Daisy CHaining Macs

Ok, I am setting up an isolated mac only network for my school's Television Production department. We have ten macs and plan to gain two more by the end of the year.
Because of the location and the way the rooms are setup, the most effective way of setting up this network, is to have 3 macs daisy chained together and one of the three has an ethernet cord going to the router. (We still need to buy the router as of right now) I have connected the three macs and configuring them to have the same school proxies in both ethernet preferences and Enable Internet sharing. When I go to the network folder I can only see the mac's Neighboring macs icon, (When I am on the middle computer I see the other two, when I am on the end mac I only see the middle) I can't figure out why. All the settings are identical on all the macs.
Any help would be great. We also depending on district, may need to find a router
Some other Notes: This network is ment to go online Only for overnight Software updates
It is used for moving 512mb to 2 GB files from one computer to another
We plan to buy apple remote desktop to monitor computer Use.

Each Mac has two ethernet ports, So I connect the first to the wall, connect the second to the first one's empty ethernet port, and the third to the second.
That's not the way it works - or, at least, if you can get it to work it's massively over-complicated for what you're trying to do. In order for the third Mac to get to the outside world the first and second Macs will have to be running connection sharing which inherently means running NAT.
This will have the effect of connections from Mac 3 being NATted by Mac2, and then NATted again by Mac 1, oh, and from your IP addresses it looks like Mac 1's connections are then NATted by the school network.
The same is also true for any connections between Mac 3 and Mac 1 - it all has to go through (and get NATted) by computer 1, thereby impairing throughput on the network, and processing resources on Mac 2.
Do yourself a favor and get a switch. Plug the connection from the wall into the switch. Plug each Mac into the switch. Problem solved.

Similar Messages

Can I daisy chain macs to act as time machines?

Say I have a lab of macs numbered between 1 - 16. All of these macs are connected via a switch so they can all see each other.
What I am thinking is to partition the HDD on every mac so that there are 2 partitions each. One of the partitions will be for the OS and the local files and the other will be for the back up of another mac. Doing it this way I was hoping to daisy chain them
Mac ID#
Partition 1
Partition 2
1
Local 1
16's Local
2
Local 2
1's Local
3
Local 3
2's Local
4
Local 4
3's Local
5
Local 5
4's Local
6
Local 6
5's Local
16
Local 16
15's Local
I was thinking of making the 2nd partition of each mac as a time machine target and having it sync the files nightly.
The reason for this is due to the amount of data generated on each mac that getting a dedicated backup server would be too expensive (I would need ~7 TB) for my budget ($0).
Is this possible? Is there a better way?

I don't know, I presume you would share the 2nd partition so the other Mac could see it. Unless someone knows a definite answer then you can only try it and see what happens.
One problem I see is not the Macs but the switch, inexpensive switches generally don't have an ASIC per port, this would reduce the bandwidth the switch could handle at any one time. The more expensive switches I used to work with had one ASIC per 2 ports or one on each port but they were expensive, probably the same price as a backup system you cannot afford.
Hope someone as a definitive answer for you.

Daisy chained mac minis?

I am interested in buying the new Final Cut Studio for Intel. I want to purchase the mac mini, but it's only dual core. Would it be possible to daisy chain 2 mac minis and have a quad core computer?

Or if FCP 5.1 has a "node" function, like in Logic Pro. Your main computer runs the program, with a 2nd CPU hooked up via gigabit ethernet (which, thank god, all of the new entry-level MacIntel machines have) and a "node" version of the app installed. Back in the main computer, you can designate certain tasks to the second CPU.
Still an early stage for this functionality. It's included in Logic Pro and described in its manual, but I just discovered that it is not supported by customer/technical support.

I have a MBPro mid 2013 with 1 Thunderbolt port. Just bought a Mac monitor and want to daisy chain a PC monitor to it. Use a Mini DVI to VGA adapter from MBP to PC monitor. How do I daisy chain the 2 monitors?

