Linux + USB2.0 = EPIC FAIL

Is there freakin ANYBODY out there, who does successfully operate an USB2.0 Hub at 2.0 speed, unter heavy load, with any Linux distribution, on any PC hardware?

With both my desktop PCs (Asus A7V-266e, Gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-DS2H) and my Marvell SheevaPlug I suffer from all types of errors when running USB under heavy load for some time. Errors like ... cannot reset port 2 (err = -71) or Cannot enable port 2. Maybe the USB cable is bad? or device descriptor read/64, error -110 .. types of error messages which get something like half a million hits in Google search.

The only responses, if any, are:

• downgrade to USB1.1 speed by removing ehci_hcd
• your hardware sucks, bad cable
• your hardware sucks, bad hub
• your hardware sucks, bad USB client hardware (stick-memory, wlan, ide/sata-harddisk, dvb, whatever)
• ...

Yo, funny .. my ass!!11!!1111 - I tried with different IDE/SATA-USB harddisks and HUBs from three different brands (D-Link, DeLock, Digitus) now. Always fails when pushing load.
Windows does not have any problems with USB in the same scenarios.

Ubuntu has filed many many bugs for USB issues, one of which (#88746 ehci_hcd module causes I/O errors in USB 2.0 devices) kind of summarizes some problems. This defect is unbelievable three years old now.
Hey, it's not some exotic hardware we are talking of. It's USB, the worlds most successful interface ever created. I simply can not believe it's not going to work with Linux.

Any hints & comments very welcome.