Hard to believe isn't it? You just take it for granted that you can just plug these into any computer and they just work.
I got my first clue when I looked at the packaging for some of these hubs. Just about all of them say they're compatible with Windows or MacOS. No mention of Linux or anything Pi related.
So I got on-line and did a quick search. Sure enough I found this page. It lists known compatible and incompatible hubs. It's not an exhaustive list (how could it be?) but it's a start and gives you idea what to look out for.
I took the easy option, I just bought from a site that specialises in Pi accessories. I went for a CIT-UH207P-01-HUB, USB 2.0 7 Port (Not the one pictured above).
The reason I went for it was that it has 7 ports (plenty of room for expansion....but probably over the top), and it's got it's own power supply. That's important because the Pi's not up to powering a bucket-load of usb peripherals.
In fact, I've gone a step further and bought a USB A Male to Micro B Male lead so that the hub can power the Pi. That would save me a power socket. Let's hope it works!
Update: Nope, the CIT hub isn't beast enough to power the Pi. If I were to do this again, I'd go for the D-Link Dub-H7 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub. Now that will do the job properly.
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