How to Check the Speed of Netbook USB Ports

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Universal serial bus (USB) ports are a convenient form of host controllers available for desktop and netbook computers. Previous versions of such ports supported data transfer rates of up to 12 Mbps under version 1.1. USB 2.0, however, supports a much higher maximum transfer rate, approximately 480 Mbps. While USB ports do not label their speed version, you can find this information using Windows 7's main device settings.

1). Go to the Start Menu and click the "Computer" icon to open a new Windows Explorer session.

2). Click "System Properties" from the top of the window. Click the "Device Manager" link from the left-side menu options.

3). Expand the "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" section. Look for the word "Enhanced" among the list of USB controller descriptions. While the difference between version 1.1 and 2.0 is not obvious, the keyword "Enhanced" signifies the availability of USB 2.0. If no such description is found, your computer possesses USB 1.1.

Check System Specification

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Computer users should familiarize themselves with the specifications of their machines. This information is valuable when it comes time to upgrade components or download new drivers for existing components.

On Windows-based Computers

1). Hold down the "Windows" key and press "Pause/Break." This will open a window listing your basic system properties.

2). Hold down the "Windows" key and press "r" to open the "Run" command dialog box for more detailed specification.

3). Type "dxdiag" in the dialog box and press "Return." This will open the "DirectX Diagnostic Tool," which contains detailed specs on your system, display and sound hardware as well as information on input devices attached to your computer.