Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2019 November 25

= November 25 =

usb micro-B and type C connectors
I'm using my phone to tether my laptop to a network through a USB-Micro-B cable. Every time the cable is jostled by the slightest bit, the connection drops, and sometimes the cable falls out of the phone. I've replaced the cable a couple times. When the cable is new, it works better. I have not plugged/unplugged it 100s of times (dozens, maybe).

Does micro-B just suck? Is USB-C better? Could the connector in my phone be crappy? I can get to some SMT rework gear so I guess I could try to replace the connector. I don't want to replace the phone yet but I figure future ones all will have USB-C which is both good and bad. I don't want an Iphone but is their lightning connector more reliable than this USB stuff? USB has seemed like a disaster almost from day 1. Thanks. 67.164.113.165 (talk) 22:57, 25 November 2019 (UTC)


 * First off, no, micro B does not "just suck". I have a dozen devices using it and some have had at least 100 insertions. One of the main points of switching from USB mini to USB micro was that the bits that wear out are now supposed to be in the cable. Most people don't have any real problem with any USB connector version. I think you just got unlucky and ended up with a bad connector in your phone. Before actually replacing the connector, try just touching a fine soldering tip to the solder and remelting it. Sometimes the problem is that there is a crack in the solder from the cord being yanked on or maybe it was just soldered poorly from the start.


 * I have had excellent reliability from my Kyocera rugged DuraXV+ I can drop in onto concrete or into a swimming pool and it keeps working. See https://www.kyoceramobile.com/rugged-phones/ --Guy Macon (talk) 02:45, 26 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I don't think the problem is the SMT connection inside the phone.  I can tell that when this problem happens, it is from the cable pulling out slightly.  It only happens when the cable is jostled, which is requently when I use the phone and laptop that way (laptop on lap, so it does move around some).  If I just plug the cable into the phone and let it sit motionless such as for charging, there's no issue.  I do think there may be an issue with cable bits wearing out, since as mentioned the disconnects are worse with cables I've used for a while than with new cables.  I might just buy a pack of new cables since they are fairly cheap in the scheme of things.  67.164.113.165 (talk) 04:01, 26 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Or you could try a cable known for high quality like Belkin. --Guy Macon (talk) 04:54, 26 November 2019 (UTC)
 * I might look for those, thanks. 67.164.113.165 (talk) 05:22, 26 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Meh, per reviews here it sounds like the issue is with the design. The root cause always seems to be trying to make the connectors so tiny, which is why I'm skeptical of USB-C.  I'd prefer a good solid connector even if it made the phone a little bigger.  This suggests bending out some tabs in the female connector, but with these connectors I don't know which gender is which.  I'll look inside the things tomorrow when there's more light. 67.164.113.165 (talk) 07:08, 26 November 2019 (UTC)
 * I didn't read the Reddit thread but the socket/female should be on your phone. I have no particular experience with Belkin. When I last researched USB standard A to USB micro B cables about 2 years ago, the brands which stood out based on reviews, etc were Blitzwolf, Volutz, Anker, ixcc, Aukey, some of the Monoprice & some of the Portapo. (To be clear, I'm not suggesting all of the earlier brands are great, but rather that it was only some of those last 2 brands that I considered maybe good.) My 3x Anker 1m and 2x Volutz 3m cables still seem fine despite some occasionally poor handling. By comparison the cheaper cables I've had in the past often don't last even a year. (Admittedly I moved on to a USB C phone about 6 months ago but I still use them for various stuff.) And a notable point is that although I've never measured the voltage drop, the 3m cable seems to generally be fine with high speed charging despite the long length. It's also generally fine connecting various devices to a host. I will say from experience, don't bother trying crappy 3m cables.  Another point is that although micro B was designed in a way so that the socket/cable should wear out more than the socket, crappy cables with crappy sockets can obviously damage the socket. So if you use crappy cables a lot, you may damage your socket so even good cables have trouble. And the poster below is also correct that sockets themselves may be poorly made especially on cheaper devices. (These could of course damage your good cables.) Further, while some bumping is to be expected, obviously it's if it isn't happening a lot. So doing stuff like charging while using a portable device which tends to result in a lot of movement is best reduced where possible. It can get so bad until you can no longer reliably charge your device let alone connect it to anything without fiddling a lot with it. By that stage probably only some cables and maybe not even good ones will work. Eventually it gets so bad you can't do anything except replace the socket.  I will say I agree with Guy Macon etc that your experience is not normal although you're also far from the first person to encounter it. USB C is IMO better although not without its own issues. While smaller ports obviously have tighter tolerances, it's not like a large port is guaranteed to have no problem see e.g. [//goughlui.com/2017/11/20/usb-connector-resistance-another-reason-for-slow-phone-tablet-charging/] which while not that similar to your problem does IMO illustrate the point.  Nil Einne (talk) 06:12, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Another thing to check is if there is dust inside your phone's USB socket. At one point there was so much in my phone's socket that the cord would not make contact. But once cleaned out it worked much better. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 10:59, 26 November 2019 (UTC)


 * Unfortunately, not every phone has a USB-connector that is entirely up to spec. Some models (Like mine) have the USB-connector just a little too deep in the housing, cheap USB cables can also be slightly shorter and that match results in poor connections. Usually the cable supplied with the phone does not have this problem.
 * One of my friends used a file to modify the USB cables that had this problem, I just bought a better cable. 217.100.34.106 (talk) 12:33, 26 November 2019 (UTC)


 * Is it really an USB connector or something else? -- Hans Haase (有问题吗) 10:40, 2 December 2019 (UTC)