Possible USB port damage using non-powered USB hub?

I have never had a problem with USB devices and the Mac's USB ports. However, I still like using a USB hub to avoid physical wear and tear on the port itself, if it's something I plug in and unplug regularly.

The hub should be self-powered to ensure the devices work properly (and charge if necessary). An iPod shuffle should be used with a fully-powered port. Low-power devices like keyboard and mouse, and most printers, should work fine with a hub powered by the Mac's USB bus. And such an "unpowered" hub should not pose a risk to the iMac, just because it is using power from the iMac.

If you get a self-powered hub, you can connect your current hub to the new hub, and use it for your low-speed low-power USB devices, freeing up more fully powered ports for devices that need it. USB 2.0 hubs should be compatible with 1.1 (it should be stated in the product's specifications).

Actually, I only said that +from my experience+, USB devices do not have the same type of issue as FireWire. FireWire should also be OK for hot-swapping 99% of the time. But I have read more posts here on the forum about FireWire ports going bad than USB ports (and I have my personal experience), so I'm more paranoid when it comes to the FireWire ports.

I'm sure it is possible for a bad USB device to break a USB port too, given the right circumstances. However, I don't think it will affect the Mac's port if you are going through a hub (self-powered or not).

For both FireWire and USB, you should get a self-powered hub to ensure the devices have enough power. Actually, I've only seen one FireWire product, a three port hub (1 port to 2 ports), that is not self-powered. Most FireWire devices need full power, so it's really a non-issue; the hub needs to be self-powered and most of the hub products out there are self-powered. On the USB side, there are plenty of bus-powered hubs out there.

I don't see evidence that "protection" is needed for USB. But ports do wear out from constant plugging and unplugging, so I think using a hub us a good idea for devices you attach and remove regularly; it's a different type of issue from FireWire. It's easier to replace a $30 hub than get a USB port fixed on the Mac.

As with much of the advice here on the forum, it is based on personal experience. As they say, +your mileage may vary+. The one time I had a suspected bad FireWire device it first +blew out+ a port on my Mac. Since I did not know it was the problem, I later plugged it into a FireWire hub and ruined that port. So I'm pretty sure that device caused the damage; I wasn't about to plug it into another port to confirm it. However, the remaining FireWire port on the Mac (to which the hub was plugged) and the other ports on the hub were not damaged.

No, my belief is that FireWire devices are more prone to damaging the circuitry behind the port due to connecting and disconnecting on-the-fly (compared to USB). There is supporting documentation on the web, for example.

http://www.wiebetech.com/whitepapers/FireWirePortFailures.php
http://lowendmac.com/misc/03/0421.html
(there are many more)

Mechanical failure (wear and tear) through constant plugging and unplugging is a secondary consideration.

If your FireWire device is constantly connected, this issue does not exist (and there is no wear and tear either). On my Intel iMac, my external FireWire drive is always connected, and I use the direct port on the Mac. If I ever need to disconnect it, I shut down my iMac and then disconnect. The other FireWire port is connect to a hub, and that is where I connect and disconnect FireWire devices on-the-fly (old iPod, small bus-powered drive, and video camera).

If your iPod shuffle is the old +thumb drive+ style with the USB plug, you should be using a self-powered hub. That may be why it is not reliable. Also, that plug on the old shuffle is the most likely part to fail, so it is possible that it is getting worn out. I bought a bunch of used and reportedly broken iPod shuffle (the older white type) on eBay to see if I could fix any of them. I would say, 80% of the time, it was broken due to a faulty USB plug (no data connection). On the rare ones broken for another reason, I used that good USB plug to get another shuffle working. (A few worked after using the iPod Reset Utility, without any other repair. 🙂 )

But I'm getting off topic with the shuffle talk...