Jasper
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 02:37 PM |
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20m USB cable
Any reason I can't run a 20m USB cable? I've got a printer I need to put the otherside of the room, and the printer is not wireless
compatible.....
And can you get such a long cable?
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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scudderfish
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 02:48 PM |
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According to wikipedia, it looks like you can't with one cable.
quote:
USB 1.1 maximum cable length is 3 metres (9.8 ft)[15]. USB 2.0 maximum cable length is 5 metres (16 ft). Maximum hubs connected in series is 5.
Maximum devices connected in total is 127.
Although a single cable is limited to 5 metres, the USB 2.0 specification permits up to five USB hubs in a long chain of cables and hubs. This allows
for a maximum distance of 30 metres (98 ft) between host and device, using six cables 5 metres (16 ft) long and five hubs. In actual use, since some
USB devices have built-in cables for connecting to the hub, the maximum achievable distance is 25 metres (82 ft) + the length of the device's
cable.
USB 3.0 does not define cable assembly lengths, except that it can be of any length as long as it meets all the requirements defined in the
specification. However, electronicdesign.com estimated that cables will be limited to 3 metres at top speed.[16]
Since USB provides power for devices connected to the bus, a special type of USB extender cable was created, consisting of a miniature one-port USB
hub molded onto one end of a 5-metre cable. These mini-hubs are fully self-contained within the cable, requiring no separate bulky hub device and no
external power. They are as simple to use as plugging cables together, with each hub drawing power through all the previous single-port hubs in the
chain. Because bus power is limited, the most practical arrangement consists of four single-port hub extender cables, one plain 5-metre cable and, at
the very end, a powered multiport hub to support multiple USB
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scudderfish
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 02:50 PM |
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You could get a wireless print server such as http://www.netgear.co.uk/wireless_print_server_wgps606.php
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02GF74
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 02:52 PM |
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yes, USB 2.0 specification states 5.0 m max.
longer cables may work but are not guaranteed.
you can get round it
Mr W , it is not about wire thickness but cable characteristics - re: transmission line theory.
more about it here
[Edited on 5/3/09 by 02GF74]
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 02:56 PM |
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why? is it voltage drop? if so why do they not use heavier wire for the longer ones?
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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madmandegge
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 03:11 PM |
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These seem to work pretty well, not massively expensive either.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6640
Converts USB to a network lead, then back again. Lots of people seem to have had success with them, and network leads of this length aren't
expensive (unless you're buying from PC World!)
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Jasper
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 04:08 PM |
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Thanks chaps - I'll look into those....
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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dhutch
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 05:48 PM |
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Ive got a 4m with a printer on it, but when i added three 1m leads to it it didnt like it. Usally worked, but not always properly. (didnt turn on on
demand, droping out, etc)
- Might in part by down to the cheap 1m leads i had, but does go to sugges a full 20m might be pushing it.
If the printer has a parallel port, you can get print servers for £10.
- Otherwise you can get USB ones too, but there more like £30.
Daniel
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splitrivet
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 07:30 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by madmandegge
These seem to work pretty well, not massively expensive either.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6640
Converts USB to a network lead, then back again. Lots of people seem to have had success with them, and network leads of this length aren't
expensive (unless you're buying from PC World!)
They only work on USB 1.1 as I found out to my cost on a job I got roped into the other week the printer was Ye Olde but it was USB2 for all that.
A print server wouldnt work over the Lan on USB 2 either as the IT guy found to his cost.
You can get USB 2 to CAT5e extenders but they are probably twice as dear as your printer or a wireless printer. I'd just suck the mop and buy a
wireless printer or move it.
Cheers,
Bob
[Edited on 5/3/09 by splitrivet]
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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britishtrident
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 09:33 PM |
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Buy a new printer
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 10:09 PM |
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It's not just resistance - there's the capacitance between the conductors, and the inductance of all that wire.
In layman's terms the resistance, capacitance and inductance all work together to make the digital signal "fuzzy", and the printer
can't make sense of what's appearing on the cable.
I can think of 2 solutions - either wireless (as mentioned above) or ethernet (a bit more effort, but the cables can be VERY long). My HP has
ethernet built in, or you can get a plug-in 'dongle' that can make the connection to the parallel port or (I believe) to USB.
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martyn_16v
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| posted on 5/3/09 at 10:18 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by splitrivet
quote:
Originally posted by madmandegge
These seem to work pretty well, not massively expensive either.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6640
Converts USB to a network lead, then back again. Lots of people seem to have had success with them, and network leads of this length aren't
expensive (unless you're buying from PC World!)
They only work on USB 1.1
Not nessy-celery. I've had USB2 devices running off these over 25m of cat5 before. It is a bit hit and miss though, some kit will work and some
won't, you just have to try it and see really. In my experience printers tend to be more miss than hit though. Nikon cameras don't even
bat an eyelid 
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madmandegge
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| posted on 6/3/09 at 09:18 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by splitrivet
quote:
Originally posted by madmandegge
These seem to work pretty well, not massively expensive either.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6640
Converts USB to a network lead, then back again. Lots of people seem to have had success with them, and network leads of this length aren't
expensive (unless you're buying from PC World!)
They only work on USB 1.1 as I found out to my cost on a job I got roped into the other week the printer was Ye Olde but it was USB2 for all that.
A print server wouldnt work over the Lan on USB 2 either as the IT guy found to his cost.
You can get USB 2 to CAT5e extenders but they are probably twice as dear as your printer or a wireless printer. I'd just suck the mop and buy a
wireless printer or move it.
Cheers,
Bob
[Edited on 5/3/09 by splitrivet]
They won't work at USB2 speeds, but a USB2 device will still work, just at USB1.1 speeds. A printer is probably one of the things that you can
afford to be that slow.
A pen drive on the other hand would be terrible at this distance! Can't stand waiting for anything personally 
[Edited on 6/3/09 by madmandegge]
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splitrivet
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| posted on 7/3/09 at 01:24 PM |
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I can only relay my own experience, it would not see the printer at all although it saw my USB pen drive, at home with a .5 metre patch lead and my
own printer it wouldnt work either.
I too thought it would work at USB 1.1 speed.
If you want the USB extender for a tenner Jasper your more than welcome at least I can recoup something from the job.
Cheers,
Bob
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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Jasper
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| posted on 13/3/09 at 03:29 PM |
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Thanks Bob - but I've gone for the RJ45-USB converters, only £12 so worth a try first.
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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