Practical Magic

Since I now have my own laser printer (hey, thanks buddies!), I needed a new USB-hub – the old 4-port hub was full to the last port and an additional hub ceased to work some weeks ago. So I got myself a new one (which itself was an adventure, as the clerk insisted that it was not possible, even dangerous to connect a USB 2.0 device to an USB 1.1 port – and that I with my TiBook needed an USB 1.1 hub, or stuff would break. Strangely enough, there wasn't one available … maybe someone got things a bit wrong here?).

Now, this new hub replaces the other one completely, which is nice. It has six port at the base of a small dome and one on top. I could connect all my standard devices to the base ports and use the one on top for my camera or the graphic tablet, so I figured. The hub is replaced, everything is connected, everything works – except my radioSHARK. What the …?

It doesn't even show up in the System Profiler. Something's fishy here. Did I get another broken hub? I change ports. The fin lights up, but the software reports no connection. All other devices work at the port in question. Strange.

I plug the radioSHARK into the port on top. It works. Now that's even stranger …

But I hate having the radioSHARK connected to this port – I don't want to get up to connect another occasional device. Luckily, the hub comes with an extension cable. Maybe, I could use that to have another port besides the keyboard …

Out of curiosity, I connect the radioSHARK to the extension and the extension to the original port at the base, where it never worked.

Now, it does. WTF?

Huh. That's great. And I even get better reception with the extension. And an even better one, as soon as I wind another (unconnected) cable around the USB connection. Now someone tell me there's no magic in this world …