Amazon Basics 10-Port USB 2.0 Hub 5-Pack - High-Speed Data Transfer for Tablets, Laptops & PCs | Perfect for Home Office, Gaming & Multi-Device Charging

This is a review of the AmazonBasics 7port USB 3.0 HUB with external adapter, I have put it through the paces and come out really quite impressed with this unit although it does have one minor flaw that I chalk up to user error more than a poor product. I upgraded my motherboard and finally have some USB 3.0 ports on it so it seemed a waste to downport it with an old powered 4 port USB 2.0 HUB when I could get a 3.0 powered HUB and upgrade in speed. Plus USB 3.0 is back compatible with USB 2.0 and I don't believe I have any USB 1.0 devices anymore. I bought this one instead of the 10 port because I didn't want a bigger HUB with more ports that I wasn't going to use. Honestly who has more than 7 USB devices attached at once on a daily basis and can't just simply unplug one to make room for another?Pros- The reports of poorly shaped pins can be forgotton, or at least discounted on the specific model HUB I bought. I've looked over each port several times and the pins don't appear to be misshapen at all. BUT then again I could be editing this review months from now with an update that the pins bent and are now shorting out, although that would likely be due more to user error than product defectiveness.-This HUB has its own power supply which means that it can provide fast charging to things like Cell Phones and some other USB devices when they are attached to the two Fast Charge ports on the side of the port. These two ports are isolated and have a little lightning bolt above them and labeled "Fast" so that you know they are the fast charge ports.-The charge rate for my Samsung S4 Active is fast enough, as fast as plugging it into the wall outlet all by itself which is an improvement over plugging it into a standard USB port on a computer. Charging like that takes forever and barely keeps the phone ON much less charging.-It has a single blue LED bar on it that lets you know it is working, no light over every single port which I appreciate the minimalism here. Treating me like an adult I KNOW when I have something plugged into a port I don't need a status LED over every one of them!-I haven't messed with USB 3.0 until my motherboard upgrade but it will blow you away. I transferred 75GB of data from an external HDD over this hub to my computers HDD in 15 mins. That is a rough transfer rate of 100mb/sec. THAT blew me away.Cons-The Power Supply Unit for the HUB is nearly as big as the hub itself. Yes they give you plenty of cable length to hide it under a desk or wherever but it is something you might want to realize if you are going for a minimalist desk setup. The PSU is actually thicker than the HUB itself (See my Pictures)-I had ONE issue getting my phone to be recognized as an external device. One of my USB cables is apparently not compatible with this HUB. But I am chalking this up to the fact that the cable itself is cheap. It would charge but my computer would not see it as a device nor recognize it as even being plugged into the computer at all. I switched the cable and the issue immediately resolved.-Orientation with my model can be a bit of a challenge because it is shaped like a wedge with all the ports on the wide end of the wedge. So you basically have a decision to make. Do you want a cleaner look with the fat end of the wedge facing away from you and lose access to the rear ports OR do you want to face the fat end of the wedge toward you and be annoyed that the words amazonbasics are upside down every time you look at it. The choice is yours! I decided to face the fat part of the wedge toward me.SummaryReally this port is great and is giving me all the functionality I need. I decided NOT to deduct a star for the slight orientation annoyance posed by this product only because it really only annoys me from time to time. My unit appears not to have any defects and all the ports function flawlessly as designed. And for the price there really isn't anything comparable to it.