A. If you’re plugging the USB 3.0 cable into a USB 2.0 port, your speeds will be slower. When connecting USB devices, all of the devices run at the maximum speed that the slowest device can achieve. If you have a USB 2.0 device connected to a USB 3.0 extension cable, the cable can operate only at USB 2.0 speeds. But if you're going for distance, or you want to absolutely guarantee the quality of your connection, then an active USB extension cable is a great way to do it. This can also be of paramount importance when you're dealing with something like a virtual reality headset, or particularly high-quality display or monitor. There's little point in you buying a high-end display (head-mounted or otherwise) to only send its data down a poor-quality cable that won't be able to deliver a quality image. Power: With certain USB 3.0 extension cables, you’ll have additional electrical power supplied in the cable. Even regular USB cables carry some power, but certain cables offer extra power. This ensures the electrical power carries through the extra length of the cable. We recommend you return any goods via a postal/carriage service that requires a signature upon delivery.

USB 3.0, USB 3.1 and USB 3.2 PCs, cables and devices are all compatible with each other, when using either a USB Type A or USB Type C host interface. An active USB cable is something else. At one, or sometimes both ends of an active USB cable, are small electronic circuits which boost the intensity of the data being carried by the cable. This can go a long way to warding off signal degradation due to attenuation. That's only typically a problem in longer passive cables, however, which is why active USB cables are recommended for the longest of cable connections. USB extension cords each have a male and female end. One end plugs into a device while the other takes the existing USB cord. To plug in a USB extension cable, you will need to follow a few steps: For starters, the Sabrent 22AWG USB Extension Cable has a male-to-female connection, making it an excellent choice for extending the length of keyboards, a mouse, and even older devices like printers or a set of USB speakers. It's still pretty common for those peripherals and devices to use A-male USB connections. It also gets bonus points for having a good selection of lengths, from 3ft to 10ft. Active USB extension cables, on the other hand, can go much further. There are active USB 2.0 and 3.0 extension cables that can reach up to 33 feet – although 4K-ready USB-C 3.1 cables max out at around 10 feet.However, you do have some options for using a greater cable length if you need more than 10 feet. Before purchasing a USB 3.0 extension cable that’s longer than 10 feet, ensure it has some of the features we’ve listed here.

By far, the most common style of connector on a USB 3.0 extension cable is the Type A style. This is a rectangular-shaped connector. It’s larger than other connectors. Other options are Micro-A, Micro-B, Mini-A, Mini-B, Type B, and Type C. However, these are rarely found in an extender cable. The main reason why most people buy USB cables is to transfer data. They buy extensions to make it easier to connect devices at a greater distance. With that said, you can use USB cables for other reasons too. For example, USB cords charge the batteries for many different devices. Some examples include: With its USB A male and USB A female connector it allows Type A devices such as storage devices, webcams and other Type A devices to be connected at longer distances to PCs, laptops and tablets, while also ensuring flexible positioning. Up to 2 extension cables can be chained together to achieve a distance of 20m. Most USB cables are passive, so you're likely quite familiar with them. But what is an active USB cable? It's a cable with a boosted signal that helps maintain the integrity of the data it's carrying over longer distances. What makes an active USB cable?

Features

Pay attention to the size of the female connector in the USB extender. If the size is too large for a tight space, you may not be able to use the cable as you want. Combined with Ethernet: Using a cable that carries USB signal over Ethernet will greatly extend the length the signal is able to travel without degradation. Splitters are available to turn one USB port into several for charging multiple devices. Splitters are a common way to attach to USB extension cables, especially when you want to connect several devices to an under-desk computer. How do you plug in a USB extension cord? A passive USB cable can reach around 16 feet comfortably when operating at USB 2.0 speeds, though faster USB 3.0 and 3.1 specifications don't suggest you go over nine feet with a passive cable. Higher quality cables might let you go beyond that, but you will likely start to face problems of signal degradation over that limit while operating at higher speeds.