StarTech.com 16-Port Industrial USB 3.0 Hub 5Gbps, Metal, DIN/Surface/Rack Mountable, ESD Protection, Terminal Block Power, up to 120W Shared USB Charging, Dual-Host Hub/Switch

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

For £278.72 ex-VAT, this StarTech industrial USB 3.0 hub is priced like a “proper install” item, not a desk accessory—and honestly that’s where it makes sense. The metal build and the DIN/surface/rack mounting options point to plant floors, server cupboards, or anywhere you need something that won’t get treated gently. If you’ve got multiple peripherals on a single run (or you’re supporting barcode scanners, USB serial adapters, cameras, USB storage, etc.), a hub like this can save you hours versus juggling cables and extenders—especially with shared charging up to the sort of power levels that are usually the first thing desk hubs struggle with. The dual-host capability can also be genuinely useful when you want the same set of devices to be controllable by two upstream computers without physically swapping connections.

That said, I wouldn’t buy it for a typical office “extra ports” need. Industrial hubs cost more because they’re meant to handle rough environments and consistent power delivery; if you’re just adding a couple of USB devices to a laptop, you’ll likely get similar day-to-day results cheaper. Also, keep your expectations realistic on “industrial” performance: hubs still rely on the host connection and the devices’ behaviour—if you’re running lots of high-bandwidth workloads at once (e.g., multiple high-res video capture streams), you may hit practical throughput limits. Buy this if you’re deploying in the real world—mounting, cable management, device stability, and peripheral charging matter. Skip it if it’s purely a convenience purchase for a clean desk setup.