[ale] USB problems

[Stephen Pellicer]

This one isn't exclusively a Linux problem, but I thought I'd take
advantage of all the big craniums out there in the Linux community :)
I'm running 2.4.0-test10 (the problems occur in any kernel though,
also USB has been acting funny when I ran windows on this box too). I
normally run my Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro as a USB keyboard, it
has a built in two port USB hub. I also have a USB mouse that I plug
into the keyboard hub. This works fine and leaves me with one low
powered port in the keyboard and one full blown USB port in my
machine. However, this never really works out. Every time I try to use
any ports, my machine usually locks up or acts strangely. I've been
unsuccessful making my Rio 500 work and my IBM USB webcam when the
keyboard is plugged in via USB. I've unplugged the keyboard as USB and
used it as PS/2 and everything I plug into the USB ports seem to work.
Is it possible that the USB HUB/keyboard combination is screwing up
the completely unrelated USB port in my machine?

In looking for an answer, I ran accross a Microsoft Knowlege base
article talking about the ASUS P2B-F motherboard (which I'm running)
having a resitor that drops the power levels in the USB lines too low.
So is it just coincidence that it's my keyboard killing it? Is it just
that it happens to be a high powered device that's sucking up all the
juice? The syslogs from my Rio would support this because it keeps
trying to talk to the Rio but never gets in touch. I don't know how it
relates to my webcam which just hoses up the video and locks me up.

_Any_ tips or directions would be appreciated. (Any except trash my
hardware and get some new stuff :) I actually like the keyboard so
I'd like to keep it. I also would like to use it USB with its two
ports. It's one of the main reasons I got it. I can get at the mouse
easily and experiment with my Rainbow iKey on it. I don't mind getting
a USB hub for the other port, but I'm not sure that would completely
solve the problem because the other port doesn't seem to work when the
keyboard is plugged in.

Stephen
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