Which USB cable extenders are safe for dongles?

[mhschmieder]

https://www.ilok.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects ... uctBrowser

That one (Dongle Buddy) seems a bit short, for really getting Synchrosoft and iLok dongles away from critical work areas where they could be damaged (especially when reaching behind a computer -- especially iMacs and notebooks -- to work with Ethernet cables or adjacent routers and modems).

Does anyone know if any USB cable extender will do, or if it has to be ultra-short to preserve the problematic voltages of dongles that are already a challenge as it is?

My Synchrosoft key frequently loses its connection in the middle of a session, so I'm quite nervous about making things worse, but am also afraid the next time the internet provider is called for service, they might break one of the dongles while reaching for Ethernet cables and router boxes etc. So I'd like to take care of this ASAP as we are due for a service call and I don't want to have to worry about whether I remember to unplug the dongles altogether first.

[1nput0utput]

Any USB extender cable up to the maximum cable length in the USB specification should be fine. Dongles are very simple low-power, low-data throughput USB devices so I don't think there's much to worry about regarding signal loss.

[mhschmieder]

OK, thanks. I guess the reason I am increasingly having problems both with iLok and especially Synchrosoft has more to do with drivers than USB then.

[johnnytucats]

You definitely could be having low USB power issues. I don't think those G4 iMacs have a lot to spare on the USB bus. I've heard or read about issues with other devices.

[mhschmieder]

Ah, so maybe being at USB 1.1 and having an older Mac is the bigger issue. I was also concerned that the USB port has a limited lifetime in terms of plugging/unplugging devices, and I have to do that constantly due to limited number of ports (and I never got even a powered hub to work with dongles).

Well, I'll see about some slightly longer USB extender cables at any rate, as they'll come in handy with the next computer even if not for this one.

[HCMarkus]

I have an iLok hanging off an old USB 1.1 Powered Hub and it works just fine with my G5.

[mhschmieder]

It's good to hear all these responses. It makes me hopeful that I'll have a more pleasant dongle experience with a new computer, and that the problems I am experiencing are not specific to USB itself, drivers, etc.

The internet provider swung by the apartment while I was at work yesterday and didn't do any damage, so I may hold off a bit on getting extender cables, until I take another look at the new iMacs to take measure of how long the cable should be so it isn't subject to gravity.