I have a MBPro mid 2013 with 1 Thunderbolt port. Just bought a Mac monitor and want to daisy chain a PC monitor to it. Use a Mini DVI to VGA adapter from MBP to PC monitor. How do I daisy chain the 2 monitors?

Hall Palm Desert,
if your Mac monitor has Thunderbolt ports, and the PC monitor is on the end of the daisy chain, then you might be able to do it by connecting your PC monitor’s VGA cable to a Mini DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter (e.g. Apple, NewerTech), connecting that cable’s Mini DisplayPort end to one of the Mac monitor’s Thunderbolt ports, and then connecting a Thunderbolt cable between the other port on the Mac monitor and your MacBook Pro.

Daisy chain two display port monitors (Dell U2913WM) to new Mac mini Thunderbolt?

Everything I read said that I could hook up a display port monitor to a Thunderbolt port on the mac mini. I purchased two display port monitors (Dell U2913WM) that can be daisy chained, and hooked them up. All I get is mirroring. Does anyone know how to turn off mirroring with this setup? I did not get the "uncheck mirroring" option in preferences until I hooked up the second via the HDMI port instead of a daisy chain. The problem with that is, I cannot take advantage of the full resolution through the HDMI. It seems I have wasted my money on two monitors.
Looking for advice on:
1) How to daisy chain these two Dell monitors to the mac mini and turn off mirroring and use an extended desktop, or
2) How to take advantage of the full resolution through HDMI port?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

So re-reading this thread, I now realize you did exactly what I wanted to do but your issue was having a cloned vs. extended desktop. Oops!
I believe your "nothing plugged in" issue is the cable. I'm not sure that TB cables are backwards compatible with DP - I think it's only the ports. Do you see multiple monitors in "System Preferences > Displays" if you hook the monitors up like you described in your OP?
My Dell U2713H arrived today and it works like a charm with the supplied Mini-DP to DP cable. The built-in display on my 13" mid 2009 MBP still works if not in clamshell mode, although I will mostly use mine in my HengeDock. In the OSD of the monitor, you can access "Display Settings > Display Info" and it will show you the DP capability. Mine is only DP 1.1a and I believe to run 2 of these at full resolution you will need the bandwidth in DP 1.2 which includes MST (daisy-chaining). This could be your problem.
Can you access the same menu in your OSD and report back what your DP compatability is?
Thanks!
mgb

Can I daisy chain a DisplayPort-only monitor through the 2nd TB connector on a WD 8TB My Book Thunderbolt Duo to a mid-2011 Mac Mini?

I'm very tempted by a refurb HP Smartbuy ZR2740w 27" WQHD display, but it doesn't have a HDMI port. It does have DisplayPort.
Since the mid-2011 Mac Mini I have has either HDMI or Thunderbolt to choose from, plus I've just bought an external TB storage system, I think I'd need to connect the monitor to the second TB port on the external TB storage and hope that the external storage would pass the DisplayPort signals along.
I've read that DisplayPort connections are compatible with TB ports on Macs, and that you can daisy chain TB devices.
I don't want to assume those statements hold when I'd need to connect the DisplayPort cable to the 2nd TB port on the external storage.
Anyone know if this will work?
Is it "supported"?
Thanks!
Andrew

23. How do I connect my Mini DisplayPort monitor or monitor using a Mini DisplayPort adapter to my Thunderbolt-equipped Mac when I have other Thunderbolt devices connected?
When connecting a Mini DisplayPort display or a display using a Mini DisplayPort adapter to a Thunderbolt peripheral (except as described in question 24), make sure the display is connected at the end of the Thunderbolt chain. You can use only one Mini DisplayPort device in the Thunderbolt chain.
Note: Systems with more than one Thunderbolt port, like an iMac, can have more than one Mini DisplayPort monitor or monitor connected with a Mini DisplayPort adapter connected as each Thunderbolt port can support one Mini DisplayPort display.
24. Can I connect my Mini DisplayPort monitor or monitor using a Mini DisplayPort adapter to my Apple Thunderbolt Display?
Mini DisplayPort Monitors or Monitors connecting with Mini DisplayPort adapters will not function when connected through a Thunderbolt Display. They must be connected directly to the Thunderbolt port on the computer or to a non-display device as indicated above.
from
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5219#23

I have a Mac Pro tower with two internal Hard Discs, each one 2TB. I purchased a 3TB Time Capsule. But it does not allow me to back up because it says there is not enough back up space available. Between the two HDs there are 3.3TBs. Can I daisy chain TC?

