I ended up buying this but I bought it with questions that none of the other reviews seemed to answer so here are my unanswered questions answered. Do you need to use this with a plug? You can't just plug it into your computer and your computer can power it. However, if like me you have a portable monitor, you may need to plug it in for extra power. OR if you have a gaming system that requires an external battery like the Wii U, you can use this to provide enough power for use on your Wii U. Can I just use the power plug instead of plugging it into my computer? You can use it as a charger for your USB charging needs. The only reason you should connect it to your computer is when you need to use some device like USB wireless mouse, USB monitor, music on your phone, etc. The USB cable is useful on a hub, it is useful for you connecting to a computer when you need it. You can use this hub anywhere in your home. You don't have to use it with a computer. However, if you need to connect a USB cable to your computer so that you can connect a mouse, phone, monitor, etc. to it, the USB cable doesn't seem to be long enough. It works great with a USB extender. I just keep a few in my desk drawer because you never know when you might use one and you usually need it when you don't have one. The hub also works with extension cords. My monitor is connected to a hub with an extension cord that is connected to my computer and is working fine. My other thoughts on this are that it works really great. It's one of the most compact hubs I've seen, and it's allowed me to really organize my cable clutter. I only have two USB ports on my laptop and I used a hub that is powered by another hub. It really gets rid of the clutter and adds functionality as not all hubs connect to your computer. Some hubs only charge your USB devices. So make sure you buy it if you want to use it with another device that needs to work on your computer!
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