With the help of “usb-devices” and plugging and unplugging the keyboard several times, I have determined that it must be the recent kernel upgrade that has disabled it. This is the device that shows up and disappears:
T: Bus=02 Lev=03 Prnt=03 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#= 5 Spd=1.5 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=045e ProdID=00db Rev=01.73
S: Manufacturer=Microsoft
S: Product=Natural® Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
C: #Ifs= 2 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=01 Prot=01 Driver=usbhid
I: If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=usbhid
I am currently using a different keyboard plugged into a different port. My primary keyboard and mouse were, once upon a time, plugged into a USB 3.0 switch. A few years ago, my mouse stopped working *, so I ran a special USB cable around from the last available USB2.0 port from the back. Now my keyboard is not working. I am guessing that if I buy a USB 2.0 switch I can share that switch with my mouse. I am hoping for a better solution. I’d like to be able to get back to plugging both the mouse and keyboard into my 7 port switch.
That 7 port switch brings online two VIA Labs hubs:
T: Bus=02 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#= 7 Spd=480 MxCh= 4
D: Ver= 2.10 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=2109 ProdID=2813 Rev=90.14
S: Manufacturer=VIA Labs, Inc.
S: Product=USB2.0 Hub
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
T: Bus=02 Lev=02 Prnt=07 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#= 8 Spd=480 MxCh= 4
D: Ver= 2.10 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=2109 ProdID=2813 Rev=90.14
S: Manufacturer=VIA Labs, Inc.
S: Product=USB2.0 Hub
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
with the full box designed and assembled by “Pluggable”. I also have another 4 port 3.0 hub that had the same mouse issue all those years ago, so I do not think it is the particular hardware. It’s the fact a mouse and/or keyboard goes through a 3.0 hub. Oh, BTW, thumb drives do work just fine.
EDIT: I just noticed that the product name for those hub chips is “USB2.0 Hub”. Pluggable sold me a 3.0 switch and all the tongues in the ports are blue, yet I see this label. I’ll have to ask Pluggable about that…
- I believe it was around 9 years ago, but the better part of it for sure. I wrote to Mr. USB (whose name I’m forgetting) and he suggested that I bisect a couple of years worth of USB driver changes to isolate the one triggering the problem. I am retired now and wasn’t super excited about going back to work, only for free.