I have a Mac Pro tower (OSX version 10.6.3) with two internal Hard Drives, each one 2TB.
I purchased a 3TB Time Capsule. But cannot back up because it tells me there is not enough space.
I have more than 3Tbs to store to the new TC.
Can I daisy chain two TCs to store the 4TBs?
How can I back up only the internal HD that is already full, without backing up the other one?
How can I do back up using Time Machine to back up the 3.5Tbs?
Do I need to purchase another external HD (that is not TC) to be able to back up all of my photos?

Can I daisy chain two TCs to store the 4TBs?
No, you cannot link to produce a single large partition.
But you can have two separate backup jobs.. and use each partition. That is hard on TM but you can easily get a different backup software for it.
How can I back up only the internal HD that is already full, without backing up the other one?
In TM you do a different setup and exclude the other drive.
But it is better to use an alternative software IMHO.
How can I do back up using Time Machine to back up the 3.5Tbs?
You would need to use a network drive of more than 4TB .. it would also take forever. This is just wrong way to do it. Although you can buy a NAS that will work with Time Machine and load it with disks 16TB is possible.. if you can get a second mortgage.. the fragile nature of TM on 3rd party devices.. would leave me in cold sweat if anything went wrong.
TM is excellent at keeping incremental backups of files that keep changing.. as such you should use TM to backup your OS disk and main user directory.. exclude all files and directories that never change. Back them up separately.
Do I need to purchase another external HD (that is not TC) to be able to back up all of my photos?
Yes, that is a much better idea. You want to store photos safely and you want to store them in multiple places. If you have multiple TB of photos, dedicate a couple of disks to the backup. ie have at least two copies.. not in backup format.. in straight copy format if possible.. so you can keep one of the disks offsite.
I would be using your MacPro internal disk access, to place the disk onto sata bus and do the copy disk to disk direct. Or even buy esata card.. or sata to esata converter cable so you can use esata box. That will beat any other transfer speed except thunderbolt for which you would need third mortgage. (The MORT in mortgage is significant).
The great jurist Sir Edward Coke, who lived from 1552 to 1634, has explained why the term mortgage comes from the Old French words mort, "dead," and gage, "pledge." It seemed to him that it had to do with the doubtfulness of whether or not the mortgagor will pay the debt.

How many firewire drives can I daisy chain on the mac mini

How many firewire g-drives can I daisy chain on my mac mini

edalexjr wrote:
How many firewire g-drives can I daisy chain on my mac mini
From personal experience, if they are bus powered portable drives,
the answer is none. For what ever reason, they are draw a lot of
power and are probably near the edge of the bus powering specs.
Then again, these were the fastest of all the portable FW drives that
I have (Iomega and Seagate being the others), which may have
something to do with it.
I had also noticed an issue with them even with USB. Plugging one
into the Mini or even a powered USB hub would be fine, but 2 would cause
both to be inaccessible, unless I used a couple of USB "Y" cables
that would distribute the power across other ports.
If they are externally powered, you could string a bunch.

Mac Mini 2012 (new) - displayport daisy chaining.

