XPS 420 and USB 1 or 2 - Chris perhaps?

Linux says the same: there are 8 "hubs" = 2 USB2.0 + 6 USB1.1,

and on my system one USB2.0 is free, another taken by Media Card Reader (TEAC CAB-200).

The others have keyboard, mouse and webcam:

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

 

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0644:0201 TEAC Corp.

 

Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 413c:3016 Dell Computer Corp.
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 413c:1003 Dell Computer Corp.
Bus 003 Device 004: ID 413c:2010 Dell Computer Corp.

 

Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

 

Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 008 Device 002: ID 046d:092f Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Express Plus

As far I can recall there was some mentioning about USB configuration in BIOS...

 

but the definite answer is to benchmark:

connect USB disk and measure how much time it takes to transfer a big file.

If you get speeds up to 2.4MB per second then it is definetely USB1.1,

while USB2.0 is up to 90MB per second.

 

Thanks for your trouble.

Your reply prompted me to run lshw on Ubuntu and it indeed showed the two controllers, one each with a USB 2 port.

I should now be able to identify the correct physical ports by trial and error.

I must say I am a little disappointed that a PC sold within the last few months should include USB1 ports at all.

 

Thanks again.

 

Edit

Blast!

One has got the Teac CA-200 in it and the other has the  XPS miniview, (Both of which I don't actually use).

Do you know if it is trivial to reasign these two ports to an external connection?

I just scanned PCI bus :-)

The answer is that XPS 420 has TWO physical USB2.0 controller devices.

Each controller device provide THREE USB1.1 and ONE USB2.0 connections (functions).

 

So on one hand, all (two) USB controllers are USB2.0.

on the other, only two connections seem to be capable of USB2.0.

 

 

I read somewhere that if you check under Device Manager and under the USB Controllers drop down if it says ENHANCED under one of the items than that means all the uSB ports are 2.0.  It might not show ENHANCED on all the USB port controllers, but as long as it says it under one than that would indicate all are 2.0 ports.

 

Also, if you read the tech specs on the 420 on the Dell website it says USB 2.0 PORTS 2 front, 6 back, 2 internal, just like Joe posted above.

 

 

My xps 420, the front USB port is very slow, I expect they are usb 1.0, not usb 2.0

It appears that someone has the same probelm as me.

If you think it is slow you are either using a usb1.1 cable or device.  The port is usb 2.0

 

It will run at the slower speed if any of the three components are usb1.1 

 

 

 

Wow, I Am Sure Glad That i Purchased An XPS 630I Instead Of A XPS 420, Because On The XPS 630I With The NVIDIA Nforce 650I Mother Board, All Of my Ports Are USB 2.0 Compliant.

First class answer. Many thanks.

The cable I am using is the one supplied with the scanner. It doesn't match your description and I have a few knocking around that do. Unsuitable end connections unfortunately but I will try and get a correct one locally and see if it ups the connection speed.

 I didn't realise that USB ports only identify their capabilities after they have a device connected. That is most interesting and your post may be useful to others just for this information alone.

Every day you learn something new.... 

yeah yeah :-) I feel like I learned something today too :-)

I finally got my hands on USB memory stick... and it appears as USB2.0 in every whole I put it in.

 

Here is more enlightening story:

http://linux.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/Fedora/2008-07/msg04121.html

 

so in my first posts the first two USB ports appear as USB2.0 just because they were connected to Card Reader and MiniView. MiniView is turned off in my BIOS so it did not get enumerated.

All other ports are connected to USB1.1 devices (keyboard, mouse, cheap webcam).

 

So if your USB2.0 scanner appears as USB1.1then it must be your cabling that are at fault, check them:

USB2.0 cables usually have transparent coating and youcan see the Faradey's cage around the wires (extra isolation from outside disturbances), and they are usually no longer than 1meter...

if you have USB1.1 cable or some kind of extension, then you are completely out of luck for USB2.0 (try any port and it will probably appear as USB1.1, unless some internal cabling is significant)

 

Long story short:

1) by default ALL USB ports appear as USB1.1 (for backward compatibility), unless there is already smth connected. So if nothing is connected then it is not a good test if port is USB2.0.

2) when you insert your USB2.0 device then controller is probing for high transfer rates

3) if controller succeeds then OS loads EHCI driver for USB2.0 protocol and only then you can observe that it is actually USB2.0

4) if high transfer rate probe fails, then Vista cannot really say anything more than just complain about slow transfer rate :-)