you read a lot here about the fact that the operation of hard drives, scanners, printers, etc. works well. I can also confirm.
But as it looks, with USB-TV cards, sound cards, and the like? I found this little and thought to myself: Risk is in the eating ... and bought. I've tested:
Terratec Skystar USB 2 HD: No chance! There is always a blue screen when you open the DVB Viewer
Hauppauge HD PVR: doing great. Just as if you had it directly connected
External keyboard with TrackPoint: works without problems.
Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 / 5.1 Pro: Yes, we both have sound cards and because it was my goal to run one of them over the network, is the here and now in some detail:
First of all, to say that those cards so have their quirks. For example, the compound is apparently separated again immediately after bonding and the card is detected again. Then you can select the settings for the sound card, whether USB (What has never made a difference) 1.1 or 2.0. In the beginning was only times nothing: Sound lies not play, blue screens when connecting and disconnecting the sound card ... But I did not give up and after a few attempts, I managed to make the X-Fi Pro could be reliably detected and used , However, there have been regular dropouts and creaking in the sound. Otherwise really everything went: Surround, EAX, even the remote control. Sometimes, unfortunately, still blue screens when opening audio applications or disconnect the device. The creaking was not rid of - sounded to me clearly to too small a buffer. The sound card used apparently the smallest possible hardware-based buffer to minimize the delay and this is then played back faster, arrive as new packets over the network ... I have therefore asked the support from Creative if you could not adjust the Buffer size manually or are alternative drivers; and the support of Sharkoon, if one could not reduce the Packet size. From Creative only "Impossible" came back - just very creative.
But when Sharkoon has made an effort and will notify the manufacturer of the chip (Elite Silicon). On a firmware update I wait in vain as well - apparently that's for too much of a niche product. Songs there is not the possibility of settings that are not offered by the supplied program to make it. So anything with INIs or registry keys. So it is settled: The sound cards are rather incompatible.
In the settings of the server, there is the possibility to connect specific devices or ports automatically. For equipment that goes well, the settings for ports were but keep forgetting. Also you can provide the server with a password. However, this only protects the settings, but apparently can still connect to any connected devices. I miss somehow a setting that activates the server only for a PC and then completely, so you connect to and then only this PC has access, such as if you had connected a USB Switch. That might have solved some problems with the sound card. Also, I have found that the connection is not disconnected immediately when you pull the network cable. Applications that access a USB device freeze and then you risk again a blue screen.
Because my requirements were very exotic, I give 4 stars anyway. Someone would have a list of compatible and incompatible devices publish. I was also very skeptical about whether it "multimedia devices" can ever be controlled over the network, but the HD-PVR proves: It works!
But without the sound card makes it easy for me, unfortunately, does not make sense and I have to return the unit well :-(
