I used big Thunder and attempted to use either USB port in the front. Neither was responsive. FYI.
ALSO, have a cable from said port reduces wear issues to a replaceable cable instead of an internal computer part.
Are you talking about the cable that goes to the workstation? One of the first things we did was bypass that USB port because it was in a vulnerable place where it was likely to get damaged. The USB cable is connected behind that panel and exits elsewhere from the machine.