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USB hubs and the new Apple keyboards Other Hardware
Owning a G4 Mac mini, I can't use the new Apple keyboard to its full potential -- using power-consuming USB 2.0 devices, like some sorts of USB sticks or an iPod. I was experimenting with my new keyboard the other day and found out that if you plug in a USB hub, in my case this one, you can use high-powered USB devices. Note that I am not using the USB hub's power cord.

I've been able to use my Mighty Mouse, iPod nano, and powered USB stick all at the same time when plugged into the USB hub, which in turn is plugged into my new Apple keyboard. Good luck trying it out.

[robg adds: I can't confirm this one, though is seems strange that it would work without the USB hub's power cord plugged in. If anyone has the new keyboard and can test with one or more USB hubs, please post your results.]
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USB hubs and the new Apple keyboards
Authored by: showngo on Sep 17, '07 09:58:50AM

I am using a Belkin 7-port USB 2.0 hub (model F5U237 Rev 3) with the power cord plugged connected to 15" Macbook Pro 2.16variety with the new keyboard and am not able to use a USB flash drive due to the power message. This hub does not work with out the power cord attached.



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USB hubs and the new Apple keyboards
Authored by: Bassman59 on Sep 17, '07 02:06:40PM

Sounds like that hub's power descriptors are broken.

In other words, it's telling the computer that it's self-powered when it's not. Since the computer thinks that the hub has a power supply, then it thinks that high-power devices (those that draw > 100 mA from the bus) are acceptable and will enumerate them (turn them on).

BTW, what's a "powered USB stick"?



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USB hubs and the new Apple keyboards
Authored by: fastolfe on Sep 30, '07 08:55:45AM

Yes, it sounds like the hub is buggy. Normally devices are required to ask for power, and the hub is supposed to do some power management. If the hub isn't self-powered, it's not supposed to allow it, because it only has the power provided by the upstream to divide among all of the potential devices it serves. It might work OK for one device but it wouldn't surprise me if connecting a second caused the setup to become flaky or result in a crash. If the keyboard were capable of driving high-powered devices, they'd have probably let it.



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!!!!!WATCH OUT!!!!!!
Authored by: solivagus on Oct 06, '07 04:37:53PM

i've done the same thing on my G4 Cube a few years back,.. with 2 usb-hubs and 8 usb devices connected at the same time,...

I accidentally pulled the power plugs from the hubs, still, everything was working fine,.. untill not too long when doing just a little bit too much with usb powered devices,.. the usb-ports on my systemboard were burned trough.. wich cost me a lot... enough to simply get a new system..

I hope you haven't met the same fate, and just use the power supply of the hubs and not let your mac provide all the power and killing your mac in the process.



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USB hubs and the new Apple keyboards
Authored by: ujoimro on Jan 05, '08 01:55:41AM

That may be, but how would You achieve to have your keyboard ports high powered? In the apple manual it explicitly says that if You connect the keyboard to an aluminium mac-pro, it will serve as a powered hub. What is the difference between the aluminium mac pro's usb ports and other devices?



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