USB 1.1 speeds?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Calab
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Calab

I have a Motorola cable modem with both ethernet and USB ports. The ethernet
port is in use. I have a laptop here with USB 1.1 ports on it. My internet
connection is rated for 5mbit down and 512kbit up.

If I connect the USB port on my laptop to the cable modem, will I see full
speeds or will USB 1.1 limit the connection?
 
Calab said:
I have a Motorola cable modem with both ethernet and USB ports. The ethernet
port is in use. I have a laptop here with USB 1.1 ports on it. My internet
connection is rated for 5mbit down and 512kbit up.

If I connect the USB port on my laptop to the cable modem, will I see full
speeds or will USB 1.1 limit the connection?
Click to expand...

USB 1.1 is 12 megabits/sec, which is sufficient to handle your 5mbit/sec cap.
The actual transfer rate (with devices like USB flash sticks) is about
1MB/sec, which converted to bits is 8mbit/sec. So 8mbit/sec is slightly
more than 5mbit/sec.

My advice to you, is to leave the USB connection alone. USB makes a poor
substitute for Ethernet. If you want to connect to the cable modem,
insert a router between the cable modem and the two computers in question.
Ethernet is a much more stable interface.

Cable_modem ---> router An "all Ethernet solution"...
| \
v v
desktop laptop

The router itself can pose a few issues. I had a Linksys BEFSR41 that
I used for several years, and I was all the time having to power cycle
it, to get it to work properly. I've since switched to a bargain
router that was on sale at Staples a few months back, and that
seems to be much better.

If you want to find a router, go to the Newegg.com site, and look at
the products there. Each product will have customer reviews, and I
find reading a few of those will give a good idea as to whether a
product is a dog or not.

For example, if you read the reviews for my old router, you'll be
scared away immediately. There are at least five different versions
of this router, and the latest ones are not the best. Mine is an
earlier version, and it was usable. But I didn't realize what I was
putting up with, until I got a different brand, and really don't have
to play with it to use it. The new one "just works". (It is no
longer being manufactured - I think you can see some perverse logic
there.)

"Customer Reviews for LINKSYS BEFSR41"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16833124001

Paul
 
USB 1.1 is 12 megabits/sec, which is sufficient to handle your 5mbit/sec
cap.
The actual transfer rate (with devices like USB flash sticks) is about
1MB/sec, which converted to bits is 8mbit/sec. So 8mbit/sec is slightly
more than 5mbit/sec.
Click to expand...

Sounds good. Won't see much traffic through here anyhow - at least not for
the time being.
My advice to you, is to leave the USB connection alone. USB makes a poor
substitute for Ethernet. If you want to connect to the cable modem,
insert a router between the cable modem and the two computers in question.
Ethernet is a much more stable interface.
Click to expand...

Well... This is my current PC setup, so you'll see where I'm going with this
(it will be an ugly diagram for those not using monospaced fonts in their
reader):

/----USB-------------------------------------\
Server [Cablemodem #1]
\ \----Ethernet--->*1 [Router]---/
\ / /
\----GigEthernet---[GigSwitch]---/ /
/ / / / /
/ / / / /
MyPC ---GigE----------/ / / / /
/ / / /
PS3 ----GigE-----------/ / / / *1>---\
/ / / [Cablemodem #2]
WifesPC ---GigE---------/ / / *2>---/
/ /
/---GigE-----------/ /
Laptop /
\---USB---->*2 /
/
XBox ------------------------
 
Well... This is my current PC setup, so you'll see where I'm going with
this
(it will be an ugly diagram for those not using monospaced fonts in their
reader):
Click to expand...

Missed a couple items... Here's the correct diagram:

/----USB-------------------------------------\
Server [Cablemodem #1]
\ \----Ethernet--->*1 [Router]---/
\ / / / /
\----GigEthernet---[GigSwitch]----' / / /
/ / / / / / /
/ / / / / / /
MyPC ---GigE----------' / / / / / /
/ / / / / /
PS3 ----GigE-----------' / / / / / *1>---\
/ / / / / [Cablemodem #2]
WifesPC ---GigE---------' / / / / *2>---/
/ / / /
/---GigE-----------' / / /
Laptop ---Ethernet-------------' / /
\---USB---->*2 / /
/ /
XBox #1-----------------------' /
/
XBox #2-----------------------'
 
I have a Motorola cable modem with both ethernet and USB ports. The ethernet
port is in use. I have a laptop here with USB 1.1 ports on it. My internet
connection is rated for 5mbit down and 512kbit up.

