Following on from the DVB-T aerial saga, I need to extend my USB connection.

I find on Maplins website, a USB extension cable that includes a repeater so that additional cables can be attached to extend further.

5m should be enough, but, there is no harm in having another one.

But given that that short cable distance of USB is approx 5m, is this a practicable or reliable solution? Re-organising the room isn't an option.

Anyone any experience of medium to long length application of USB?

Get a powered USB hub with a repeater built in.

Failing that you can buy cables with powered repeaters in them, but they are not what you would call cheap. I wouldn't run over 3m without a repeater really if you want decent data rates, although up to 5 should be ok. Also remember more connectors you have the worse the loss, so the more the signal needs boosting so to speak. Also connections will introduce noise too.

There apparently is a device to run USB via cat5 wiring but it's gonna be blimmin' expensive.

A powered hub is your best bet IF the software is written properly it shouldn't have trouble with it. Make sure you get a USB2 one though

I have a 15m lead. Or at least 3 leads.

Each has a repeater built in.

Works great - bought em off ebay - about a fiver each. I'll dig the link out when i get back from Italy

had a meander through eBay.....

cheapest guy (cablestar) I bought a USB FM radio thing from - was low grade really, so not doing that again.

Looks to be about £9, which is still £6 cheaper than Maplins, for what looks to be (based on images) the exact same product)

Think I know what I'm doing...Ta for the hint Manguish

Yeah - i basically searched for 5m usb and it brought back loads.

5m appears to be the max for usb, but connected with the repeating cable it works great. Only runs @ 1.1 mind, not 2.0

even when it specifically states it's USB 2.0?

Yeah USB 2.0 spec will degrade to lower speeds when things are not good, eg excessive noise/loss due to cables length etc. Don't forget that for TV pictures USB1.1 will barely have enough bandwidth to make it work, and may not have enough for digital.

If you can get the USB2 over cat5 boxes they are probably not too horrendously priced and then you can run it for as long as you like over cheap and nice cat5e cable

last one i saw was about £60, and it was only USB1.1. compliant....

Hmm well if you can get the connectors you should be able to make a USB cable up that would be 5m one way 5m the other way and have a powered amplifier in the middle giving you 10m in total.

Yeah USB 2.0 spec will degrade to lower speeds when things are not good' date=' eg excessive noise/loss due to cables length etc. Don't forget that for TV pictures USB1.1 will barely have enough bandwidth to make it work, and may not have enough for digital.

If you can get the USB2 over cat5 boxes they are probably not too horrendously priced and then you can run it for as long as you like over cheap and nice cat5e cable [/quote']

90m is the maximum reliable length for Cat5E. Sorry for being cheeky

90m is the maximum reliable length for Cat5E. Sorry for being cheeky

Depends what you are running over it, 10base, 100base or 1000Base, all defined in spec :P

Depends what you are running over it, 10base, 100base or 1000Base, all defined in spec :P

Fair point but 1000Base over Cat5E! Not far at all.

No I know, now if you can run it over fiber you're onto something

USB 2.0 active extension cables can be found here

http://www.tiktak-it.co.uk/acatalog/USB_2.html