Belkin USB 2.0 7-Port Hub review

We don't normally associate innovation with USB hubs, but others will surely follow Belkin's idea of providing two top-loading ports for oft-removed items like thumbdrives. Permanently connected items just slot into one of the five rear ports. This hub even looks stylish, with a sleek black-and-silver design offset by green status lights for each of the seven ports. Its only problem is the huge power brick that feeds the DC supply.

We found the hub to be a reasonable performer - our USB 2 thumbdrive still transferred data at 5.2MB/sec, compared to 7.3MB/sec when plugged straight into the test rig's USB 2 port. There are several similar hubs by Belkin, so make sure you choose manufacturer's code F5U237UK.