multiple usb ports on hardware only one seems to be active

[ibmsorcerer]

Hardware:
Dell C800, 512MB, 30 GB

Kernel 2.4.21-4.EL (Redhat Enterprise Linux)

The system is running fine, but it only seems to recognize one of the usb ports on the machine.

I can move things between the 2 ports and only when things are connected to the first port do they seem to be active as I can see an indication on the external device (rs-232 serial port). I can swap the devices between the 2 ports and the active device stays active on the bottom most port, never is active on the top port.

I don't know how to enable the second usb port.
Do I need to do something or should the default kernel support multiple usb ports?

/proc/tty/driver
usbserinfo:1.0 driver:v1.4
0: module:mct_u232 name:"Magic Control Technology USB-RS232" vendor:050d product:0109 num_ports:1 port:1 path:usb-00:1f.2-2

/proc/bus/usb
T: Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=12 MxCh= 2
B: Alloc= 0/900 us ( 0%), #Int= 0, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 1.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 0.00
S: Product=USB UHCI Root Hub
S: SerialNumber=dce0
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=40 MxPwr= 0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 8 Ivl=255ms
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#= 2 Spd=12 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=16 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=050d ProdID=0109 Rev= 1.02
S: Manufacturer=Belkin USB PDA Adapter
S: Product=Belkin Components
S: SerialNumber=399272
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=serial
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 2 Ivl=2ms
E: Ad=82(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 64 Ivl=1ms
E: Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 16 Ivl=0ms

[ibmsorcerer]

Turns out to be a hardware problem. The system doesn't work with Windoze either. So I had to grab a second laptop and it works fine with the standard configuration. Here is what the running configs show now that is working system.

/proc/tty/driver/usb-serial
usbserinfo:1.0 driver:v1.4
0: module:mct_u232 name:"Magic Control Technology USB-RS232" vendor:050d product:0109 num_ports:1 port:1 path:usb-00:1f.2-1
1: module:mct_u232 name:"Magic Control Technology USB-RS232" vendor:050d product:0109 num_ports:1 port:1 path:usb-00:1f.2-2

/proc/bus/usb/devices
T: Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=12 MxCh= 2
B: Alloc= 0/900 us ( 0%), #Int= 0, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 1.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 0.00
S: Product=USB UHCI Root Hub
S: SerialNumber=dce0
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=40 MxPwr= 0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 8 Ivl=255ms
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#= 2 Spd=12 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=16 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=050d ProdID=0109 Rev= 1.02
S: Manufacturer=Belkin USB PDA Adapter
S: Product=Belkin Components
S: SerialNumber=402663
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=serial
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 2 Ivl=2ms
E: Ad=82(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 64 Ivl=1ms
E: Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 16 Ivl=0ms
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=02 Dev#= 3 Spd=12 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=16 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=050d ProdID=0109 Rev= 1.02
S: Manufacturer=Belkin USB PDA Adapter
S: Product=Belkin Components
S: SerialNumber=399272
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=serial
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 2 Ivl=2ms
E: Ad=82(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 64 Ivl=1ms
E: Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 16 Ivl=0ms