Communicator U3 HDD Docking Station

1

I purchased the U3 HDD docking station in 2011 from Amazon. Everything worked well using USB 2.0, however, I have recently built a PC that now uses USB 3.0. It drops out when using USB 3.0 and cannot maintain a connection. I remember hearing about a firmware update long ago on this device. Is there any way to get this firmware update? I decided to start a new topic as my question was never answered a few months ago (3 months to be exact). Thanks in advance for any response!

2

Hi Robert,

Thanks for posting your question here, we’ll be happy to help. Because out of date host controller firmware can cause problems with disconnects, the first thing to check on your USB 3.0 enable system is the firmware date of your USB 3.0 host controller drivers. If you can let me know which USB 3.0 host controller you have and what the version and date of the drivers is, I’ll see if we can find a newer one.

Once we are sure the Host Controller firmware is up to date it you are still having the issue, we’ll be able to figure out the best next steps to get you up and running.

Thanks,
Jerome.

Plugable Technologies

3

Jerome,

Thanks for the response. I have not used the device for the last few months (October) and have upgraded to Windows 8 Pro since then. At the time, I did have the latest drivers for Windows 7 Home Premium installed. Etron USB 3.0 eXtensible Host controller - 0100 (Microsoft), Driver Date 9/19/2012, 6.2.9200.16420. It has since remained the same under Windows 8 Pro. I have not seen any updates since then.

I purchased the device on March 28, 2011. It’s been a great device that has come in handy when troubleshooting a defective hard drive on my first PC build (beginner’s luck!) and troubleshooting a hard drive from another PC that had critical boot files converted to a .raw format due to malware.

Thanks,

Robert

4

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the details, is it still the case that the device works on USB 2.0 but you are getting disconnects on USB 3.0?

If you have an extra USB 3.0 cable try using it with your SATA U3 to see if it will correct the disconnect issue. if so, we’ll ship you a tested USB 3.0 cable right away, if not, just forward your Amazon Order Id and a link to this thread over to us at support@plugable.com and we’ll get you fixed up.

Thanks,
Jerome.

Plugable Technologies