Does anybody know whether the TB controller on the 2012 (new) Mac Mini supports DisplayPort v1.2 daisy chaining? I am aware of the limitations of the current Apple TB display, but am wondering if a workaround would be to use display v1.2 panels. My guess is that the TB controller used in the TB display was not compatible with multiple display handling (e.g., Eagle Ridge), but was hoping that the controller used on the macbook/mac mini/imac logic boards does (e.g., Light Ridge). HDMI is too limiting, so I was hoping to daisy chain 2-3 displayport v1.2 displays off of the single TB out from the new mac mini.

thanks the replies. OWC sold me the kit, cable etc based on the Macmini's specs. I talked with support and the drive I installed should work with no issues.
They did have me reset the PRAM which did. They also told me I might need to install Yosemite 'several times before is sticks' - whatever that means. lol.
Anyway I zapped the PRAM. So far no mysterious restarts with the drive being unrecognized.
One thing I didn't mention though...
MacMini is in a backyard home office (about a 100 feet away with buried CAT6 cable connecting it to the network). I was using Screen Share from my MBP reinstall all my work software. Every crash occurred while using screenshare. I never had any crashes when I was actually sitting at the computer.
I don't know if that has anything to do with it - but I haven't used ScreenShare for any length of time to control the Mac mini since the pram zap. Figured I'll use the computer for a week or so and see how stable it is and then try using screenshare again and see if the behavior repeats itself.
Meanwhile I'll keep my fingers crossed.
I'm just suspect that it was a PRAM issue. But I'm a layman.

Daisy chain 2 monitors Mac Mini

Hello,
Im currently running a Mac Mini (Late 2014). I'm currently using 2, Dell S2240M monitors, but am in the market for new displays. Currently I have each monitor connected to their own individual thunderbolt port using a thunderbolt to VGA adaptor (as the monitors themselves only support VGA & DVI-D connections). In my research I've come across others dasiychaining monitors together through a single Thunderbolt port, connecting the first monitor to the second via another Thunderbolt cable. Does anyone know the requirements to do this? Am I able to do just as well using DVI-D /VGA to receive the same outcome? Does anyone have another workaround for doing this?
Ultimately I would rather not pay a thousand dollars twice for two Thunderbolt displays so as you can imagine, Im open to trying other workarounds if anyone has one.

That daisy-chaining only works with Thunderbolt monitors and App is the only one making them.
The Thunderbolt port on a Mac, except with a Thunderbolt monitor, uses the Mac's Thunderbolt port as a mini displayport and that does not support daisy-chaining

Mac Mini 2009 - Can't daisy chain two FW800 drives

I have two FW800 enclosures with 3.5-inch drives and external power.
Each one mounts individually when connected to the Mini FW800 port but when I daisy-chain them the second one in the chain doesn't mount and is not seen by disk utility.
Those enclosures use an Oxford UF934DSB chipset.
What's ironic that I had a FW400 enclosure daisy chained to one FW800 enclosure until this afternoon and that daisy-chain worked fine.
Somewhere on the net there was an article that the daisy-chaining had to be done in a certain sequence, ie Mac FW to top FW port on first external, then from bottom of first FW enclosure to top of second and so forth.
I always though the FW ports were just wired in parallel.
Well, this is interesting - since these new FW800 enclosures also have one FW400 port as well, I just connected the second one using the FW400 ports and now they both mount.
But now the whole chain only runs at FW400 speeds.
Anyone else come across this problem or better yet, what is the solution to get both daisy-chained FW800 drives to mount.
The enclosures are Rosewell, the drive in each a 1.5 TB WD green.

