# Power Surge on USB Hub Port



## Karandras (Jan 29, 2006)

What's that all about?

'A USB device has exceed the power limits of it's hub port, for assistance in solving this problem, click this message'

Then it pops up a little menu showing a few USB ports (one being used by my Dell Wireless internet adaptor thingy). The one causing the problem is "unkown device" in bold, it's whenever I plug in my webcam, so that is obviously the problem 

Trouble is, it keeps happening, my webcam used to work fine, I've been using it for ages and ages, when I plug in my USB connector to my Pocket PC that works fine.. but now that my webcam doesn't I'm quite confused...

If anybody could help me I'd love them forever... please please.

If you need any more information just ask  Thanksyou in advance! Mike!


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

usb supplies power to the devices and you are asking the USB device to provide more power than it can deliver - you can get USB hub that also plugs into the mains so the hub supplies power from a seprate power source


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## Karandras (Jan 29, 2006)

But it used to work... Used to be fine, no problems. I plug - it plays.

But now it wont work and says the power is exceeded... I havn't added any more USB devices since...


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

dont know - maybe you where right on the tolerance and with age its changed. maybe something else - hopefully someone more knowledgable will answer


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## Skivvywaver (Mar 18, 2001)

In that case, it sounds like the power source is weakening. It could be the mother board, the power supply, or a combination of the two.

It could also be if this is a front side usb port, that the connector to the motherboard has come loose, or corroded. You would have to open the machine up and unplug it, check the pins, and plug it back up and try it.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Not sure if you can plug the cable into the port backwards, but on my MusicX player, you can, and it gives that error message.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Candy, how do you plug a USB cable in backwards?


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## Karandras (Jan 29, 2006)

Can't have come loose as it works fine for anything else I connect to it... must be the cam right?

Even thought it's worked fine up until today.


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## Skivvywaver (Mar 18, 2001)

Try it on the back side usb and see if you have issues. I am guessing you are using a front usb. If you plug it into the back and it works, you have a problem with the connection.......... the cable............ the board........the plug. 

Pick your poison but you would know it stem from the front side if it worked in the back.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

JohnWill said:


> Candy, how do you plug a USB cable in backwards?


Look at the specs for the My Musix player. The cable TO the DEVICE can be plugged in backwards.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear 

Perhaps the device in question cannot be plugged in backwards....It was a suggestion...... *SMACK*

http://www.mymusix.com/

Link to device, and it has the tiny usb connector.....and I DID have it plugged in wrong one day, and emailed tech support because I had the error regarding power surge on the USB port, and they said that 'could' be the problem. Came to find out THAT WAS the problem. Those smaller puppies CAN be reversed.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You must be pretty "ham-handed" to plug them in backwards.  I tried that on my 2.5" portable USB disk, but there's no way that connector fits in backwards.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Well, I certainly didn't think this was plugged in backwards either.....but I just checked again, and it does go in quite easily both ways. Has to make you wonder though.


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## nj12nets (Feb 8, 2005)

try unplugging other items from the hub and maybe it will work? did you add anything new to the hub recently?


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