USB Ports - Question

[BillTheCat]

Ok, any techies (or non-techies) out there to help answer a simple question? I've now got more USB devices to connect to my computer than I have USB ports. Is there such a thing as a USB adapter or something similar that will allow you to plug in 2 or 3 USB devices to one USB port? Or do I need to just keep plugging and unplugging each time?

[Bafana]

You can buy a USB hub (The one I have has 4 USB ports) that plugs into an existing USB port - You can get it from Challenger, Popular, etc...

[Yutenji]

You can buy a USB hub (The one I have has 4 USB ports) that plugs into an existing USB port - You can get it from Challenger, Popular, etc...

Hi, to add to this, before going out to buy, it would be sensible to find out (a) what kind of things you plug into your USB ports (e.g. mouse, keyboard, thumbdrives, digital cameras, etc.) and (b) whether your existing port and devices are USB 1.1 or the more recent (faster!) USB 2.0

If the devices are low speed, low power (such as mouse, keyboard) then USB 1.1 is ok and the adaptor does not need external power supply. But, if the devices are high speed and/or need higher power (thumbdrives, connections to PDA, digital camera, etc.) then better to get USB 2.0 with external power supply. In fact, although it's a little more expensive USB 2.0 is faster and will also handle the USB 1.1, so that's the better option.

The shop staff should be able to guide you, provided you know in advance what devices you expect to use.
Good luck