Hacking USB Hubs?

[LightyKD]

I was reading the Wii Speak manual and Nintendo recommends the use of powered USB hub if one is to be used. I'm using a non powered hub and my Apple keyboard and the Wii Speak mic is working perfectly. I was wondering is there any major effects to the Wii when using a non powered hub compared to one that has its own power source?

 

[jacklaidlaw]

usb ports are 5volts this cant be changed so the more stuff you add to a hub the further that 5v has to stretch if you have powered hub then your usb devices wont be starved of electricity

 

[mousex]

Powered Hubs don't change the Voltage. It's 5V for every device, even if you plugin 100 Wiispeaks. But one USB port has only 500mA, if you use devices on one hub which use more than 500mA you need a powered hub which has 500mA for every single port. A nonpowered hub has only 500mA for all port together.

 

[lll]

I was reading the Wii Speak manual and Nintendo recommends the use of powered USB hub if one is to be used. I'm using a non powered hub and my Apple keyboard and the Wii Speak mic is working perfectly. I was wondering is there any major effects to the Wii when using a non powered hub compared to one that has its own power source?

In theory it depends. If you hook up 37 things to your USB ports your Wii isn't going to be able to supply them all with power. If you draw too much bad things might happen, although at worst we'd be talking system instability - and even then I think that Nintendo would've engineered in something like cutting off power to the USB ports in case of overload.

In practice you're almost certainly never going to hook up enough things to your Wii to have a problem. I don't understand why you're even using a hub, you've got two USB plugs and the Wii's got two USB ports.

 

[OSW]

If the USB port can only supply a maximum of 500mA, a 4 port hub leaves 125mA per hub port for devices.

Does anyone know how many mA Wii Speak, keyboards etc require to run properly?
I've had no issues with 1 USB stick and a keyboard plugged into my hub.

 

[slaphappygamer]

maybe he uses his wii to charge his iphone, like mee. lol