Issue with USB Ports on NanoPi Neo 2 Plus

[HowardLivingston]

Hi!

I've been experimenting with my NanoPi Neo 2 Plus and managed to get initramfs working, thanks to the Armbian kernel config.
However, I’ve encountered an issue: only the first of the two USB ports is functional, while the second one appears completely dead.
Big Disclaimer: I'm using an HTC PSU that provides only 1A, not the recommended 2A. I'm unsure if this could be causing the issue.
Aside from this, everything else seems to be working fine. Wi-Fi is functional, and I've disabled Bluetooth.
Here’s the output of lsusb when no devices are plugged into the USB ports:

Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Any suggestions or ideas on how to troubleshoot this?

[strippedoracle]

Your NanoPi Neo 2 Plus is designed to run on 5V / 2A or more, and you’re feeding it only 1A.
That’s just enough for the board, Wi-Fi, and basic operation — but not enough to power both USB ports reliably. When there isn’t enough current:

The board prioritizes essential functions (CPU, RAM, Wi-Fi, first USB host).

The “extra” USB port either won’t initialize at all, or will drop devices when they draw power.

This matches your symptoms: Wi-Fi works, Bluetooth off, one USB alive, the other “dead.”

So before chasing kernel or device tree issues, swap to a proper 5V/2A (or 2.5A) PSU. If the second port starts working, problem solved.

[Solenea]

Hi!

I've been experimenting with my NanoPi Neo 2 Plus and managed to get initramfs working, thanks to the Armbian kernel config.
However, I’ve encountered an issue: only the first of the two USB ports is functional, while the second one appears completely dead.
Big Disclaimer: I'm using an HTC PSU that provides only 1A, not the recommended 2A. I'm unsure if this could be causing the issue.
Aside from this, everything else seems to be working fine. Wi-Fi is functional, and I've disabled Bluetooth.
Here’s the output of lsusb when no devices are plugged into the USB ports:snow rider 3d

Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Any suggestions or ideas on how to troubleshoot this?

Since you're using a 1A power supply instead of the recommended 2A, it's possible that the USB ports are not receiving enough power. Try using a higher-rated power supply (2A or more) to see if that resolves the issue with the second USB port.

[mysteryohio]

In this scenario, I am almost convinced that a faulty power supply is the root reason. Upgrading to 2A+ will most likely resolve the issue instantly, without the need for extensive troubleshooting.

[wiliamcorlin]

Hi!

I've been experimenting with my NanoPi Neo 2 Plus and managed to get initramfs working, thanks to the Armbian kernel config.
However, I’ve encountered an issue: only the first of the two USB ports is functional, while the second one appears completely dead.
Big Disclaimer: I'm using an HTC PSU that provides only 1A, not the recommended 2A. I'm unsure if this could be causing the issue.
Aside from this, everything else seems to be working fine. Wi-Fi is functional, and I've disabled Bluetooth.
Here’s the output of lsusb when no devices are plugged into the USB ports:

Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Any suggestions or ideas on how to troubleshoot this?

I agree with what others mentioned about the PSU — 1A is really borderline for this board, especially if you’re using Wi-Fi + USB devices.

Just to add another angle: if switching to a 2A+ PSU doesn’t fix it, you might want to check whether the second USB port is actually enabled in your device tree. On some Armbian builds, certain ports can be disabled or configured differently.

You could try:

dmesg | grep usb to see if anything shows up when plugging into the second port
checking /boot/armbianEnv.txt or DT overlays

Quick question: does anything at all show in dmesg when you plug a device into the “dead” port, or is it completely silent?