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General discussion

USB AND FIREWIRE HUB

Jan 23, 2007 9:12AM PST

I am looking for a mac compatible usb and firewire hub. Can i connect this via one firewire cable??? I am looking for like 1 or 2 firewire ports and 2-3 usb ports.

Discussion is locked

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Firewire/USB Hub
Jan 23, 2007 10:46AM PST

Once you find one, you will have to connect it using one Firewire cable and one USB cable.

Remarkably, a Google search using the terms "Firewire and USB hub" return plenty of hits.

Here is one to be going on with

www.usb-ware.com/ads-dual-link-hub-usb-firewire.htm

P

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Mrmacfixit, Is there such a thing as a
Jan 23, 2007 3:57PM PST

"non Mac compatible USB and FireWire drive"? Both USB and FireWire exist on most Macs from recent years and both USB and FireWire are international standards based. I imagine there might be some drivers needed for another operating system's environment, but the hardware *should* be plug and play on a Mac... shouldn't it?

I ask this only because I bought my first analog/digital video bridge a few years ago and my friend assured me that it would work - and it did... The reason the box was not marked "Mac compatible" was because the included software (drivers and video editing application) was only for another operating system - there was no included Mac software - everything to make the A/D bridge work was already included in OSX...

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Mac Compatible
Jan 23, 2007 8:44PM PST

You are absolutely correct and thanks for pointing that out. I forgot to mention that any USB or Firewire Hub (includes any combination of that) will work on a Mac or a PC.
If the box contains software, as in the case of the Dazzle Analog/Digital bridge, the manufacturer generally label the box without a mention of Mac.
There is no extra software, drivers, needed to run a USB/Firewire hub, it is all built into the OS.

The same rule generally applies to Ethernet Routers, Switches and Hubs.

One other point worthy of note, it is always best to get a powered USB/Firewire hub as there is only a finite amount of power available on the USB/Firewire bus and once you start to share that power, things do not work correctly.

Thanks

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