USB2 cables different?

[condor]

Hi everyone,

I am thinking of buying this external hard drive (250GB Western Digital for about $90 after rebates). It doesn't have a firewire connection as far as I can tell, but connects via USB2. My question is whether any USB cable I have laying around will work, or if I have to get a new one that supports USB2. I have several older USB 1 cables from various printers and scanners that I will use if they don't limit the speed of the connection. So, basically, is there such a thing as a USB 1 and a USB 2 cable, or are they all the same? Thanks!

 

[Eraserhead]

I'm pretty sure you'll need a USB 2 cable, though i'm not totally sure.

 

[robbieduncan]

I'd try it with the old cable and see if it works (at the correct speed).

 

[mmmcheese]

An old cable may cause slower speeds or more errors...electrically, they are the same, but USB2 certifited cables are usually better sheilded.

That said, I have a stack of cables I got for 99 cents each (they claim to be USB2, but I really really doubt they are), and they work fine on hard drives.

 

[todd2000]

Am I missing something here? It comes with a USB2 cable, so why would you have to use an old USB1 cable you have laying around?

 

[condor]

Am I missing something here? It comes with a USB2 cable, so why would you have to use an old USB1 cable you have laying around?

I just got back from buying it, and indeed it does include a USB2 cable. I'm not sure how you found that out since I didn't see anything about it on the Staples site. Anyway, I am happily backing up my data as I type this and all seems to be working well.

 

[yg17]

I just got back from buying it, and indeed it does include a USB2 cable. I'm not sure how you found that out since I didn't see anything about it on the Staples site. Anyway, I am happily backing up my data as I type this and all seems to be working well.

It was a good assumption. Pretty much everything, except printers, comes with the needed cables.

 

[condor]

It was a good assumption. Pretty much everything, except printers, comes with the needed cables.

Thanks, that's good to know. I guess I've been stung too many times by cheap printers that didn't include the cable, so I assumed that nobody did.

 

[todd2000]

Yeah printers are cheap, but most any other external device comes with cable especially hard drives.