I really hope someone can explain this cause it's driving me nuts.

I have 2 different makes of USB 2 pci card both displaying the same symptoms on different machines and different O/S's.

I have a an ALI 5 port card chipset is M5273 and I have a VIA 6 port card chipset is VT6202 (strange this is all references to the via chip say its a 4 port controller !)
anyway when either card is installed the default drivers in either 2003 Server or Win XP pro say the ports are USB 1.1 when you plug a USB 2 device in and true to form data transfer is slow. When you install the driver that came with the card (either one) it then shows a USB 2 enhanced host controller in the hardware list, it does not show any USB Root hubs listed under that controller and anything you plug in does not get detected, have I just been unlucky or what

Hi c3nar1us,
From what you describe.. here's what "appears" to be going on..
The computer is "defaulting" to the lowest functional USB speed for some reason. This could be either a Windows OS issue OR driver program issue. My first guess would be a driver program issue. Get/download the newest/latest ones from the manufacturers website & install.
If that doesn't solve the problem... then.. contact the manufacturer re: compatibility issues WITH YOUR OTHER HARDWARE and /OR search the web for people with the same problems with the same hardware you have.
If that doesn't solve the problem.. re-install Windows.. & re-install the latest drivers again.
If that doesn't solve it.. send the hardware back to the manufacture/store you got it from.. tehy're probably defective.
Hope this helps
RGPHNX