Active usb extenders. Any good?

Armadillo · 22 Mar 2015 at 22:21

If possible, I'd like to connect a usb device to a computer around 12m away.

Specifically, my elgato hd.

https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/gamecapture-hd

The laptop I normally use it with, while fine for local recording, struggles a bit with live streaming, so I'd prefer to have it connected to my main pc and just use the laptop to monitor the stream.

So are the active usb cables up to the job? I see plenty of 15m active repeater cables from many companies. Based on the comments, they seem to work, but most people are using them to hook up printers or other items that have their own power. Not stuff like the elgato that draws from usb.

I don't mind if the cable has to have it's own power supply. So are they up to it, if so anyone got any recommendations?

axer · 22 Mar 2015 at 22:24

I think you're going to struggle, I've been testing a SSD (i.e. low power) HDD over a 7M USB3 active cable and have been experiencing issues so over 12M it's going to be harder still (I seem to recall USB3 delivers greater power too!)

The__Malteser · 22 Mar 2015 at 22:28

**Sorry for hijacking the thread. I will delete the post if you ask me to**

I am also looking at USB extenders, but mine is to extend my usb headset. Will a cheap extender reduce the audio quality? I literally need less than 1 metre, just so I don't yank the wire if I pull my head back or something.

Thanks for any answers

axer · 22 Mar 2015 at 22:29

I can't see why it would Malteser, it'll either work or it won't (most likely the former!)

Armadillo · 22 Mar 2015 at 22:49

axer said:
I think you're going to struggle, I've been testing a SSD (i.e. low power) HDD over a 7M USB3 active cable and have been experiencing issues so over 12M it's going to be harder still (I seem to recall USB3 delivers greater power too!)

Just a normal active cable? I've seen one or two that have external power at the end you plug the device into.

Moving away from cables, what about usb over ethernet.

Anyone got any experience with them? They are normally powered device end.

Something like

http://www.iogear.com/product/GUCE62/

Unfortunately, that and others I've found seem to be US only. Most of the stuff I've found over here, seems to be 1.1 only or high end (£300+ stuff).

I did find a couple like that over here, but for £100ish, but not paying that when I can get the above for half that from the US, including pre-paid import fees.

Or is usb over that distance just a losing battle

.

R088ieS86 · 23 Mar 2015 at 11:24

Anything that draws power from the USB port itself is most likely NOT going to work over a repeater.

HDMI over those distances however, is fine. Get a long HDMI cable to go from the TV to the Elgato.

Armadillo · 23 Mar 2015 at 17:37

R088ieS86 said:
Anything that draws power from the USB port itself is most likely NOT going to work over a repeater.

HDMI over those distances however, is fine. Get a long HDMI cable to go from the TV to the Elgato.

That goes for cat5 extenders as well? (those have external power at one end).

I didn't think of hmdi though. That could work

. I already have a splitter, so I could just go, console->splitter. Then a short run to the tv and a longer one of to the capture card and just leave the output of the card empty.

Cheaper as well.

So I'm not really up on hdmi for 15m (cables seem to go 10, then 15), any specific cable I need? Or just any decent looking 15m and send it back if it drops signal?

R088ieS86 · 23 Mar 2015 at 18:01

Yup, I have tested about 5 of them, and even the converters to Cat5 only work to USB1.1 speeds. useless for video capture. Startek do some very expensive ones that may work, but HDMI is a cheaper and more practical solution.

Cablesson / Neet / CSL are my HDMI makes of choice. I use ranges of 2-20m for streaming events, all without any issue. Be careful of very cheap cables, not all are reliable.

Mr Gimp · 23 Mar 2015 at 18:11

I've tried all sorts of active USB cables over varying runs for the printers we use in work and they're all useless. I wish USB over Ethernet was achievable but it starts getting really expensive very quickly if you need a decent length run and anything over USB 1.1

Armadillo · 23 Mar 2015 at 19:07

R088ieS86 said:
Yup, I have tested about 5 of them, and even the converters to Cat5 only work to USB1.1 speeds. useless for video capture. Startek do some very expensive ones that may work, but HDMI is a cheaper and more practical solution.

Cablesson / Neet / CSL are my HDMI makes of choice. I use ranges of 2-20m for streaming events, all without any issue. Be careful of very cheap cables, not all are reliable.

Mr Gimp said:
I've tried all sorts of active USB cables over varying runs for the printers we use in work and they're all useless. I wish USB over Ethernet was achievable but it starts getting really expensive very quickly if you need a decent length run and anything over USB 1.1

Thanks.

I'll go with hdmi then and the splitter at console end, so I don't have to use the cards passthrough and run two cables.

CSL do a 12.5M cable, which will be long enough, so I'll try that.

Armadillo · 26 Mar 2015 at 19:01

Just a quick bump incase anyone is thinking of doing the same.

Grabbed the 12.5m CSL hdmi.

Works great, signal is perfect, Elgato has no issues with that length of cable.