I need more USB ports on my iMac

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I need more USB ports on my iMac

I'm running into two issues.

When I purchase USB hubs, they only have a few ports, like 4. So, I'm having to use two or three hubs. That makes a mess behind my computer and it's a pain. Is the reason USB hubs only have a few ports because they don't work well when you have more?

The second issue is that some things don't work when I use the USB hub. Do you think it's because the device may need a version other than the hub version (meaning USB 2 vs. UBS 3)? Do devices usually specifically work on USB 2 or USB 3 and not both?

I bought my iMac in January 2015 from an Apple Store.

Thank you in advance for any help!

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Apr 24, 2015 2:03 PM

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Answer 1

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Old Toad

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Apr 24, 2015 2:39 PM in response to Lisppat0

Here's some information on 7 and 10 port, self-powered, USB 3.0 hubs which are backward compatible.

The Best USB 3.0 Hubs

Just make sure you get self powered hubs so you don't overload the USB port on the Mac.

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Answer 2

Lisppat0 Author

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Apr 24, 2015 2:41 PM in response to Old Toad

Thank you. This looks like very helpful information.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

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Apr 24, 2015 3:00 PM in response to Lisppat0

If your current hub is self powered you can daisy chain drives from one port if necessary. Always put the slowest drive at the end of each chain.

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Answer 4

Lisppat0 Author

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Apr 24, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Old Toad

What do you mean by slowest drive? Does that refer to USB 2? Something else?

And, if I got two of the 7 ports, or a 7 and a 10, of the hubs you referenced in the link you provided would it matter how I connected those? They would be the same speed, I'm assuming.

Thank you so much for the information. Seriously, it's saving me lots of brain turmoil and research time.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

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Apr 24, 2015 3:47 PM in response to Lisppat0

I'm referring to putting a USB 2 drive behind a USB 3 drive. If it's the other way around the USB 3 drive would be limited to USB 2 speeds.

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Answer 6

Lisppat0 Author

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Apr 25, 2015 5:27 PM in response to Old Toad

Regarding the HooToo HT-UH010 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub, I'm confused why they are providing two "special ports" to charge iPhones and iPads. Why are these special ports needed? I have always synced iPhones, etc. using a regular USB port. I'm wondering if I will have to use one of the regular ports to sync my iPhone and such. If so, I'll need more regular USB ports.

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Answer 7

Lisppat0 Author

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Apr 25, 2015 9:05 PM in response to Lisppat0

I might have answered my own question...... the two ports for the iPhone and iPad, etc. are just for charging. The other 7 ports are for data transfer. Therefore, I need to make sure I have a port for my iPhone for data transfer in addition to the two extra ports at the bottom of that USB hub. Is this correct?

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Answer 8

Old Toad

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Apr 26, 2015 9:12 AM in response to Lisppat0

Any USB port can be used for data transfer. The two charging ports are just a convenience so you don't have to take up a port that you might need for a drive.

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Answer 9

Oct 8, 2015 11:42 PM in response to Lisppat0

Hi Lisppat0,

I think this review will guide you to get a best USB hub for extending your number of USB ports in your iMac:

5 Best USB Hubs for iMac Computer 2015 Reviews

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Answer 10

Old Toad

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207,367 points

Oct 9, 2015 11:26 AM in response to Lisppat0

Whatever USB multipart device you get make sure it's a self powered device.

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