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Monoprice 105442 3ft USB 2.0 A-A Cable Gold Plated — main product image
Monoprice 105442 3ft USB 2.0 A-A Cable Gold Plated
Monoprice 105442 3ft USB 2.0 A-A Cable Gold Plated
Monoprice 105442 3ft USB 2.0 A-A Cable Gold Plated
Monoprice

Monoprice 105442 3ft USB 2.0 A-A Cable Gold Plated

★★★★★4.6 (10383 reviews)
USB 2.0

Gold-plated connectors and 480 Mbps Hi-Speed throughput make this 3-foot USB 2.0 A-to-A cable the reliable short-run workhorse for peripheral-to-peripheral connections.

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Overview

The Monoprice 105442 is a 3-foot USB 2.0 A Male to A Male cable built for the specific and often overlooked use case of connecting two USB-A ports directly — hub-to-hub daisy chaining, KVM switching, certain printer and scanner control configurations, and USB dock connections that require this topology. The 480 Mbps Hi-Speed USB 2.0 specification is the correct bandwidth ceiling for these applications, and the 28/24AWG wire gauge ensures stable power and data delivery across the short cable run without resistance-induced signal degradation. Gold-plated connectors on both ends provide the corrosion resistance that matters for cables that are connected and disconnected repeatedly across years of use.

Monoprice's value proposition in the cable market is straightforward: specification accuracy and build consistency at a price below brand-name alternatives. The 105442 delivers on both — the molded connector ends protect solder joints from flex fatigue, UL Listing confirms independent safety testing, and ROHS Compliance satisfies regulated procurement requirements in enterprise and EU-market environments. The 3-foot length is by design a short-run cable — desktop device-to-device connections where a longer cable would create clutter rather than capability. Buyers should verify that their use case genuinely requires two USB-A ends and that USB 2.0 speeds are adequate for their data throughput needs before ordering; for the correct application, this cable is the right tool.

Key Features

A great value on high performance USB 2.0 compliant cables

These reliable cables feature Gold Plated Connectors for corrosion resistance

Compatible with both PC and Apple systems

Supports Hi-Speed, 480 Mbps

Both ends are the USB A style , A to A, male to male, molded type | UL Listed | ROHS Compliant

Specifications

Cable Type
USB 2.0 A Male to A Male
Length
3 feet
Data Transfer Rate
Hi-Speed, 480 Mbps
Wire Gauge
28/24 AWG
Connector Finish
Gold Plated
Compatibility
PC and Apple systems
Certifications
UL Listed, ROHS Compliant
Brand
Monoprice
Model
105442
ASIN
B002KKXP3M

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Gold-plated connector pins resist oxidation and maintain reliable electrical contact through extended cycles of connection and disconnection
  • Hi-Speed USB 2.0 at 480 Mbps is sufficient bandwidth for the vast majority of A-to-A peripheral use cases — hubs, KVM switches, certain docks and printers
  • UL Listed and ROHS Compliant certification confirms independent safety validation and hazardous-substance-free construction — relevant for regulated procurement
  • 28/24AWG wire gauge provides appropriate conductor cross-section for stable power and data delivery across the 3-foot run length
  • Molded connector ends protect the solder joints from flex fatigue at the cable termination — the most common failure point on budget cables

👎 Cons

  • USB 2.0 is capped at 480 Mbps — if either device in the connection supports USB 3.0 or higher, this cable becomes the bottleneck and limits throughput to USB 2.0 speeds
  • The 3-foot length is short — useful for direct device-to-device connections on a desk, but insufficient for any installation requiring more than about a meter of cable run
  • USB A-to-A is a niche connector configuration — buyers should confirm their specific use case genuinely requires two USB-A ends before purchasing
  • This cable does not carry power delivery beyond the USB 2.0 standard's 500mA at 5V — it cannot charge devices or drive bus-powered devices that require more current
  • No locking or latching mechanism on the connectors — in vibration-prone environments or installations where cables may be jostled, the connection can work loose

Frequently Asked Questions

USB A-to-A cables connect two USB-A host or device ports directly — common use cases include USB 3.0 hubs connecting to a host hub, some external hard drive docks, USB KVM switches, and certain printers or copiers that use A-to-A for specific control ports. This is not the cable type for connecting a camera, phone, or standard peripheral to a computer — those use A-to-B, A-to-C, or A-to-Micro configurations.
The IFC-200U supports Hi-Speed USB 2.0 at 480 Mbps — the maximum specified rate for USB 2.0. This is sufficient for most peripheral data transfers, printer communication, and low-bandwidth device connections. It does not support USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) speeds — if your devices are USB 3.0, a USB 3.0 A-to-A cable will deliver higher throughput.
Gold plating on the connector pins provides corrosion resistance — gold does not oxidize, which maintains consistent electrical contact over years of connection and disconnection cycles. In a dry, indoor environment, this is more relevant to longevity than to raw data performance. The practical difference is that connectors that remain reliably oxidation-free maintain signal integrity through more connect/disconnect cycles than bare copper or tin-plated alternatives.
Yes — USB 2.0 is a hardware-level standard independent of operating system. This cable is compatible with any device that has a USB-A port, regardless of whether the host system runs Windows, macOS, or Linux. No driver installation is required for the cable itself.
Yes — the Monoprice 105442 is both UL Listed and ROHS Compliant. UL Listing means the cable has been independently tested to meet safety standards for electrical products. ROHS Compliance means it is manufactured without hazardous substances (lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and specific brominated flame retardants) — relevant for environmentally regulated procurement in EU and enterprise environments.

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