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I own a usb-c male to usb-c female extension cable that I connect to a yubikey. The yubikey only works in one orientation. I don't have any other bits to test h

I own a usb-c male to usb-c female extension cable that I connect to a yubikey. The yubikey only works in one orientation. I don't have any other bits to test hypotheses with, but I believe the cable was made with the symmetry problem described above.

mlyle 3y ago
Usb-c to usb-c extensions are currently explicitly prohibited by standard, both because of issues like this and ways that they defeat safety mechanisms with charging.
Ajedi32 3y ago
AFAIK there's no such thing as a standards compliant USB-C male to USB-C female extension cable. The very concept goes against the spec[1]. You have a point though; I'm sure there are abominations out there that abuse the USB spec in all sorts of interesting ways, they just haven't been something I've encountered in my years of using USB-C for everything. [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/10xj74r/why_dont_usbc_extension_cables_work/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/10xj74r/why_d...
- alanbernstein 3y ago
  Ah, good to know. I'm tempted to respond that this means the spec has failed to address an important use case. But I'm certainly not going to learn enough of the spec to back up that claim.
  - Ajedi32 3y ago
    You're not wrong; it's an unfortunate limitation, even though there are solid technical reasons for it. As a sibling commenter pointed out, a standards-compliant alternative would basically just be a USB hub with a single USB-C port.
- kccqzy 3y ago
  You can make a USB-C hub that has only a USB-C port.
  - skinner927 3y ago
    Why buys a $5 cable when you can buy a $20 cable?
    - kccqzy 3y ago
      What makes you think a USB hub shaped like a cable must necessarily be more expensive than a regular cable?
      - crote 3y ago
        The need for active electronics.
ianburrell 3y ago
Then throw it away, it is broken. There is no way to prevent junk from not implementing the standard. The solution is not buying junk.
- alanbernstein 3y ago
  It is not broken. It is the best solution to a problem, even if it is imperfect. It seems that the committee behind the spec was somehow unable to learn from decades of experience, and did not predict that people would want extension cables, and that companies would make them. That's not an actual problem for me. Not being able to reach my yubikey when I'm using my laptop at my desk, is a problem.
keep_reading 3y ago
I have a cable like this for a device and experience the same

mlyle 3y ago

Usb-c to usb-c extensions are currently explicitly prohibited by standard, both because of issues like this and ways that they defeat safety mechanisms with charging.

Ajedi32 3y ago

AFAIK there's no such thing as a standards compliant USB-C male to USB-C female extension cable. The very concept goes against the spec[1]. You have a point though; I'm sure there are abominations out there that abuse the USB spec in all sorts of interesting ways, they just haven't been something I've encountered in my years of using USB-C for everything. [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/10xj74r/why_dont_usbc_extension_cables_work/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/10xj74r/why_d...

alanbernstein 3y ago
Ah, good to know. I'm tempted to respond that this means the spec has failed to address an important use case. But I'm certainly not going to learn enough of the spec to back up that claim.
- Ajedi32 3y ago
  You're not wrong; it's an unfortunate limitation, even though there are solid technical reasons for it. As a sibling commenter pointed out, a standards-compliant alternative would basically just be a USB hub with a single USB-C port.
kccqzy 3y ago
You can make a USB-C hub that has only a USB-C port.
- skinner927 3y ago
  Why buys a $5 cable when you can buy a $20 cable?
  - kccqzy 3y ago
    What makes you think a USB hub shaped like a cable must necessarily be more expensive than a regular cable?
    - crote 3y ago
      The need for active electronics.

ianburrell 3y ago

Then throw it away, it is broken. There is no way to prevent junk from not implementing the standard. The solution is not buying junk.

alanbernstein 3y ago
It is not broken. It is the best solution to a problem, even if it is imperfect. It seems that the committee behind the spec was somehow unable to learn from decades of experience, and did not predict that people would want extension cables, and that companies would make them. That's not an actual problem for me. Not being able to reach my yubikey when I'm using my laptop at my desk, is a problem.

keep_reading 3y ago

I have a cable like this for a device and experience the same