USB data link cable compatibility

[Helix751]

[edit] This thread started as a single question on a specific cable model compatibility, but became into a broader discussion on compatibilities and advantages on using a cabled USB connection, so the Subject was edited accordingly. Thanks to all for your replies and contributions.

{edit] The cable initially asked for in this post is most likely NOT COMPATIBLE with TC. A list of compatible and tested cables can be found at the official site HERE. Just be warned.

Hi. I wonder if anybody can confirm compatibility of USB data cables available through Aliexpress for TC data transfer?

For instance, this model which is very common and sold by various stores there:
kebidu USB PC To PC Online Share Sync Link

[AntonyD]

And in what situations do users need such cables in general?
Has it really become a big problem to pull a HDD/SSD out of one computer and insert it into another?
After all, this way you will definitely get full control over all files/folders!
And if necessary, you can even re-set necessary permissions on folders/files that would otherwise
be under the control of the running OS on the source computer.
In addition, such cables always give a very low data transfer rate.

[ghisler(Author)]

2Helix751
No, this cable will most probably not work. One comment describes that it works with a program similar to the Explorer, which comes with the cable. Such cables usually only work with the program they come with.
Here is a list of tested and working cables:
https://www.ghisler.com/cables/
I can really recommend the "cable matters" cable from Amazon, I have it myself and it's very fast with USB3.

2AntonyD
It's convenient to transfer data from/to a PC which needs to be isolated from the Internet, e.g. an old PC with Windows XP controlling expensive machinery. For example, you can use it to transfer images from a microscope or scanner without constantly having to move USB media between the old PC and the new.

[dadreamer]

I second ghisler(Author). This is DL-USB015 cable, based on OTi-2108 chip, and it doesn't work with TC. I had such a cable in the past. Its API differs from Microsoft Windows Easy Transfer API, so a special plugin should be written (none were ever made AFAIK).

[ghisler(Author)]

2dadreamer
Is there any documentation on how to interface with this cable? To my knowledge, the only publicly available documentation is the Windows Easy Transfer API. if there is documentation, it should be easy to support other cables too.

[dadreamer]

2dadreamerIs there any documentation on how to interface with this cable? To my knowledge, the only publicly available documentation is the Windows Easy Transfer API. if there is documentation, it should be easy to support other cables too.

No official documentation for the protocol, sadly. Back in the days to get that information it was necessary to sign a NDA from Ours Technology. Currently both 2108 and 2208NF chips are EOL for a great while. And Ours Technology switched to the Windows Easy Transfer standard in their OT-7300 chip. So I've no idea, whether such an information is still protected. In 2016 I have reverse-engineered the protocol just out of curiosity (reported here). Since no one was willing to start writing the plugin, I've left it as is. Some time later new USB 3.0 cables appeared on the market, so a need for the plugin was gone.

[Hacker]

AntonyD,

Has it really become a big problem to pull a HDD/SSD out of one computer and insert it into another?

Disconnecting everything from a PC case, opening it, pulling out a hard drive, disconnecting everything from a second PC case, opening it, connecting the drive, connecting everything, copying, disconnecting again, removing the drive, putting it back into the first PC, closing and connecting the second PC case, closing and opening the first PC case, just to copy some data, is not really faster than connecting two PCs using an USB cable clicking Server, clicking Client, and copying. Let alone if you are not allowed to open the PCs (work PC or laptop).

Roman

[ghisler(Author)]

And Ours Technology switched to the Windows Easy Transfer standard in their OT-7300 chip.

That's great news, do you know of any cables using that chip? A quick Google search only returned this result:
https://www.gearmo.com/shop/usb-3-0-driverless-data-transfer-cable-for-windows/
But that's their own brand, I wonder if it's some rebranded Chinese cable...

[white]

And Ours Technology switched to the Windows Easy Transfer standard in their OT-7300 chip.

That's great news..

You said the same 7 years ago:

That's great! It means that the cable uses the winusb generic USB driver too! How did you find out the cable GUID? I think that hard coding other GUIDs is inefficient because there are new cables all the time.

I could either try to find new cables via registry, or let the user add the GUID to the wincmd.ini himself.

---

..do you know of any cables using that chip?

Perhaps these:

• LINK-SE2 (Taiwan)
  https://www.chipsetcomm.com.tw/productMulti_detail.aspx?ID=733d51e3-96f7-49a3-80c0-78cbcb616d03
  https://www.hungturn.com.tw/product_cg330330.html
   
• USBC3LINK (USB-C to USB 3.0) (StarTech.com, founded in Canada)
  https://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/usbc3link
  Datasheet: https://media.startech.com/cms/pdfs/usbc3link_datasheet.pdf
   
• SD-U3DLINK1-M (LINK10) (Japanese)
  https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Cable-USB3-0-Keyboard-Sharing-SD-–-u3dlink1-–-Medium/dp/B01DIPU5XA
  Manufacturer page:
  https://www-area--powers-jp.translate.goog/product/others/4580127693829/index.html?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
  Last page of the manual mentions OTI 7300 device:
  https://www.area-powers.jp/product/others/4580127693829/M_SD-U3DLINK1-M_outoline2016_03_02.pdf
   
• YT-U3DL01 (Chinese)
  https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/new-coming-active-USB-3-0_60669961990.html
  Manufacturer page:
  https://utechcables.com/usb-3-data-transfer-cable/
   

[dadreamer]

do you know of any cables using that chip?

Except Delock Cable Data Link + KM Switch USB 3.0, that is on the list already, I cannot advise any other cables. That Gearmo cable looks like it should work with TC, but I've never used it.

[Helix751]

2Helix751
No, this cable will most probably not work. One comment describes that it works with a program similar to the Explorer, which comes with the cable. Such cables usually only work with the program they come with.
Here is a list of tested and working cables:
https://www.ghisler.com/cables/
I can really recommend the "cable matters" cable from Amazon, I have it myself and it's very fast with USB3.

Thanks Christian.

[Helix751]

And in what situations do users need such cables in general?
Has it really become a big problem to pull a HDD/SSD out of one computer and insert it into another?
After all, this way you will definitely get full control over all files/folders!
And if necessary, you can even re-set necessary permissions on folders/files that would otherwise
be under the control of the running OS on the source computer.
In addition, such cables always give a very low data transfer rate.

In just one word: SPEED. It's all about speed (and thus efficiency).

Using a USB 3.0 SSD or flashdrive for a bunch of disk images, media files, or a whole disk, is a twofold time consuming process (one phase to write to the buffer drive and again to read from the drive and write to the destination).

Also, a network connection, no matter its speed, will be MUCH slower than a direct cabled USB connection.

[Helix751]

For the record, I purchased the following cable at a local store (~60 USD) and it works like a charm!

USB 3.0 and transfer rates reach 47MB/s (both laptops with SSD drives, Win 10 <-> Win 11). Way faster than using an intermediate buffer drive!

https://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/usb3link

Image: https://media.startech.com/cms/products/main/usb3link.bom.jpg

Thanks for every recommendation and advice in this thread and of course to Ghisler for his amazing TC.

[Hacker]

Helix751,
Thank you for letting us know

Roman

[ghisler(Author)]

2Helix751
Could you please take a picture of your cable so "startech.com" can be read, similar to the pictures on
https://www.ghisler.com/cables/
and give me the permission to use it? I would then add it to the above list. That would be very helpful for other users.