I don't think it has anything to do with the power supply.
The two enclosures are identical and react (work or not) exactly the same when I interchange them or the FW cable.
They also work flawlessly if I connect the second one using FW400 instead of FW800. Would just trying to get the enclosure to mount with FW800 draw more current than when mounting with FW400 to put the power brick over the edge? I doubt it.
A few other things I'm going to try - I do this when I have a few extra minutes since I can't afford to spend my time on this continuously.
1. See if there is a F'W update for the enclosure and/or the Oxford chip.
2. Talk to the Oxford and enclosure support people
3. Update to 10.6.4, I'm on 10.6.2 right now
4. Do a bit more digging on the net to see how others got the FW800 daisy-chaining working.
The two enclosures react the same when I try each one separately and also when I switch them around. Whatever the problem is, it affects both equally so it's not some defect on one of them.
With the rest of the testing I have done, I'm now pretty sure it's a Mac software problem.
Although I would have thought someone else would have this problem as well but I can't even find any discussion on daisy-chaining with this chipset when running OS 10.6.
There is a 15-digit number in disk utility called connection ID.
I assume that is the Firewire ID number that some threads I read refer to.
That ID is the same for the two FW800 ports and the FW400 port on each enclosure but it's different for the two enclosures, so some conflict there is definitely not the issue.
So far I couldn't find what the latest issue of firmware is for the Oxford chip set, but I copied all the information that comes up with the firewire hardware listing so when I find the information I can check it against the firmware issue on my two units.
Now, another interesting tidbit - some people say they had to power up the enclosure a few times occasionally to get a single drive to mount.
I never had that problem, a single FW800 drive always mounted right away, but I decided to try that with the daisy-chained drive.
So I turned the power switch on that second drive off and then on again...and lo and behold - doesn't it mount now........
But that is not the interesting tidbit........the tidbit is when I check back in the Mini Firewire hardware listing.
Whereas before it showed all the expected detail with either drive when connected individually via FW800, now with both FW800 drives connected I get this:
*FireWire Bus:*
*Warning: Unable to list FireWire devices.*
*Maximum Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec*
....and oooops - both FW800 drives just disconnected by themselves.
Sure seems to point to a Mac software issue.
And if you google for "Warning: Unable to list FireWire devices." you get pages of hits - many on Leopard but also a fair share on SL.
I updated the software to 10.6.4 - still the same problem.
Daisy-chain with FW400 is fine, with FW800 the second drive in the chain - doesn't matter which one it is, won't mount.

Daisy-Chain Thunderbolt Monitors

I have been having a lot of issues since purchasing two new thunderbolt displays. I mounted both displays on my office wall via VESA brackets. I was super happy with how they looked and how they were able to Daisy-Chain together making them the most beautiful full function docking station for my MacBook Pro. I hooked up my mac via the single thunderbolt cable and power cord from monitor 1 and turned on my Mac. As expected the two monitors came to life in dazzling fashion giving me 54in of usable space. My issues began after I disconnected my Mac to go to a meeting. When I returned and reconnected the power and thunderbolt cords and after the usual blinking of the monitors only the Mac and monitor number 1 worked. Monitor 2 (the one daisy-chained to number 1) would not turn on, 27in of blackness. I tried reconnecting, changing the order of the displays, rebooting, and even re-imaging; nothing worked. I Googled it and found a lot of issues that people were having with displays and thunderbolt drives but none offered a solution that worked. after a lot of research I was able to piece together what was happening and a fix that actually worked. The issue is the Thunderbolt ports and they way peripherals get assigned. So the first time I connected the monitors they worked great but when I went to a meeting and connected to a projector or went home and connected to my single thunderbolt monitor there the ports would get reconfigured to run the single monitor or projector. Macs use SMC (System Management Controller) to control many low level functions like lights, fans, power button, and ports. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964 Following the SMC reset fixes the port assignment issue and allows the Mac to recognize the daisy-chained monitor or drive. One additional tip is to plug in the power and thunderbolt cable before resetting the SMC. it is a simple keyboard procedure that is easy and works every time. I hoping a firmware update of SMC will make this fix obsolete but until then at least my $2500 display investment is paying off in a lot of beautiful useable space.

Please do not double post - it does not help and things can get very confusing, so I've asked the hosts to remove the duplicate.
Good luck!

Thunderbolt Daisy Chain to a DisplayPort Monitor (Dell 2713HM)?

I have a Mac mini (2011) that supports my Dell monitor (2713HM 27'') at its maximum reslution of 2560x1440 only through a Thunderbolt to Mini-Displayport cable. As this Mac has only Thunderbolt as a fast connection for backup drives I have to add a Thunderbolt chain with the backup device in the middle and the Dell monitor at the end of the chain if I want bakcups faster than Firewire 800 or USB 2.0 (the other possible connections with this Mac). My first attempt with such a setup was the LaCie eSATA Hub. But this does not feed the display signals through, the monitor stays black. Checked in the store with a genuin Thunderbolt monitor from Apple the daisy chain worked.
Can my chain work at all? Is only the Lacie the wrong drive hub? Would it work with a Seagate Desktop Hub, for instance STAE122 or STAE 127?
Can I trick the Mac under Bootcamp as OS to use HDMI for the monitor? Dell officially says that the monitor can only accept 1900x1080 over HDMI, but some have fiddled wth different computers with custom settings that worked with some Monitors but mostly under Linux and to Dell 2711.

