USB Cable: Do you have to use both USB cables in order to power and use the device?
322499
It depends on your computer. My lap top is the same as yours, one usb on each side. For me, this device works with one usb connected. THe second is for power inn the even it does not get the power needed.
506713
No. It has to be plugged into the wall. The USB hookup is fine, but not necessary. You get two cables:1. The Power Cord2. The USB ConnectorI rarely use #2, but #1 is a must. =)Hope this helps.~Mick
237285
Yes. Even on USB 2.0, you may choose to use ONLY the black power/signal connector. It's really up to the component you are trying to power up, whether you need the added 0.5-ampere power boost afforded by having the red auxiliary power pigtail. Some circuits/devices just can't run on the low juice provided by one USB 2.0 hole, so for those, you add the extra "boost" line (red one).
1677538
I didn't need the power cable when using one external hard drive but I did need to hook up the power cable when I added a second external hard drive to the second USB 3.0 port on the card. The power coming through the card from my Dell E5510 notebook computer was not sufficient to power the two external hard drives (one was a Western Digital My Passport and the other was a Seagate Backup Plus).
1213490
Unfortunately you already answered this question. Yes, it will require two separate ports to power this device.
1924483
Can this be plugged into power (usb) and be used at the same time? Ordered a different one and it wont work while plugged into power.
370706
Oddly, no. But you will need two USB ports near each other for the device to function. That's right - the custom cable that comes with the unit has two USB plugs for your laptop to draw extra USB power for operation. Weird, but it works.
473268
Yes one is for power the other power/data. I am running the drive on the data cable only. It did not run from the HUB without both plugged in, so I plugged the data cable direct to my laptop and it works just fine without the power cable.
1304279
I'm using my USB connection to successfully power mine. I have not encountered any issues with this.
1323545
Both. You can use USB only, but if you need more power, you can use an ancillary A/C power cable. I have not needed to use the A/C cable with mine, but perhaps I have not stressed it as much as other people have.
366046
Yes, you need to use 2 usb ports for the extra power. The supplied usb Y cable has about 5 inches of slack between the plugs. If your laptop only has 1 usb on each side you will have to get an extension.
1687060
Hi PeterYes, you are quite right. I hadn't tried that but my unit will not do both at the same time. In practice I have a dual USB charger so the need has never arisen. Regards Richard Allan.
1192525
No, this cable splits basically to add another power source. There is only one signal traveling through the USB. This basically separated the signal line and the power line of the USB.
1136678
I see no problem with both being connected at the same time. Small charge is delivered as needed to keep battery charged. USB adapter would never notice.
50832
Both have to be connected. The USB only gives it power and turns on the lights.
909017
No. The extra USB connection is to provide more power to one device than a single connection allows. Some hard drives need more power and that's what this cable is for.
41734
Yes. Although the cable provided requires two USB ports to power. The cable is standard though and I found I was able to power the drive with one USB port from a very short cable.