PrintFrequently Asked Questions
In order to serve you better, Icron’s Customer Support team continues to compile a list of Frequently Asked Questions. If you would like to obtain additional technical information or support, please visit our Tech Support web page.
- What is USB?
- What is ExtremeUSB®?
- USB Extenders
- USB Extender Product Series Differences
- USB and Video Extenders
What is USB?
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is the most widely deployed PC peripheral interface in history, enabling simple plug and play connectivity for a wide variety of devices to enhance the computing experience. Developed to improve ease of use and provide flexible port expansion, USB has become an indispensable computing technology.
What is USB 1.1?
USB 1.1 provides support for two interface speeds: Low-Speed at 1.5 Mbps and Full-Speed at 12 Mbps. The two interface speeds target specific classes of devices to provide the most efficient and cost-effective interconnect solution. Low-Speed devices are typically interactive input devices such as keyboards, mice or game controllers. Full-Speed devices are typically application specific input devices such as microphones, cameras and printers.
What is USB 2.0?
USB 2.0 was developed to offer a complementary High-Speed transfer rate at 480 Mbps. Backwards compatible with the full speed and low speed transfer rates of USB 1.1; USB 2.0 delivers a significant bandwidth increase. USB 2.0 will continue to provide cost effective and convenient peripheral connectivity. Typical High-Speed devices are External Hard Drives, Flash Drives, Web Cameras and Scanners.
What is USB 3.0?
USB 3.0 Super-Speed systems will provide a performance enhancement of speeds up to 5 Gbps with distances up to 3 meters for newer storage and multimedia devices, greatly improving transfer times for large files and blocks of data. USB 3.0 devices and controllers are designed to be backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices and controllers. For example, you can plug in a USB 3.0 device into a USB 2.0 controller port, or you could plug in a USB 2.0 device into a USB 3.0 controller port. However, the new USB 3.0 Type-B plug has been designed to only attach to USB 3.0 receptacles and devices.
What is ExtremeUSB®?
ExtremeUSB was developed and patented by Icron Technologies to enable native USB connections to extend beyond the desktop, breaking through the 5m cable length limitation imposed by the USB standard. The ExtremeUSB® protocol manages the strict timing requirements of the USB specification to enable USB connections over any physical media.
What is “LEX” and “REX”?
LEX stands for Local Extender and REX stands for Remote Extender. These two units comprise a standard Icron Extension solution. The LEX unit interfaces to the Host PC via a Type-B USB connector, or a built-in Type-A USB cable. The LEX interfaces to the REX unit over the extension media (Cat 5e UTP, Fiber, etc.) and the REX unit provides connectivity for one or more USB devices at the remote location.
Can I daisy-chain ExtremeUSB® systems together for longer reach?
ExtremeUSB systems cannot be daisy-chained by connecting multiple systems in series (i.e. Local Extender to Remote Extender to Local Extender to Remote Extender).
Do my extenders need a driver?
ExtremeUSB is designed to be truly Plug-and-Play, and appears completely transparent to the host computer. No drivers are required.
USB Extenders
What are the power requirements of my USB extender?
The table below provides details regarding power consumption of Icron’s USB products.
| Product | Voltage | Current | Power |
| USB 1.1 Rover® 1850 | N/A | N/A | 3 W |
| USB 1.1 Rover® 2850 | N/A | N/A | 4 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2201 | 5V | 3A | 15 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2204 | 5V | 3A | 15 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2211 | 24V | 1A | 24 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2212 | 24V | 1A | 24 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2224 | 5V | 3A | 15 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2244 | 5V | 3A | 15 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2304 | 24V | 1A | 24 W |
| USB 2.0 Ranger® 2304-LAN | 24V | 1A | 24 W |
| USB 3.0 Spectra™ 3022 | 5V | 3A | 15 W |
Can I use my own power supply?
Only the Power Supply included with the product is covered by warranty.
Does the USB 3.0 Spectra™ 3022 support USB 2.0 or 1.1 devices?
No, the USB 3.0 Spectra 3022 is designed to only support USB 3.0 devices.
Can the USB 1.1 Rover x850 or USB 2.0 Ranger 22xx extenders operate through a standard Ethernet hub, switch or router?
No. Many of Icron’s USB extenders do not use standard Ethernet protocol over the Cat 5e link, and are not compatible with Ethernet hubs, switches or routers. The link protocol used is proprietary and operates only as a dedicated point-to-point connection. These USB extenders should not be connected to any Ethernet hubs, switches or routers.
What is the USB device limit for the USB 2.0 Ranger® 22xx extenders?
