USB Hub with "Everything" Built-In? (Bluetooth, NIC, Audio, etc?)

[nForce2]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a USB hub with "Everything" built-in to it?

For example, I had looked at the compact NUC and BRIX computers... but to complete the system, I would need:

• USB wired Ethernet
• USB (or mini-PCIe) WiFi
• USB (or mini-PCIe) Bluetooth
• USB audio / sound card
• USB SD card reader

... and of course, to use a USB keyboard, mouse, printer, etc, I would need additional USB ports on top of that. To do all of these separately would be a massive tangle of cables and connectors, not really very appealing.

I'm finding some offerings in this category sold as "USB Docking Stations" or "USB Port Replicators", although most of them have video cards built in, which I'm sure would drive up the power usage...


Has anyone used one of these, or have a recommendation?

Thanks.

 

[corkyg]

Seems like you are specifying a docking station. However, while it has USB ports, it has a special connector - not USB.

 

[nForce2]

Seems like you are specifying a docking station. However, while it has USB ports, it has a special connector - not USB.

Very close to that, yes, but with a standard USB connection instead of that special proprietary connector. Sometimes the USB versions are referred to as "Universal Docking Stations".

For example, the Kensington sd3000v is approximately the type I am talking about. (There are many others out there.)

http://www.kensington.com/kensingto...tation-with-dvi-hdmi-vga-video-(sd3000v).aspx

The only problem I am having is that all of these seem to have display interfaces built in, and perhaps because of this, have high power requirements. I'd rather have one without the display interfaces, if possible.


It seems like what I'm after should be available, I just haven't found it yet. For example, this $20 submarine novelty is a combination USB 2.0 hub and card reader, with integrated Bluetooth.

... and USB hubs with integrated Ethernet are very easy to find as well. (This one is $10).

USB Hubs with built-in audio interfaces also exist:

... but does the combo exist anywhere, without a display interface?

 

[corkyg]

There is no requirement to use the display interface. Most laptops have secondary display ports, and in 20 years I have never used one. I suspect that your main desire is to not have a separate power source. With that many uses, there is no way that USB can support it.

 

[Cerb]

This is the point you make the, "aha," sound, and start looking at MiniITX . NUC and such seem to be good as just high-powered client media devices, but still lack a great deal for replacing a general-purpose PC, even though that could be done in a form factor nearly as small.

 

[SMOGZINN]

For example, I had looked at the compact NUC and BRIX computers... but to complete the system, I would need:

• USB wired Ethernet
• USB (or mini-PCIe) WiFi
• USB (or mini-PCIe) Bluetooth
• USB audio / sound card
• USB SD card reader

Has anyone used one of these, or have a recommendation?

Thanks.

I'm trying to figure out what your use is. As far as I can tell all the BRIX computers has Gigabit LAN port, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, 4 USB 3.0 slots, and a Bluetooth card built in, as well as onboard audio. None of this would be done better by a all-in-one USB hub. Sounds like all you really need is a USB hub with built in SD Card reader, and those are easy to find.

 

[nForce2]

This is the point you make the, "aha," sound, and start looking at MiniITX . NUC and such seem to be good as just high-powered client media devices, but still lack a great deal for replacing a general-purpose PC, even though that could be done in a form factor nearly as small.

Yep, that's pretty much it. And I guess I'm just surprised that nobody has stepped in to create an expansion device, perhaps even NUC or BRIX-specific (form factor and/or styling), to fill that need.

I'm trying to figure out what your use is. As far as I can tell all the BRIX computers has Gigabit LAN port, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, 4 USB 3.0 slots, and a Bluetooth card built in, as well as onboard audio. None of this would be done better by a all-in-one USB hub. Sounds like all you really need is a USB hub with built in SD Card reader, and those are easy to find.

One would be a HTPC, another a desktop replacement.

Certainly not all of the BRIX are as you described... The BRIX I was looking at is the GB-XM14-1037, which only has two USB 2.0 ports, no audio, and the included wifi card doesn't have Bluetooth support.

Likewise, the low-end NUCs are the DCCP847DYE, which has 3x USB 2.0 and GbE but a slower CPU, and the DC3217BY, which has 3x USB 2.0 but no ethernet, and neither one of these has audio, nor wifi or bluetooth without adding a mPCIe card.

 

[halry2]

Quite curious about this kind of USB hub.
Why you need so much functions within a hub?
Product managers should be struggling.