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

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.

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.

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.