Looking for a front panel usb kit- 3.25"

[feralkid]

greetings, any reccommendations for a front panel adaptor? (my mb has the front header, so i would like that type). 3.25 preferred, but not mandatory. i found a fairly cool one, but expensive s/h from taiwan. thanks!

 

[LoneWolf1]

You mean something like this?

 

[feralkid]

close, very close, thank you; and nice stuff, too. alas, these are the type that have cables which run out the back of the computer, then plug in externally; hence they 'use up' needed rear connections. there is a type which plugs directly into the front header on the mobo, so all connections are internal. i saw one at bb.com, but it said 'can't be ordered at this time' (?), no in store pick-up either. i think the one that had to be shipped from taiwan was made by J D Research; however they don't show it on their website. thanks again for the reply, i appreciate it.

 

[Razl]

They're hard to find but here's one.

Antec makes a dual 5.25" adapter that connects to the board's headers. The nice thing about the 5.25" adapter is that it allows you to install a 3.5" device into it. So if you can spare a 5.25", this will probably fit your needs. Buy.com has the Antec Easy USB listed for $9.95 plus S/H.

Can you use a rear adapter (takes up one PCI slot though) or is front case access a must? I use a rear adapter for my fixed peripherals and use my keyboard's dual usb adapters for my camera. This is actually easier for me since my case is tucked under my desk.

Good luck.

 

[feralkid]

thanks Razl. it's the antec at buy.com. that's the ticket: it hooks up to the front header on mobos so equipped. it's the same one they have at best buy, but "not available for shipping" (?) it's interesting that you mention rear pci slot...there are some that slip into a pci slot, then send a ribbon cable back up to the front panel, providing 2 or more front usb sockets without consuming a rear socket. trouble is, they seem to cost around $60, as compared to the antec at around $20 shipped. i also found one by "cables to go" for $19 (before shipping) at tiger direct.com. looks about the same, just costs more. btw, my reason for wanting this setup is for quick hookup of a joystick and digital camera, avoiding the electrical spaghetti behind my computer.

 

[glenn1]

try this one... they make a USB 1.1 version as well, that's likely a lot cheaper if you don't need USB 2.0 capability.

 

[Razl]

Glad you found what you are looking for. BTW, you may have to re-arrange some of the leads (I had to for my Asus) since boards have different pin setups. It's pretty straight forward but if you have trouble, drop a new thread. Good luck.