Upgrade Your USB Hub

Problems can arise with USB hubs that are powered from a PC when gadgets plugged into them draw too much current. This is often the case with devices fitted with USB cables that are too long or too thin, causing voltage drop. There’s no need to scrap your old USB hub, however, if you upgrade it using this little circuit and an external power supply. Just cut the 5-V power wire of the USB cable inside the hub and solder a diode (D1) in the pass-through direction. Now connect the 5 V wire from the external power supply to the cathode of this diode. D1 prevents any current from the power supply from flowing back into the PC.