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bs_texas
09-27-2004, 01:55 AM
Anybody have any good or bad stories about using a USB 2.0 Active Extension cable?

My experience tonight is that I can't get a webcam recognized after plugging it into the cable. It was working fine plugged directly into the USB 2.0 port on the back of the PC.
(This is on my W2K machine.) The system wanted a driver for the cable. I finally got some generic USB hub driver to apparently 'see' the cable. The little green light on the end 'adapter' was lit. (I think I'll just take it back and get a regular A to A non-active extension. I really only need about 3 extra feet to the length of the quickcam cable to position it where I want it.)

Anyway, I'll solve this, but I was just curious about other experiences people have had with these cables, if any.

It's this one, about midway down the page:
"USB-RPTR USB 2.0 480Mbps Active Extension Cable"
http://www.qvs.com/usb/cables.asp#USB_Standard_Ext

I figured it could only help having have a high-speed active extension with a quickcam. Maybe I was wrong.
XiaoKJ
09-27-2004, 08:18 AM
why not just get a powered USB 2.0 4-port hub? Then you can arrange stuff on your computer desk and still have room for expansion
bs_texas
09-27-2004, 10:10 AM
Well, I only have the one USB device. And I didn't want to have to plug another doodad into the power strip.

I just wanted to set the camera over on the window sill and it was about 3 feet short. And since it was a camera, I thought it would be best to get the 'active' extension cable to ensure the signal stayed clean and fresh.

I still haven't looked into the max length of a USB 2.0 cable. But I doubt if the length of the cable attached to the quickcam is the max. So I should be able to simply get an A to A extension cable of 3 to 5 feet and go from there.

I fiddled with that thing for over an hour last night and now I can't even get it back to the way it was. I thought it would be a simple extension. But W2K decided the thing was a hub and wanted a driver, which I thought it installed, but the system doesn't see the camera plugged into the extension.

That system is so unclean.... Time for a reformat and reinstall.