Lindy USB Active Extension System Pro

Normally, USB cables can’t be longer than about ten metres, and it’s hard to extend them.

Cable-maker Lindy has got around that problem with the ingenious Active Extension System. This is a set of cables that each include a small unit at one end that electronically amplifies the signal along the cable, allowing it to go further than before.

You have to start with the 8m cable (£30) into which you can connect any USB cable or device. You can also attach another 8m cable, one of the 12m cables (£35) or a cable with a hub giving four more USB ports (£45). The cables can be ‘daisy-chained’ meaning they can be connected together, to a total length of 56m.

That’s long enough to reach around most homes and even gardens. The plastic ends of the Lindy cables lock together but the seal isn’t watertight so outdoor cabling is not a good idea unless you’re sure the cables won’t get wet.

Data speeds were not affected: the connection worked as well as when directly attached to our computer’s USB socket. We had a bit of trouble getting the sections to lock together but we managed it after forcing the two connectors together quite hard.

It’s not cheap, but Lindy’s Active Extension System Pro works well, and if you need to get long USB connections, it will do the job.