D-Link DSB-H3SP USB Hub 3-Port

The only problem we've ever had with USB ports is not having enough of them. Theoretically, you should be able to connect dozens of devices to a single USB port, but manufacturers rarely make products with the requisite pass-through port that makes this possible. This means most computers that support USB are equipped with only enough ports to accommodate two measly USB devices. If you find yourself frequently swapping USB devices, consider investing in a USB hub such as D-Link's DSB-H3SP.

As the name implies, this hub has three USB ports, although the device connects to a USB port on your PC, so it really is like adding two extra USB connections. Still, those extra ports are handy, letting you connect (for example) a USB mouse, USB modem, USB scanner without ever having to unplug one device to make room for another.

D-Link doesn't stop there--it also sports a serial port and a parallel port. We attached a modem to the serial port and a printer to the parallel port, and both ran without a hitch, even when all the USB ports were filled. Status lights on the front of the device kept us appraised of the activity on each port.

We had no trouble installing this product--not surprising, considering it is a USB device. The DSB-H3SP comes with a USB cable, a power supply unit, and a thin installation manual that we didn't even have to glance at during setup.

We had only two small problems with the DSB-H3SP. The most annoying was that booting Windows took anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute longer when the device was active than when it was disconnected. This was likely due to the initialization of the serial and parallel ports, as few pure-USB hubs we've looked at exhibit this behavior. Our other quibble was with the power cord. The DSB-H3SP requires external power, but the plug from the power supply is tiny and easily detaches when jostled. There were a few occasions when we added or removed a USB device and inadvertently dislodged the plug from its socket. We were forced to reboot the computer but nothing more dramatic happened as a result. These minor issues aside, the device worked as expected, and going back to a two-port USB configuration was unthinkable after we'd tested the hub for a few weeks. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

Simple installation
Serial and parallel ports are a nice touch
All USB ports run at full speed
Excellent configuration in a compact unit

Cons:

External power-supply transformer is bulky
Requires extra boot-up time to initialize

The D-Link DSB-H3SP is a USB hub with 3 USB ports, a parallel printer port, and a serial port. It allows a user to connect up to three serial devices to a USB-ready Windows 98 PC. The DSB-H3SP is targeted at the Windows 98 user who is expanding the number of USB ports on a systems and needs to connect a printer and serial device.

Features of the D-Link DSB-H3SP include three type A downstream ports for connecting peripherals with USB support; one type B upstream port for connecting to the host computer; a parallel port for attachment of a parallel printer; and an additional serial port for connection of a modem, mouse, digital camera, serial printer, bar code scanner-printer, or label printer. Also included are diagnostic LEDs mounted on the top of the device, providing the user with power and port status. The D-Link DSB-H3SP is packaged with all necessary manuals, a 6-foot USB A-to-B cable, a driver diskette, and a DC power supply.

The D-Link DSB-H3SP is a Universal Serial Bus USB Hub with 3 USB ports, 1 parallel printer port, and 1 serial port. It allows a user to connect up to three USB peripherals or devices, a parallel printer, and a serial device to their USB ready Windows 98 PC. The DSB-H3SP is targeted at Windows 98 users that are expanding the number of USB ports on their systems and need to connect a printer and serial device.As a standard compliant USB hub, the DSB-H3SP buffers USB data from any attached peripherals or devices in strict adherence with USB Specification version 1.1 to provide an invisible extension of the USB bus. Each port creates a bridge between the peripheral and host computer. The serial port works by creating a virtual serial port. The parallel port is restricted to use with a Windows 98 supported printer. Power for the DSB-H3SP can be provided directly from the USB bus for connection of up to three low-powered USB devices. In self-powered mode, the DSB-H3SP can support up to three high-powered USB devices or up to three downstream bus-powered USB hubs. Diagnostic LED's are mounted on the top of the device to provide the user with power and port status. The DSB-H3SP is packaged with all necessary manuals, a 6-foot USB 'A' to 'B' cable, a driver diskette, and a DC power supply.

1 No support!
I found that the DSB-H3SP HUB was not very easy to install. I found installation problematic. This is the fourth time I tried to install unit and was unsuccessful. I can not find any information on the D-Link web site related to the DSB-H3SP. A search of the web site in fact did not find a single item. A call to D-Link tech support was of little help!

2 Stay Away!
While this product was fine when operating under Windows 98 SE, I was never able to find Windows ME combatible drivers for it. In fact the D-Link site doesn't even list drivers for it. You can find them in their ftp site, but they are not fully ME compatible. Under Windows ME, I could get the USB ports to work and the parallel port (if I reinstalled the driver every time I rebooted). However, I could never get the serial port to work. I recently tried to install the hub on a Win 2K machine. I should not have wasted my time. I recently found a reference to the Belkin F5U012 on a windows 2K compatibility site. The site claims that these two units are identical and the drivers for the Belkin should work for the D-Link. I have yet to test this claim. All of this begs the question, though -- why struggle with the D-Link when the Belkin ships with the correct drivers. Things that make you go "Hmmmmmmm."

3 dissatisfied
Doesn't work with Win 2000...I'm returning.

4 D-Link does it again!
The DSP-H3SP is a great device for providing more elbow room on the USB bus. The serial and parallel ports install automatically and provide transparent support for any device you can connect. I had trouble with a Palm Pilot on my mainboard COM port; I plugged it into the H3SP and it worked perfectly! It has been used with two OKIDATA parallel printers, and a SONY memory stick reader/writer with no problems!