Can you add more USB ports to your computer

Adding more USB ports to your computer is easy and inexpensive to do. As more and more devices come onto the market that use USB connectivity, the demand for more ports isn't always recognized by computer makers. Fortunately there is a growing market of products to help you gain more USB ports for everything from USB mice and keyboards to music production equipment and external hard drives.

You can add USB ports to your computer externally or internally and depending on your computer, budget, and needs you can find a product to suit you.

There are two main product types available for adding more USB ports to your computer or laptop:

USB Expansion Cards:

These cards basically cards that have multiple USB ports built into them and fit into an available PCI slot on your computer's motherboard. These PCI expansion are a great option for desktop computers; they generally won't fit in laptop computers. These are also an excellent option for old computers that have USB 1.0 technology because with USB 2.0 expansion cards, you can directly add the faster and newer USB ports right into your computer rather than connecting devices to the original 1.0 ports.
You'll want to make sure you have an open slot in your computer; opening the case when the computer is unplugged, you can easily see if a slot is available. Any cards such as video and sound cards that are not hard wired into the motherboard will be connected to PCI slots, looking above, below, and between those cards will reveal if an open PCI slot is available.

USB Splitters:

USB splitters are generally cheaper then Expansion cards and are extremely ideal for laptop and portable computers. There is no installation required with USB splitters, you simply purchase one and plug it into an existing USB port and you've instantly added to your number of USB ports. You can get basic USB splitters for as low as 15 dollars.

The only disadvantage to USB splitters is that unlike USB expansion cards, these splitters will not work well with older computers using USB 1.0 technology. Plugging a new 2.0 splitter into an old USB 1.0 port will not change the speed of the older port and in some cases, devices plugged into the splitter will not function properly.

These two options are the easiest and best way to quickly and inexpensively add USB ports to your PC desktop, laptop, or mac. Especially in the case of USB Expansion cards, check to make sure the card is compatible with your computer before purchasing it. With splitters, verify your computer has USB 2.0 ports available. No matter which option you choose, you'll at least double the amount of USB ports available to you.