Hub for Laptop?

I think my friend needs a hub for her laptop - do hubs for laptops plug
into a 3 pin socket or via a hub socket on the laptop?.

Ali...

What's a hub socket? Something to do with bike wheels? And are you
talking about USB or Ethernet or something else? I'll assume USB.

A USB hub plugs into a USB socket, either on the computer, or on another
hub. It may, if so designed, also plug into a power source, such as a 3-
pin socket.

She only has 3 USB points on her laptop which are in use - 1 for
wireless mouse, 1 for modem and 1 for printer but now she has a scanner
she wants to use. I looked on her laptop and could find a very small
pink socket with lots of little holes - would this be for a mouse?? if
it was for a mouse she then would not need a hub. I have a mouse with
that type of fitting but mine is too large for that socket, is there a
special small mouse that would fit especially for laptops that would fit
in that pink socket??????????

Ali...

What shape is the pink socket, circular, rectangular or trapezoid?
Is there a symbol etched or moulded near the socket (mouse, keyboard, TV,
,,,)?

Jeff Gaines...

Does the pink socket have 13 holes in the top row and 12 at the bottom? If

Ali...

I would hardly call that 'very small'.
< If so it's a serial port and would take a serial mouse (if

so it's a serial port and would take a serial mouse (if you can find one
nowadays) with an adaptor to convert it to the smaller D-sub size. If it
has 2 rows of holes with 5 at the top and 4 at the bottom it is a D-sub
serial port and would take a serial mouse without an adaptor. If it has 3
rows of 5 holes it's a VGA connector for an external monitor. (my eye
have gone all squiffy now counting small pins!).

As far as a USB hub is concerned you can use one without external power
depending on what will be plugged into it - some peripherals like
joysticks need more power than an un-powered hub can provide. With a
printer attached does the laptop tend to stay in one place all the time?
If so a powered hub perhaps wouldn't be an issue.

Jackie...

The laptop is in one place all the time and just used like a PC so I
should think it would be o.k.
to get a un-powered hub then she need not worry about finding somewhere
else for the mouse.
Sorry I sent your eyes all squiffy and thank you very much.

Ali...

As Jeff said, some USB devices need more power than an unpowered hub can
provide. I have a USB flash memory drive that wouldn't work plugged into a
unpowered hub on a friend's machine, but did work plugged directly into
the computer's USB port (and works plugged into my hub). Since the laptop
isn't going to be moved about much a powered hub might be better, OTOH
presumably both the scanner and printer have their own power supplies, so
don't need power from the hub.

jackie...

The pink socket is small and circular - I don't know how many holes it has
and she lives some way away to check and I doubt if she could see how many
holes it has!!!

Thank you Ali.

DavidC...

The pink socket, from your descrpition, could well be the microphone
socket! It's the correct colour.....

jackie...

Thank you David - I have bought a hub now and hope to try it out on friend's
laptop
when I can get to see her, hope it solves the problem.

Numpty trying to help another numpty!!