TechnoMax wrote:
for instance STAE122 or STAE 127?
FWIW, STAE129 is the current version TB adapter
that is self powered and has TB daisy chain port.
STAE122 and STAE127 are older versions and
not the current model, though there may be stock of
these around. As to whether this will solve your issue,
I don't know.
Can I trick the Mac under Bootcamp as OS to use HDMI for the monitor? Dell officially says that the monitor can only accept 1900x1080 over HDMI, but some have fiddled wth different computers with custom settings that worked with some Monitors but mostly under Linux and to Dell 2711.
The MacMini HDMI port is hardware limited to 1980x1200.

Has anyone been able to use an Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire to daisy chain a dozen or more FireWire drives?

Ever since I realized that I was not able to connect my FireWire daisy chain to my brand new Retina MBP there has been problems. Four months down the road, I am still unable to use my FireWire drives and have experienced terrible problems whenever I connect my FireWire daisy chain to this new Mac.
I have bought two of these adaptors from Apple now and both do the same thing. The daisy chain has been working perfectly for years with my older MBP and still does! There are no problems until I connect to the new Mac.
I have 15 various hard drives in NewerTech and DatOptics enclosures for over 22 TB. When connected to the new Mac, I would have multiple apps just hang, sometimes just Apple apps, sometimes 3rd party. I will not be able to force quit them and they will keep relauching as you can watch them in the Force Quit window. The Finder will hang and there is no relaunching it. I am having to do a force shutdown twice an hour which leaves no time for work!
After four months of this, now I am being told that Apple will buy back my Mac at full price. But I have basically lost the good part of four month’s worth of work because of constantly fighting the new Mac. This is cost me all my savings and I am about to lose a client. It certainly seems that releasing Thunderbolt1 was a huge, huge mistake.
Does anyone know of any large Fire Wire daisy chain working with Thunderbolt?
TIA,
R

Yes, my first post is all about how darn iffy the adaptors are and I have two of them to return now.
I question your answer because I am betting that four drives that are in one enclosure NOT all RAIDed together as one drive, but as four separate drives that those four drive will count as four devices. The daisy chain that I had going had eight drives in TWO quad boxes, four drives in TWO dual drives and another drive in a single enclosure. A total of five “devices” if you will, but also a total of 13 drives that were usually in this daisy chain.
Both of the Apple branded Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptors chocked BIG TIME on this and it works no problem on my older MBP. You basically can not use a new Mac when you are connected to a daisy chain like this!
Just checked the Apple website and indeed, I can get a new MBP with FireWire 800, just not with the Retina display! I wish that I would have known this five months ago before this all started!

Only One FireWire Jack on MacBook Pro - will daisy chaining work?

So I installed L8 on my MacBook Pro and put all the Content and GarageBand Loops on my external Lacie drive via Firewire. I also plan to record to the external drive via FireWire. However I also connect my Onyx 1640 to my MacBook Pro via Firewire.
I've only one FireWire Jack on my MacBook Pro but need two. Is there a work around for this? Can I just plug my Onyx into the External HD and only the HD to my Mac? (Is this daisy chaining?)

Daisy chaining as you described is possible with firewire (as long as you have a device with two firewire ports, of course!), but too much I/O and you can saturate the firewire bus. (How often this happens in reality, I don't know. Anyone?)
If your MacBook Pro has an express card slot, a solution might be to buy a firewire express card/34. That way, you can have the audio interface on the firewire bus, and the hard drive on the separate express card bus. I also think most of the firewire express cards come with TWO inputs, so you'll even get an extra.

Daisy CHaining Macs

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