Attach Ethernet dongle via USB hub?

Hi. I'm getting a new MBA at work and the only reservation I have is the single USB port. Can the Ethernet dongle be plugged into a USB hub, or does it have to go straight into the port on the laptop? Does i tmatter if the hub is powered or not?
Thanks for any help.

You should be able to use the USB Ethernet adapter on a USB hub. The hub needs to be USB2 (not the slower USB1.) I don't know if the hub needs to be powered or not, but in the past, I've had trouble with non-Apple USB Ethernet adapters on non-powered hubs. [This thread from a few days ago|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2497134&tstart=0] was from someone with issues using the adapter with a hub, although he has not posted his final results yet.
If you can't find a compatible hub, perhaps you can use a Wi-Fi access point. It's like a typical home router, but just the wireless part. In essence you'll have a "wireless" ethernet adapter for your Macbook Air, instead of a USB adapter. Some companies internal policies do not allow wireless networking so you may have to check with your network administrator.
Some consumer home routers can be configured as an access point (a.k.a. bridged.) If you don't need to take the "ethernet adapter" with you on the road, then you can just get a non-portable access point. Otherwise something like an [Airport Express|http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB321LL/A/AirPort-Express-AirTunes?fn ode=MTY1NDEyMQ&mco=MTA4NzI4ODU]. Other companies have similar products. I used the [dLink DWL-G730AP] in my pre-Macbook days. I believe dLink has [a faster one now|http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=753].

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