After reviewing the Belkin USB Plus 7-port Hub earlier this month, I thought it would only be appropriate if I also reviewed it’s smaller sibling the 4-port USB Plus Hub. The Belkin 4-port hub retains the same style and theme as the larger one. It accepts power from an AC Adapter so too much stress won’t be placed on your machine’s bus. And since it’s self powered, as a bonus, USB powered devices can be charged if connected to the hub even when your computer is off. A neat little rubber clamp on the right side acts as a holster to keep cables neatly organized and from running loose.

The Belkin 4-port USB Plus Hub worked without any issues with just about any USB gizmo. Two of the USB ports along with the input and power supply are found on the back. For easy access, the remaining two ports have been placed on top of the unit for flash drives. There are LED indicators embedded into the casing, which indicate which ports are connected and when the power supply status. The hub was able to retain a full data throughput that the USB can support, which is all that we can ask for. It will slow down if too many data intensive devices such as external Hard Drives are being used.

The hub is available in two color schemes: brown/white or white/blue. As seen in the pictures, I went with the brown/white configuration to match my other gizmos; however people who own Apple gizmos might want to go with the white/blue. I tested this unit with both Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard without any issues whatsoever. Overall the hub is well designed and works smoothly. It is now available online (amazon, newegg, etc.) and in most retail stores for around $29.99.

Links: Belkin.com USB Plus 4-Port Hub
Buy: Belkin 4-Port Hub (Brown) (amazon, no tax + ships free)

I purchased a Belkin 7-port USB Plus Hub about a month ago to go along with my Dell m1530 Laptop and it works perfectly. The USB 2.0 hub replicates USB ports for additional accessories. The hub is powered with an AC adapter as an additional energy source under the circumstances that you are using too many devices that require charging. As a bonus, since the hub has its own power supply, devices such as iPods, Zunes, ZENs, and other USB-powered gizmos can be recharged without having to leave your machine running. The only problem I ran into was the fact that it took up more desk space than an average hub due to the ports being arranged horizontally on the back. However Belkin makes up for it by adding a cable holder on the side to reduce clutter and by simply making a product that works flawlessly.

The overall design of the Belkin Hub is simple and it works as advertised. There are five USB ports on the back along with the power cord and cable that connects to your computer. For easy access, the remaining 2 ports are located on top for use with flash drives. The hub is entirely stackable, so if you demand more ports you can place another Belkin 7-port or 4-port USB Plus Hub on top. You won’t lose access to the ports onto when stacking two 7-port hubs since the ports are still accessible through the hole. The hub also has discrete LED indicators embedded inside the encasement to display which ports are in use. Although we didn’t test the hub with too many data transfer intensive devices such as external hard drives, but rather with small peripherals, Belkin claims a 480Mbps transfer rate.

The hub is available in two color schemes: brown/white or white/blue. As seen in the pictures, I went with the brown/white configuration to match my other gizmos; however people who own Apple gizmos might want to go with the white/blue. So far the USB Plus Hub has been functioning perfectly, no hiccups what so ever. The only times the hub has slowed down is when we hit the USB 2.0 protocol transfer rate limit. The hub is well built and is available for a very reasonable price of $29.99 with no tax and free shipping from Amazon and other stores. But be aware that some stores such as Circuit City are charging as high as $50-60 for the same item, so shop around before buying.

Buy: Belkin 7-port USB Plus Hub – $29.99 (no tax + ships free)
Links: Belkin.com (Hubs Section | Belkin 7-port Hub (White Version)