FTW USB hubs on monitors

November 16, 2007 7:19 AM

Is there any way that the USB hub built into one of my monitors can remain on, while the monitor screen is turned off?

I have a Dell 2007WFP and a BENQ fp241w. Both have USB hubs built into the monitor. I'd like to use them to charge/sync my iPod overnight, but when they are turned off, there is no power flowing to the USB hubs built into them. Setting the screen saver to blank is not an option as that still gives off a lot of light (in a studio apt). What am I missing here? This seems like a huge design flaw.

posted by zackola to computers & internet (12 comments total)

Setting the screensaver to blank isn't enough. You need to tell the system to send the off signal to the display as well. On windows XP, there is a "power" button below the screensaver settings. Click that, and set the power off time for your monitor.

Alternately, use a separate hub.
posted by b1tr0t at 7:31 AM on November 16, 2007

Have you tried setting your OS to power down the monitor?

That may work... Otherwise, no, there is no way to turn off the monitor while leaving the USB ports powered...

And yes, it is a design flaw.
posted by wfrgms at 7:33 AM on November 16, 2007

Power settings in XP seem to cut the power the hubs in addition to the monitor :-(
posted by zackola at 8:11 AM on November 16, 2007

I don't really see it as a design flaw - off means off. If the light is bothering you - throw a sheet over it while you sleep. I bet you can even get a fancy 'monitor cover' or something.
posted by missmagenta at 8:31 AM on November 16, 2007

Not maybe the answer you're looking for, but buying a small cheap charger from ebay will present you with a LOT of savings over running your computer all night to charge your iPod.

I hibernate my system every night and use a wall charger for my Vision:M---but TEHO.
posted by TomMelee at 8:44 AM on November 16, 2007

Yes, the monitor being turned off means no power to the USB ports. Makes perfect sense.

Either tell your computer to turn off any output to the display in powersaving, tell your computer to sleep, or turn your computer off.
posted by mphuie at 9:06 AM on November 16, 2007

Or stick a piece of electrical tape over the led to block the light.
posted by happyturtle at 10:59 AM on November 16, 2007

The LED is not the problem. the blanked screen just showing black is. Besides being charged, it is would be nice if my iPod were synced in the morning. The computer also functions as a server the majority of the time it is not in use directly by me.

Seriously, this is a design flaw. If it only had one USB port I could imagine that would mean the manufacturer only thought people would plug stuff in while they were sitting in front of it. To have a full hub with 4 ports implies a different use case.

There must be some standby mode for the monitor that keeps the USB hub on, but the screen off. I think I am going to try writing a small program like this to see if it works.
http://www.codeproject.com/system/display_states.asp
posted by zackola at 1:13 PM on November 16, 2007

Or you could just uplug the display cable from the monitor.
posted by Cyrano at 2:48 PM on November 16, 2007

Or, buy a cheap two input KVM switch and only hook up one monitor. Hit the button and the output goes from the machine to nowhere but the monitor power stays on.
posted by Cyrano at 2:56 PM on November 16, 2007

Seems to me that you might be better off just plugging the ipod directly into the computer.
posted by itheearl at 3:34 PM on November 16, 2007

Have you considered just buying an AC to USB power adapter?
posted by spiderskull at 8:36 PM on November 16, 2007