Customer Reviews

Belkin In-Desk USB Hub 2-Inch (F5U402-02IN-KIT)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was the perfect add-on for my new computer desk (which I designed myself). Looks very professional, there is less cable clutter, and gives you 3 additional USB ports (takes 1 port from your computer and has 4 ports -- 3 on top and 1 on bottom), thus a net gain of 3 ports. The bottom USB port was perfect for the USB dongle of my wireless mouse. Could also be convenient for a device that you want to hide under the desk (i.e. perhaps you have one of those UPS that can send shutdown signal via USB cable?).

Installation was very easy. The difficult part was drilling the 2" hole in the desk for the included plastic grommet. The USB hub snaps into the plastic grommet (slide it in and turn it 90 degrees to lock it in place).

The documentation states that it is compatible with Windows, does not say anything about Mac OS. I can confirm that it works perfectly with Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Not a surprise, since this is just a USB Hub! No drivers to install.

My desk came w/ 2" cable holes pre-drilled. The Belkin In-Desk hub slid in w/o any modifications. There is even a USB connection on the bottom should I want to connect something under the desk. I especially liked how you don't have to connect the power adapter, unless you're going to connect a bus powered USB device. (ie. USB powered Hard Drive) The design allows you to use the cable management and gives you additional USB ports w/o taking up any desk space!

This is a perfect way to get access to more USB ports with less desk clutter. Even if I didn't have a pre-drilled hole in my desk, I'd drill one just for this.

This great little USB hub was a perfect fit in more ways than 1.
- I had a pre-drilled hole in my desk and it slid in without any problem. It's snug enough that it won't come out but not so much that it would damage the unit.
- The ports all work great.
- It has 3 on top and one on bottom. I'm able to plug the keyboard sitting on my keyboard tray to the one underneath, which is perfect.
- Build quality is nice and sturdy - just what I'd expect.

If you need a USB hub and own a wood desk, you should buy this - you can always drill the hole yourself!

No rocket science here: needed a 2" desk thingy to give a granite slab desk that "finished look". The Belkin Hub does the trick. Reality is I probably need five more outlets, but just daisy-chained a small 4-fort hub into this one. Bingo. Always on. Always ready. Never fails. Love just one cord to deal with when I need to dash out the door without the toys. In the past it was a cobweb of cords that cluttered my desk and slowed me down when I needed to come or go with the laptop. I like it.

Neat addition to a desk setup. Requires external power. Beware if you are planning to drill a hole to insert this in -- it's pretty touchy. The hole-drilling-bit I used wasn't _quite_ the right size and I spent some time and tense moments customizing the hole. It installs by placing a circular sleeve in the hole in the desk, then placing the USB-hub-section in and rotating it 90 degrees. The hole in the desk needs to be pretty much perfectly round (easy with a factory-drilled hole, hard to do with a hand-drill and dull bit) or the sleeve will distort and the hub will bind up.

Don't underestimate this, though -- everything worked well once the hole in the table was correctly dimensioned. Neat device, works as advertised. Comes with software drivers, I think, though I don't recall actually needing it for my computer.

It fit perfectly in the in desk hole my desk has. I just wish the usb slots were tilted and not just straight up and down.

Belkin drew me to this hub with a simple lure: gain three USB ports without stealing a single inch of desktop space. I'm impressed the design includes not just the three top ports you'd expect to see, but an additional port on the underside that actually improves appearances by hiding a connection you rarely access. After reading previous reviews, I plugged a Logitech wireless receiver into that bottom port.

Installation went fairly well, although in order to keep the ring snug -- my desk's grommet holes are roughly 2-1/4 inches -- I added makeshift shims from packaging cardboard. Be aware that the LED shines red, not green, despite the product photo and the manual.

Drivers are a non-issue as you'd expect with a basic USB hub.

If I needed another hub (and had a sensible location for it), I'd definitely buy another.