Ethernet & USB Hub Combo for Android Mini PCs

The first time I saw a USB & Ethernet hub was the one that comes with SmartCandy mini PC, but I never thought of checking if they sold such item separately until this morning, as I’ve noticed that Asiapads is selling a “Zero Devices Hub” with 3 USB 2.0 ports and a 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 connector. Of course, you could always get a standard USB hub plus an external Ethernet USB dongle, but an all-in-one solution maybe more convenient for some people.

Ethernet_USB_HubZero Device Hub sells for $14.99, and is said to be compatible with Android mini PCs such as Z4C and Z2C.

I’ve also looked on DealExtreme, and there’s one device with the same features for $11.90, but according to users’ reviews it’s not compatible with Android. The same device is also available for $7 and up on Aliexpress. The Ethernet part is apparently based on DM9601, which works in Linux, so it might just be a question of building the driver for your Android device, and as long as Ethernet support is enabled in your firmware, it should work. It could be an option if you’re only running Linux in your mini PC. [Update: As rm mentioned in the comments below, DM9601 can only achieve 10Mbps at best, as it is a USB 1.1 chipset]

Further research led me to that monster:

3-in-1_Combo_USB_Ethernet_Card_ReaderIt’s a 3-in-1 combo with 5 USB 2.0 host ports, multiple memory card slots, and a 10/100M Ethernet port. The USB port and card reader work with Window 7/Vista/XP, Linux, and Mac OS X, but the Ethernet interface is said to only work in Windows. This device appears to be discontinued in several online stores, but is available from at least one store on Ebay for $17.99 including shipping.

So there does not seem to be lots of working USB & Ethernet hub combos working with Android, and using a separate USB hub and USB Ethernet adapter might be more cost effective solution, the only inconvenient is that the connections are just a bit more messy.

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