into it. The price was right too. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews on all the hubs in this price range - it really helped me.