usb downstream/upstream

bcburrows · Sep 29, 2009, 03:17 PM

Can someone explain to me what upstream and downstream usb ports are?

Makosuke · Sep 29, 2009, 03:59 PM

One is the square-ish D shaped connector found only on devices (ie your printer or an external hard drive. They are only on things that get plugged into something else--devices.

The other are the flatter rectangular ports found on anything you plug things into (ie your computer or a router that can share a printer). They are only on things that things get plugged into--hosts.

Some things--hubs, mostly--will have both, since they can connect to a host as well as other devices, which they pass through to that host.

Since the only USB cables you'll ever find have one of each kind of connector on each end, it's pretty much impossible to hook anything up wrong.

bcburrows · Sep 29, 2009, 04:27 PM

Thanks very much

Sep 29, 2009, 03:17 PM	#1
bcburrows macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Newcastle	usb downstream/upstream Can someone explain to me what upstream and downstream usb ports are? __________________ 15 inches of macbook pro 2.66Ghz, 4GB, 320HDD iPhone 3GS 16GB, iPod 60Gb, Shuffle 1Gb 1 TB Time Caspule with 1TB WD NAS Remote, Few cables, A Box, Some headphones

Sep 29, 2009, 04:27 PM	#3
bcburrows Thread Starter macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Newcastle	Thanks very much __________________ 15 inches of macbook pro 2.66Ghz, 4GB, 320HDD iPhone 3GS 16GB, iPod 60Gb, Shuffle 1Gb 1 TB Time Caspule with 1TB WD NAS Remote, Few cables, A Box, Some headphones

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Sep 29, 2009, 03:59 PM	#2
Makosuke macrumors 68040 Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: The Cool Part of CA, USA	One is the square-ish D shaped connector found only on devices (ie your printer or an external hard drive. They are only on things that get plugged into something else--devices. The other are the flatter rectangular ports found on anything you plug things into (ie your computer or a router that can share a printer). They are only on things that things get plugged into--hosts. Some things--hubs, mostly--will have both, since they can connect to a host as well as other devices, which they pass through to that host. Since the only USB cables you'll ever find have one of each kind of connector on each end, it's pretty much impossible to hook anything up wrong.