What Is A USB Extender

As we all know, USB (universal serial bus) technology is used to connect computers with peripheral devices. A USB cable can be used for these connections, and it is usually under 5 meters/16 feet long. If USB cables reach and exceed this length, the USB signal begins to degrade. This means you must place any USB peripheral within 5 meters/16 feet of your computer system. However, what if you want to extend the USB signal much farther? A USB extender is what you need to extend the USB signal at a distance. What exactly is it? How does it work? This blog will help you figure it out.

Although standard USB cables can provide fast, secure data transfer between different devices, they are usually quite short. However, new tools like USB extension cables, USB extenders, and wireless USB enable you to expand the range of your USB-connected peripherals. Today we only discuss USB extenders in this blog since most of you may have never heard about them.

Composed of a transmitter and a receiver, a USB extendercan extend the distance between USB ports and peripherals using a CATx cable. You can connect your USB host device like a computer or Play Station to the transmitter, and connect your USB peripherals, like keyboard and mouse to the receiver. The CATx cable is plugged into both units, completing the long-distance transmission of the USB signal. USB extenders generally can support distances of up to 164 feet/50 meters. The distance depends on the length of CATx cable that you use.

One of the best USB extenders on the market is AV Access U2EX50 extender. It is a slim transmitter-receiver pair that can extend a USB-HID device signal up to 80m/263ft and USB 2.0 storage device up to 60m/197ft via CATx cable. The built-in USB hub in the receiver is designed with four USB 2.0 ports, so you can connect up to four USB peripherals such as a keyboard, mouse, USB camera, USB flash drive, etc. Besides, the transmitter can be powered by the host such as a PC.

How does a USB extender work?
Modern USB extenders can boost the voltage back up into the range of engineering standards. They can ensure a USB peripheral functions correctly at a distance from the host computer. They can convert the signal back and forth from CAT5 (or above).

If you’re looking for a reliable USB extender, AV Access U2EX50 is the one that you can’t miss. It can work with all operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Android, Linux); it ensures high-speed and stable transmission for PC, laptop, PS3, webcam, game, video conference, surveillance system, etc. This compact USB 2.0 extender is quite simple to set up and requires no additional drivers to install. You can enjoy high-speed USB signal transmission in minutes. Because of its high compatibility, you can apply it to your video conference system, personal entertainment system, public or personal surveillance system, etc.

That’s all for the blog. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.