Vantec 7 Port USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub – Solid As A Powerful Rock

The Vantec 7-Port USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub.

The Vantec 7-Port USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub.

There are a growing number of things I think life-is-to-short to deal with. Bad wine, slow USB sticks, low-thread-count sheets, airlines with terrible service, bad speakers, cheap headphones, etc. Add to this list: “Weak USB hubs that don’t have nearly enough power for the number of ports”. Too frequently I’d get a hub and after a USB hard drive and a memory stick or two, it wouldn’t have enough juice for anything else. “Volume <Whatever> Was Ejected Improperly…“, I hate being scolded by a computer…

The Vantec hub itself.

The Vantec hub itself.

I’ve written about Vantec products before, and this Vantec 7-Port USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub is not cheap, running between $40-50 online. But it is built like a tank with a power-plant inside. Made of rolled aluminum about an eighth-of-an-inch thick, the hub can take a pounding. It’s small and lightweight, but with enough heft to keep from tipping on its side, and rubber feet to make it stay-put. But the real joy is pure power. With a nice AC plug bringing in 12V and 3Amps, the Vantec 7-Port USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub is able to keep full power flowing to all 7-ports, no matter how many are used.

The Vantec is a very solid piece of equipment.

The Vantec is a very solid piece of equipment.

Measuring a little under 4.5 inches long, 1.75 inches wide and 1 inch tall, the Vantec is small enough that it will not get in your way or clutter up your desk. The sleak, black-box, look of the hub is quite well done, with blue LED “Connection” lights for each por, which are not your typical too-bright blue LEDs. I have seen some reviews claiming the hub fizzles out after six months or so. Not in my experience, and I’ve been using this hub for nearly a year. The Time Machine backup USB hard drive for my Mac is plugged into it, and the hub has never failed me.

Simply put, the Vantec 7-Port USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub1 is great, and well worth the price. Don’t settle for those cheap $20-30 plastic hubs that give-up after a few devices are plugged in. Get something that will last, and not disconnect your USB hard drive from the computer when you try to recharge your phone.

Pros:

  • Provides consistent power across all 7 ports, even when all are in use.
  • Extremely well built, with quality materials.
  • Compact and attractive, it can hide on your desk, or be shown off.

Cons:

  • A little more expensive than your average 7-port USB 3.0 hub.

Verdict = Recommended.


References

References
1 Amazon Referral Link

Mike Knotts

Mike Knotts was born in 1968 in a small town in southern Indiana. Even when very young, Mike showed a love for all-things technical and sci-fi. Moving with his family to California in the early 80's, he eventually graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in History. Rather than put that to good use, Mike continued to pursue his passion for technology by working for early, regional ISP's in the mid 1990's. He currently resides in the Pacific Northwest, where he works as a project manager for an Internet startup. Mike is a co-founder of Geekometry.

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