USB hubs, anyone?

[Jannyfox]

I have a desktop PC with the usual usb ports, on the back (inaccessable), or on the front, which is equally useless for anything other than a little usb transmitter for a mouse as the box is on the floor under my desk.
As well as sometimes needing to plug in a usb stick I have a plethora of peripherals and things that need charging from time to time (printer, external had drives, tablet, mouse, card reader etc, etc). I have two usb hubs, both old school usb2. One only has 2 accessable ports (who designs a hub that sits flat on a desk with more ports on the back than on the front, or top in this case) and the other which only seems to work as a charger (it is ancient, to be fair) but in any case is very fond of sliding down behind the desk.
What I want to do is replace both hubs with a single one - one that has lots of accessable ports and will sit nicely on the desk. At the moment everything I need to plug in is usb2. Anything I have to replace is going to usb3. I think I have the connector terminology right but correct me if I'm wrong. So I'm really looking to buy one of each to future proof myself. They need to be mains powered and, most crucially, they need to have a long enough cable to easily reach over the back of the desk and into the back of the PC.
I've looked at lots and found several that are candidates but I can't find out how long the cable is. With some it's obvious from the picture that the cable is short and they're intended for use with a laptop. Some have a longer cable but how long? This a prime example of how being limited to buying online falls flat on its face.
Anybody using a hub in this way with any recommendations?
Oh, and not cheap and nasty but not silly expensive either

 

[troutfisher]

Have a look

https://www.cclonline.com/peripherals/usb-hubs/

 

[Box Brownie]

FWIW and AFAIK

Firstly, the only way to have USB3 speeds is to have, as you mention a USB 3 capable hub BUT it will need to be plugged into a PC with a USB 3 port.

As for cable length.....I feel sure there must be hubs with an input port i.e. you use say a 1m long cable to attach the hub to the PC.

HTH

 

[ancient_mariner]

IIRC USB defaults to the speed of the slowest device connected. I would therefore recommend having at least 2 separate hubs, with one for USB 2 and older peripherals and one for fast drives only.

 

[tijuana taxi]

@Jannyfox I had a very similar problem to you and bought this hub https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DPNYG8L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works well and has given me a charging port too.
Lead was long enough to plug in the back of my PC which sits just off the floor.
It does require a mains socket plug and the plug also has a decent length lead.

 

[Willid1]

If you are OK to open your computer try one of these https://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-hardware/pci-pci-e-add-in-cards/usb3-io

 

[Box Brownie]

If you are OK to open your computer try one of these https://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-hardware/pci-pci-e-add-in-cards/usb3-io

FWIW I added such a card to give me USB 3 on my current PC

Having said that if you mean Jan could benefit from just more ports on her PC, then I doubt she needs one. Because she mentioned the difficulty reaching the ports on the system box (on the floor & under a desk.

 

[Jannyfox]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I hadn't looked at cclonline but they seem to have a good choice at a sensible price. I had considered I might have to buy a cable or extension, but I resented doing that on top of the price of some of the hubs I've been looking at. For a lower priced but decent quality hub I don't mind.
I think they've changed connectors so a modern hub can't utilise the cable I already have.
As for usb3, there are no usb3 ports on the pc. If/when I start gathering usb3 peripherals they'd probably be fine at the lower speed and if they're not........ I'm not going to open up the pc and put a card in but I know a man who will.........