If I connect the USB port on my laptop to the cable modem, will I see full
speeds or will USB 1.1 limit the connection?
Click to expand...

My USB 1.1 is fast enough for transferring digital camera photos from
the cards (using an external reader). It also works fine for flash
sticks. My CD burner I connect to my addon USB 2.0 card, but I bet it
would work fine on USB 1.1 too. I have never understood why some
people insist that USB 1.1 is too slow. Heck, I'm not in that much of
a hurry !!!!
 
Calab said:
Well... This is my current PC setup, so you'll see where I'm going with
this
(it will be an ugly diagram for those not using monospaced fonts in their
reader):
Click to expand...

Missed a couple items... Here's the correct diagram:

/----USB-------------------------------------\
Server [Cablemodem #1]
\ \----Ethernet--->*1 [Router]---/
\ / / / /
\----GigEthernet---[GigSwitch]----' / / /
/ / / / / / /
/ / / / / / /
MyPC ---GigE----------' / / / / / /
/ / / / / /
PS3 ----GigE-----------' / / / / / *1>---\
/ / / / / [Cablemodem #2]
WifesPC ---GigE---------' / / / / *2>---/
/ / / /
/---GigE-----------' / / /
Laptop ---Ethernet-------------' / /
\---USB---->*2 / /
/ /
XBox #1-----------------------' /
/
XBox #2-----------------------'
Click to expand...

Well, now I know who to ask for networking advice :-)

You must keep a set of Steven's "TCP/IP Illustrated"
on your bedside table.

If the head end amp on the cable TV coax goes out,
I guess both cable modems go out at the same time.
It wouldn't be like the cable company, to connect
them to different segments.

Paul
 
Paul said:
The router itself can pose a few issues. I had a Linksys BEFSR41 that
I used for several years, and I was all the time having to power cycle
it, to get it to work properly. I've since switched to a bargain
router that was on sale at Staples a few months back, and that
seems to be much better.
Click to expand...


The Linksys WRT54GL runs Linux rather than VxWorks which allows for several
3rd party firmware options such as DD-WRT. Even if wireless functionality is
never used it's a decent unit for $60.
 
My USB 1.1 is fast enough for transferring digital camera photos from
the cards (using an external reader). It also works fine for flash
sticks. My CD burner I connect to my addon USB 2.0 card, but I bet it
would work fine on USB 1.1 too. I have never understood why some
people insist that USB 1.1 is too slow. Heck, I'm not in that much of
a hurry !!!!
Click to expand...

It depends on how much data you're dealing with or whether
there is a realtime data rate needed.

For example my oldest scanner is capable of 600x600 32bit
DPI, but it is only USB1.1 capable so it has to constantly
stop scanning to flush the buffer to the system, then start
scanning again. This means it is not only taking much
longer and is choppier, it is also likely to be linearly
degrading the image because of the non-continual motion.
Simply changing the resolution to 300x300 32bit makes it
work fine, or switching to a scanner that uses USB2 instead.

Suppose you have taken 100 photos in raw instead of JPEGed
format with a modern 6+MP camera. How many minutes do you
want to have to wait to transfer them to the system over
USB1?

Suppose a USB tv tuner and you want full resolution in
realtime to watch TV. The real question is why would anyone
use USB1 if USB2 is available and at minimal cost (about $10
for an add-on card, but most any system made in the past
several years would already have it).

We could also say being patient allows using a very old
computer for many tasks,
 
Calab said:
I have a Motorola cable modem with both ethernet and USB ports. The ethernet
port is in use. I have a laptop here with USB 1.1 ports on it. My internet
connection is rated for 5mbit down and 512kbit up.

If I connect the USB port on my laptop to the cable modem, will I see full
speeds or will USB 1.1 limit the connection?
Click to expand...

You already have a faster USB than you need for the Internet
 
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