USB 3.0 active extension cable problems

jimhoyle

Junior Member
Jan 12, 2015
20
0
16
I have a setup where I have no choice but to have a USB 3.0 cable go over a 5 meters of length from a cabinet (computer) to top of desk. First I had just a 5 meter passive USB 3.0 cable from computer to my monitor Dell U2713HM which has a USB 3.0 hub. Devices connected to the monitor hub that way had bad transfer speed and disconnections.

So I upgraded the extension cable to this one: https://www.wentronic.com/de-en/index/artikel/Active-USB-3-0-Extension-Cable-95727 (Goobay USB 3.0 active cable). It seemed to work for a week with no disconnects but then the disconnects started and now it's obvious the cable is useless. I do have to have an additional 1 m cable from the extension cable to the monitor so I upgraded that to also the best one I could find: http://www.amazon.co.uk/LINDY-41611...mputers_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TRN9HBHT5N2KHWFT9YJ – but that didn't help at all.

So at this point I confirmed that connecting the cromo cable directly from computer to monitor hub achieved 100 % problem-free connections. Nothing wrong with that cable. The problem is with the 5 m extension. So then I bought this http://www.delock.de/produkte/G_83176/merkmale.html?setLanguage=en – I thought maybe if I put it between computer and the extension cable (double connection to the computer) I would get a better result with the extension cable. But no, the extension cable works even worse with that. Doesn't connect anything but only keeps playing the connect/disconnect sound over and over. When connected from computer -> double-USB-adapter -> Lindy 1m Cromo cable (USB 3.0 A-B) -> monitor, no problem again.

I desperately need the 5 m extension, so what can I do? I prefer not buying a powered USB 3.0 hub for the monitor end because I don't have space for it and the point of the monitor's USB 3.0 was so that I wouldn't need an external powered USB 3.0 hub. However, I can easily put whatever on the computer's end (there is space and power).

I think it's clear that the Goobay extension cable is complete crap, so is there a USB 3.0 active extension cable that is really good but not too expensive (so much money was already burned)? Any comments on:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lindy-USB-Active-Extension-Cable/dp/B005FYIG66

or

http://www.deltaco.eu/en/product/(U...peed-USB---USB-30-)---active-cable-(signal-r/ (this one is expensive)?

Or something else to make a really good quality 5 m USB 3.0 connection? I don't know if it plays a role, but there's a great bunch of other cables such as power, audio and video cables running along the USB extension cable.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,570
10,202
126
I use a 5-6ft (~2m?) USB3.0 extension cable, with gold-plated connectors and proper shielding, that I purchased from monoprice.com . No issues with it, and my USB3.0 AC1200 wifi dongles.

I don't know about longer spans of USB3.0 extension cable. I know that they make them, I have no idea if they work.
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
106
"Although maximum cable length is not specified in the USB 3.0 specification, the electrical properties of the cable and signal quality limitations may limit the practical length to around 3 metres when multi-gigabit transfer rates are desired. This length, of course, can be extended through the use of hubs or signal extenders."

5 meters is not guaranteed to work, and in fact I'm surprised it even came close to working in the first place. USB 3.0 is a very tightly timed differential signaling interface; it simply isn't meant to go long distances over passive cables. So you're on the right track looking at active cabling.
 

Burpo

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2013
4,223
473
126
Sabrent states 13 meters max using their powered cable + extension..
 

jimhoyle

Junior Member
Jan 12, 2015
20
0
16
Thanks all! I ended up buying http://www.transcend-info.com/Products/No-402 (Transcend USB 3.0 HUB) with a power supply. I placed it after the 5 meter active but non-powered USB 3.0 cable after all.

I also realized that my Dell U2713HM monitor has a passive USB 3.0 hub, not active.

I can get speeds of 180–193MB/s Read and 156MB/s Write with SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 64 GB stick. Practically the same speed as from the desktop computer USB 3.0 ports directly.

In comparison I get 28MB/s Read+Write with the same USB stick when connected to my USB 2.0 powered hub or desktop computer USB 2.0 port. (Once I got this speed from my monitor too, it must have been some temporary problem.)

I tested with a program called "USB Flash Benchmark" (Windows 7's own copy is useless for testing the speed, it may still continue copying at 100% and the speed numbers are completely wrong).

Edit: Actual Windows copy seems to be rather lower than higher compared to the benchmark. Tested with TeraCopy. Maybe the truth is somewhere around 100-140MB/s.

Edit2: I had to edit this because I now learnt that I wasn't successful after all. Many devices except mouse WILL disconnect randomly after few hours (or minutes) use, while having 5m "active" non-powered USB 3.0 extension + powered USB 3.0 hub (+ connection to device). What is good to know that it's not the speed that is the problem, but the connection altogether. There must be some kind of sync problem or something and then the whole connection is lost and physical reconnect is needed. I have also noticed that USB 2.0 works MUCH better with similar setup (same as mentioned but 2.0), as should be according to the specification. What I'm going to try it probably by other non-powered 5m USB3.0 cables to check whether they would be free of the disconnection problem, even though it's a long shot. And eventually I may have to try the powered extension cable.
 
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