I would like to use yours UGA-2K-A graphic adapter to connect to a monitor which is placed above the 5m / 16ft maximum USB cable lenght. Can I use a USB-Ethernet extender without loosing speed and resolution?
Hi Enrico,
Yes, the UGA-2K-A works with most ethernet USB extenders. It can, because it sticks to the basic USB transfer type (bulk) for all the core rendering.
One example product it works with is the Arkview Network Device USB 2.0 Share Hub. Now, this product has a few downsides: doesn’t work in Linux, not well supported in Mac, and the Windows software (which works well) requires some install and setup.
And on performance: you’ll be able to get all the modes of the UGA-2K-A, but there will be a performance hit. USB bridged over ethernet will be less than half as fast as native USB.
Other alternatives for getting more distance than the max USB cable length are: Wireless USB solutions (but they are expensive and easy to disrupt the signal), and then perhaps the simplest solution: USB repeaters (which are just 1 port USB hubs). USB’s limit is 5-deep on devices. So you can connect up to 4 powered USB repeaters (or hubs), getting you out to a 30m cable distance. A little ugly with wires, but no performance loss.
We’re working on Plugable-provided solutions for extending USB over ethernet – expect a product in the next quarter or two. There’s no one magic solution, but we’ll have one where we can spell out the benefits and tradeoffs clearly, so you can confidently buy one for the circumstances that demand it.
Thanks!
Bernie