USB Issues

[Coffin Corner]

Hi All

I am having a nightmare with my USB ports, first of all my system is set up like this.

Win XP Professional
1GB Ram
Athlon 3000XP
Etc.

I have 2 x USB1 ports on the back, and 2 x USB2 ports on the front.
The rear ones have my printer connected, and a USB hub connected. To this hub I have my flight sim yoke, a joystick and nothing else.
On the front 2 I have my Mouse & my Wireless Network Adapter.

Now whilst browsing the net I can be sat there for ½hr minding my own business, then ,y net connection will drop offline, it then comes back on etc all by itself. This has been happening for a while. Then my mouse will start going off, even now as I speak it's flashing on and off for no reason. If I unplug it then it comes back on for a few minutes before starting again.
I could be on flight sim (yes I fly for a living and still use it, muppet), and as ever, you do a long flight, your coming in to land manually and the usb port seems to drop offline and you crash. (that's my excuse anyway), Also you hear the "ding dong" you get when you unplug a usb from it's socket, then 5 seconds later you hear the "dong ding" as it comes back on again. This can happen several time a minute at it's worst, and now and again at it's best.
If I restart my PC it seems to be ok for a while, and I may go a day without issues, but then arbitrarily it starts happening again for no reason.

I suspect it may be a software issue, I have tried unplugging some of the peripherals but it's still the same, the base unit doesn't get moved or kicked so it seems like it isn't a loose wire somewhere. I have tried vacuuming it out to see if it was dust but that hasn't helped at all.

Anyone else have anything similar or know what it may be? I'm waiting for a new PC to be delivered so it's going to be irrelevant in a week's time but it's still very annoying.

Thanks in advance

CC

[Saab Dastard]

It's something to do with how power is allocated by the USB root hub (not the external hub) to all the connected devices.

Best thing is to use a PCI wireless card rather than a USB one, which will reduce the load on the USB root hub.

As you are replacing the system in a week, it's probably not worth the bother.

Another thing - is the external hub powered from the USB port or by external power? If the former, it may well be contributing to the problem.

SD

[frostbite]

Could it be a thermal problem somewhere?

Perhaps some chip socketed has ridden up out of its socket (assuming there's anything left socketed). A gentle tap with the handle of a screwdriver on anything so fitted might be the answer.

-------------------

Edit to add, I expect SD's right.

[Coffin Corner]

Guys

Thanks for your responses, Saab, yes the hub is powered by the port, it has a small blue light on to indicate power, I don't notice this flickering when it disconnects but I'll observe it better. Thing is I have had the hub for 3 years, and have never had issues with it, it's only in the last 6 months or so it has started to happen. I wanted the issue sorted as I want to pass on my PC to someone else.

frost, thanks, I'll take the cover off and check out inside.

Thanks chaps

CC

[green granite]

DONT tap it with a screwdriver the mechanical shock on a hot chip could be terminal.

The best way is to lift the chip slightly using 2 small screwdrivers one under each end and then press the chip firmly back into the skt using your finger and without touching the connections.

[frostbite]

I was rather thinking of working on a cold, not live, machine!