The USB 2.0 Ranger® 2200 extenders have a maximum limit of 14 devices connected to the REX unit (including USB hubs).
What does a blinking host LED mean?
The USB extender is in suspend mode. Hubs are placed in suspend mode by an operating system when no USB devices are connected. The hub will wake up from suspend mode when a USB device is connected.
How can I upgrade the firmware on my USB extender?
To upgrade the USB 2.0 Ranger® 2204, 2212, 2224, or 2244, please contact Icron’s Tech Support. The extender can be programmed in-field by the user.
There are no upgrades available for the USB Rover® 1850 or 2850 products.
The USB 2.0 Ranger 22xx LEX and REX extenders both have sockets for power, do I need power supplies for both units?
On the USB 2.0 Ranger 2201, 2204, 2224, and 2244, only the REX needs a power supply. The LEX only needs a power supply during the firmware upgrade process. On the USB Ranger® 2211, the power supply can be connected to either the LEX or the REX.
What type of Cat 5e cable is required for my product?
The USB 2.0 Ranger 2201, 2204, 2211, 2212, and USB 1.1 Rover 1850/2850 extenders require solid-core Cat 5e UTP cables for extension distances longer than 10 meters.
What is the Cat 5e pin out for my product?
The USB 2.0 Ranger® 2201, 2204, 2211, 2212, and USB 1.1 Rover® 1850/2850 extenders use all four pairs of the UTP cable. They all use a standard straight-through connection, referred to as TIA/EIA-568-B.1-2001 T568A or T568B.
USB Extender Product Series Differences
Icron Technologies Corp. has produced a number of different USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 extender solutions. Newer extenders have been designed to replace older versions of the extenders, and the differences between the older and newer products are listed below.
What are the differences between the USB 1.1 Rover x650 and x850 product series?
The USB 1.1 Rover x850 series has superior circuit design delivering more current to USB devices connected to the remote extender, is compatible with more Hosts and USB devices, and has better ESD and EFT performance than the USB Rover x650 series.
What are the differences between the USB 2.0 Ranger® 2100 and USB 2.0 Ranger 2200 product series?
The USB 2.0 Ranger 2100 series is a legacy platform that comes with the LEX in a plastic enclosure. The Ranger 2101 REX also comes in a plastic enclosure, and the Ranger 2104 comes in a metal enclosure.
The USB 2.0 Ranger 2200 series have improved device compatibility, are field upgradeable and have improved ESD and Immunity protection than the USB 2.0 Ranger 2100 series. As well there are fiber based models for extended reach, and variants that allow powering at the LEX end or at either end. Lastly, a mounting kit is available for many of the Ranger 2200 series products for more flexible product placement.
USB and Video Extenders
What are the power requirements of my USB and Video Extender?
The table below provides details regarding power consumption of Icron’s USB and Video products.
| Product | Voltage | Current | Power |
| EL3500 | LEX: 5V REX: 24V | LEX: 3A REX: 1A | LEX: 15W REX: 24W |
| EL4500 | LEX: 5V REX: 24V | LEX: 3A REX: 1A | LEX: 15W REX: 24W |
| EL5100 | LEX: 5V REX: 5V | LEX: 3A REX: 3A | LEX: 15W REX: 15W |
| EL5200 | LEX: 5V REX: 5V | LEX: 3A REX: 3A | LEX: 15W REX: 15W |
Can I use my own power supply?
Only the Power Supply included with the product is covered by warranty.
Can the USB and Video Extenders operate through a standard Ethernet hub, switch or router?
Only the EL4500 USB and Video Extender can operate over a Local Area Network (LAN) or through a standard Ethernet hub or switch. The EL4500 operates at layer 2 (MAC layer) and does not require any TCP/IP overhead, thus it can’t operate through a router using the TCP/IP layer.
Why can I not select a support resolution when using my USB and Video Extender?
Either the latest video drivers are not installed, or the resolution is not supported. If the specific resolution is not listed by the monitors EDID, or is not supported by the USB and Video Extender, it will not operate.
What cable is recommended for best performance with the EL5100 or EL5200?
Icron recommends Cat 6/6a U/FTP or better cabling with solid core conductors and Cat 6/6a rated RJ45 jacks. That is, Cat 6 or 6a, with pair shielding. At minimum, standard Cat 5e UTP cable can be used but it must have solid core conductors and requires a very good environment and good installation practices, such as having no loops in the cable, ensure it is not placed near other cables or power lines, and that it is properly terminated with Cat 5e RJ45 jacks.