There is a cable in my workstation that leads from the keyboard/mouse to the WS itself. For some reason, it goes KB/M -> USB cable -> Female to female USB adapter -> 2 port USB splitter -> USB cable -> workstation. The part in question is the USB splitter (specifically a "Cute USB Mini 2-Port USB 2.0 Hub Splitter" from MulWare or a very similar product). This part failed which lead me to open up the WS and find this Frankenstein cable and narrow the problem down to the splitter using a working WS with the same insides. My main question is what is the purpose of that setup? It doesn't work if the adapter, splitter, and extra cable are removed. The splitter has 1 male connection and 2 female but there is only one cable plugged into it. It really doesn't make any sense to me and I would appreciate any explanation or guess I can get. (The cable diagram does not show these parts, just a continuous cable).

 

The problem child.