Anker USB 3.0 7-Port Hub Review ( Model AH240 )

Disclosure: I received this product free because I answered a survey Anker posted on Facebook and they randomly selected one contributor for the month.  They actually gave me the choice of any Anker product they had available, and I decided on this hub.  There was no requirement to post a review.

Just in case you didn't read the disclosure above, I won the opportunity to get any Anker product I wanted.  As I looked at the various products Anker has available, I narrowed in on this hub.  To me, the main selling point was that it essentially acts as two devices:

1) When connected to a computer, it is acts as a USB 3.0 Hub.
2) When not connected to a computer, it acts as a multiple port charger.

Anker USB 3 hub with USB 3 cable and power supply

As a USB 3.0 Hub, the Anker AH240 does the job well.  It does not specifically call out how much current it provides for normal devices, but I am sure it supports the 0.9A per USB 3 spec.  For devices that are "BC 1.2-compliant" it can support up to 1.5A even in data mode.

To test the performance as a USB 3.0 hub, I used Ubuntu to benchmark an external hard drive connected directly and via the Anker hub and the performance was essentially the same (less the 0.5% difference).  I added a USB 2.0 device to the hub to see if there was an impact, and it made no difference.  The hub worked with every device I threw at it -- USB thumb drives, USB to SATA adapters, and a Nexus 7 tablet.

As a multi-port charger, when you disconnect the computer it can provide up to 2A per port (total of 10A for the unit) which is more than enough to keep a few phones / tablets charged up.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Ease of use: Basically hook up the power, hook up the USB to the computer and you are good to go.

Design: I like the look of the hub, it had a clean/simple design and I did like the fact that each port had a blue LED to indicate when there was data connectivity.  There was no indicator for power, but with most devices there is a way to know if they are getting power (phones/tablets show they are charging for example).

Bottom Line: This product acts as two products - a USB 3.0 hub and a multi-port charger.  Even if it only served one of these roles I would say it was a good product, but for it to serve both functions makes it impressive.  For the traveling tech user that has multiple USB devices, this is a great single device to not only serve as a hub but also as a charging station for your tech gadgets.

Anker Product Page : http://www.ianker.com/product/68ANHUB-BC7A