From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Sun, 2/22/2026 4:58 PM, knuttle wrote:   
      
   > What is the experiences with running multiple additional drives through a   
   USB hub?    
   > Any limit on the number of ports on the hub?   
      
   It should be a "powered" hub, if the intention is to run   
   2.5" drives on USB to SATA adapters. The drives can need   
   spinup current, for the HDD type.   
      
   If you had a four port hub and a 5V @ 4A supply for the hub,   
   you could run three Toshiba 2.5" HDD at ~1A spinup current   
   for each. During the first ten seconds, ~3A would be drawn from   
   the 4A powered hub source. Once the drives are up to speed,   
   the current draw is reduced.   
      
   Generally, powered hubs don't come with big-enough power sources.   
   For example, a hub with 8 ports on it, might have a 5V @ 3A supply   
   and then you could connect two 2.5" HDD to the hub via USB   
   to SATA adapters. The barrel power connector has a current flow   
   limit, and maybe 5A is about as much as you could put through   
   an M plug. Larger diameter barrel plugs/jacks allow more current,   
   but the upper limit on barrels isn't that much higher. We cannot blame   
   the cheapness of the supplier entirely for the limitations. But   
   most of the time, the lower current adapters are a *lot* cheaper   
   for them to source. The oddball larger ones should be much   
   more expensive. Pound for pound, you can get more amperes   
   out of ATX power supplies (you could get ones with 5V @ 40A at   
   one time, but today 5V @ 20A is about it for the average ATX).   
      
   When you connect 3.5" drives in their own wall-powered enclosures,   
   those don't draw hub current, so an unpowered hub works just as   
   well as a powered hub for that case.   
      
   That would be one reason for me recommending the "larger enclosures"   
   -- they tend to be self-contained solutions. And if they have a   
   fan ? You're laughing.   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)