USB ports allow USB devices to be connected to each other with and transfer digital data over USB cables.
They can also supply electric power across the cable to devices that need it.
What Can You Plug Into a USB Port?
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Many types of consumer electronics support USB interfaces.
For this reason, it is good practice to always safely eject your USB rig before physically unplugging it.
Multiple USB devices can also be connected to each other using aUSB hub.
AUSB hubplugs into one USB port and contains additional ports for other devices to connect subsequently.
USB cables are manufactured to support all supported combinations of types and male/female options.
USB ports feature identical physical layouts no matter the version of USB supported.
USB Port Not Working?
Not everything goes smoothly when you work with computers.
There are a variety of reasons a USB port could suddenly stop working correctly.
Check outour USB troubleshooting pagefor when you encounter problems.
USB ports support much faster (often 100x or greater) data transfers than serial or parallel.
Forcomputer networking,Ethernet portsare sometimes used instead of USB.
For some types of computer peripherals,FireWire portsare also sometimes available.
FAQ
In some cases, a broken connection or a software problem could be to blame.
Dirty or clogged USB ports can sometimes interfere with performance as well.
If you have a cigarette lighter in your vehicle,repurpose your 12V socket as a USB port.
You might also be interested inadding a USB connection to a car stereo.
