If you have a lot of cords coming from and going to your computer have some things that just don’t seem to reach far enough, then you might want to consider getting a USB extension cable. These are very easy to find, and to be a great help if you have anything that is either going to sit just out of reach from your computer, or is going to sit quite a ways away.

It seems just everything these days connects to your computer via USB. Everything but your monitor can be connected via USB. This makes all of your USB ports valuable real estate, what can also make it difficult to make certain things reach. If you have just about everything connected the USB can only have one or two ports left, but it can be hard to make something new reach that one spare port that to have. For instance, if you get a WebCam but already have your mouse, keyboard, external hard drives, and keep the cord that attaches to your digital camera MP3 player attached then it can be difficult to find a port that is within reach.

If you got your computer within the past five years, then chances are you have USB ports on the front and USB ports on the back. If all of them are taken up in the back, then anything you have connected through the front ports. In this instance, it is good to have a USB extension cable.

A USB extension cable had an input side and output side. The input side is the part you plug in any device that you would like to connect you computer, while the output side goes into the USB port on your computer. This might sound complicated, but it is actually very simple. If you’ve ever connected anything the USB before, then you know what the output side will look like and will know where to plug in the input side.

Just about any department or electronics store has these extension cords available, and they are only a few dollars. You can usually find them from anywhere from 1 foot to 9 feet in length, which will give you a good range to choose from. If what you are trying to connect as far away from your computer, then obviously you will go with a longer cord. However, if what you are trying to plug-in is only short by a little bit, then you will probably want one that is shorter. Picking out a USB extension cable that is too long can this make for more wires sitting around on your floor, and nobody likes that.