Customer Reviews

Belkin USB 2.0& Firewire 6-Port Hub For Mac Mini

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

1. The hub itself does not have its own power source, restricting its [reliable] use to self-powered devices. So if you add this device to your system, you still run the risk of all your portable USB and Firewire goodies (the reason you need a hub, right?) flaking out from lack of power.

2. Although having the hub in a form factor complementary to the Mac mini is an attractive feature (and probably the major reason for purchasing it), placing it under the Mac mini limits access to the ports you are adding because you will have to fight the cables in the back of the mini to plug anything in. Apple does not advise putting anything on top of the mini because of interference issues with Bluetooth and Airport, so below the mini it must go. I am thinking I may be able to rotate it 90 degrees to get better access to the ports, but then the cable tangle will spread.

Really nice design, but the reality is that you'd probably be better off focusing on ease of access than a nice-looking hub. If you need a hard drive too, the better option is something like the NewerTech miniStack that adds powered USB and Firewire ports as well as a larger external hard drive.

I took the leap and bought this hub, even after reading an unfavorable review here at Amazon. The hub is a bit odd because it does not have its own power source. After researching all over the net, I realized this was actually good design, not a defect. It's actually very nice to have one less power cord hanging from the desk top.

I have a pair of speakers, a wireless keyboard, a digital camera, and a USB pen drive plugged into the hub now for over a month without any problems. I also have a firewire iPod plugged in. I have had no power issues. My guess is that the combination of power from the firewire and USB cords that plug into your Mac Mini work together to send power where its needed. I tested the hub with a "Kill-A-Watt" meter and found that it only raised the power consumption of the Mac Mini by about 3 watts while in standby mode.

The one annoyance I will report is going to be with the USB standard in general. It appears that some USB devices have a "slightly" shorther plug than others. This difference is in millimeters, but it was an issue with my "Lexar USB pen drive." The pen drive will not plug into this hub and power on every time. This is because the Belkin hub has a very thin skin of plastic between the USB ports and the device plug. I've read other reviews with other hubs where this is an issue. You should take a couple of your USB device cables and hold them next to each other to see an length difference. If you find any plugs that are slightly smaller then the rest, it may not work with this hub. This issue is annoying, but easily fixed. I just plugged the pen drive into an USB extension cable, and then plugged the cable into the hub. I don't fault Belkin on this issue. I fault Lexar for not making the plug long enough. All the rest of my devices fit fine.

This issue of the USB plug length may be confused with other power issues in reviews for this hub. I believe that the hub provides plenty of power for it's devices. I just think some older devices may not have a long enough plug to fit those last couple of millimeters into the socket.

I'm using mine with my PowerMac G5, where it fits perfectly on the top, right under the carrying handle, to bring a ton of ports to the front of the machine. I have no use for the short, tiny patch cables in this installation, but they make a great addition to my Road Warrior kit!

Incidentally, complaints about power limitations on this hub are misplaced. The hub draws power from the Firewire port if its connected, which has much more power than a USB port.

The only down side is that it only has two firewire ports.

This product cannot draw enough power from the new mac minis - it only has a firewire 400 connection -and the new Mac Minis only have firewire 800. You can use a 400 to 800 firewire cable but it will not draw enough power for even a USB keyboard

This item unfortunately doesn't say that it won't work too well with the latest Dual Core Mac Mini, due to the new Mini design which moves the rear USB and Firwire ports to the other side, making it nearly impossible for the tiny connectors to reach. I finally got it connected but the resulting tangle of cords made it nearly impossible to add additional cables, and kept turning the Mini slightly so it sat kind of off-kilter on the hub and looked pretty silly. I also had no use for the front Firewire port, since none all my small peripherals (Palm, iPod, camera etc.) use USB so I had to have a bulky scanner wire connected to the front of the hub, draping around both it and the Mini. What a mess! I would make sure you check the back of your Mini before purchasing, to see that the locations of the connectors line up.

I am using this with a Mac Mini with the Intel Core Duo. The only issue I've encountered is that the provided firewire cable (to connect the computer to the hub) is too short. The cable is about 2-3 inches, and needs about an extra inch to reach between the ports. I have yet to find a replacement cable that is shorter than six feet.

In addition, be careful when plugging it into the computer. When I plugged in the USB cable (from computer to hub), it shorted out my monitor (which was quickly fixed by restarting the computer). I'd suggest turning off the computer before connecting.

I also agree that it would be nice to have more of the ports located on the front or sides because sitting under the Mini means that you have to dig through cables going into that to access the ports.

This hub not only works with the Mac Mini, but also works wonderfully with my iMac 24". I had originally thought about being able to set my iMac on top of this hub. As soon as I picked this hub up I immediately knew that was not an option. This hub is very light and in a thin plastic case.

Pros: Seamless glossy "Apple" look, no wall transformer or power cord needed, thin profile, fast speeds, one front USB port, all ports USB 2.0

Cons: Needs your own cords if not used on Mac Mini, thin case (although adequate for its intended purpose)

If you plan on using this hub for anything other than the Mac Mini be prepared to search through your spare cable box to find your own Firewire 400 and USB cord. Really was not a problem for me, but may be for some people. The cables included are about 2 inches long and meant to use with a Mac Mini because of their length.

Overall this hub is very nice and serves my purpose exactly. BE SURE TO CONNECT THE FIREWIRE PORT TO YOUR COMPUTER as this is where the hub receives it's power to be a powered USB hub.

Cons: The front, quick-access USB port stopped working after 10 days. From the beginning, the connection was not good--cables had to be pushed in hard to achieve a connection. Just poor quality in the item. I'm awaiting a replacement from Amazon now, and will update this review if the new unit is better/lasts longer than a month. I would give it 4 stars if the ports worked on mine.

Also, the supplied 2-inch patch cables are totally useless, unless you place the unit directly under a Mac Mini (which has its own problems of port access, as other reviewers have noted).

Pros:
It does look great.
The latest versions ship with good rubberized feet so slipping is no longer a problem.
It fits *perfectly* under the current iMac models--it's the same size as the iMac's aluminum "foot," and strong enough to support the iMac's weight.
The front access ports are convenient (or would be, if they worked).

UPDATE 05/30/07: Amazon has notified me that they are no longer carrying this device, so I guess I won't be getting a replacement from them after all. (It's only offered on Amazon thru third-party sellers now.) Not a good sign, I'd say.

No troubles with the functionality of this device. Like most products compatible with Mac, you plug it in and it works. I rate it a three because this device is clearly made for the generation 1 Mini, and I believe this should be stated somewhere in the product description. The supplied 6in. USB jumper reaches the USB ports on the rear panel easily, however the supplied Firewire jumper is barely long enough and over time I expect it to eventually fail as a significant amunt of stress is placed on the cable in order to force it to reach. On the generation 2 Mini, the added USB ports required that the firewire ports be moved to the opposite side of the panel which requires a significant amount of effort to connect the supplied 6in. jumper. An extra inch on the cable would make it more easily compatible across the two generations. Also it would be nice if the device were silver rather than white to match the outside of the Mini rather than the top panel, seeing as how it is designed to reside under the Mini.

I have been having this problem ever since I got it: the USB-connected devices (keyboard, webcam) stop functioning. The firewire ones (iPod and external HD) keep receiving power and working correctly. I have looked for solutions but have found none. I am using a G4 Powerbook.