Mixing FireWire 400 with FireWire 800

How do I connect FireWire 400 Peripherals and FireWire 800 Peripherals to the single FireWire 800 port and preserve the FireWire 800 speed to the computer for the Firewire 800 Peripherals? (Obviously, the 400 speed peripherals cona only send and receive at 400 speed.)
My guess is that connecting the FireWire 800 peripherals to the computer and adding the 400 peripherals at the end of the 800 daisy chain may work. However, recalling the mixing things in other contexts (USB 1.x vs. 2.x and WiFi 802.11g vs. 802.11n) drags every device down to the slowest speed. Will that happen on a FireWire 800 and 400 daisy chain?
Anyone know of a FireWire 800 hub?

jnsail wrote:
How do I connect FireWire 400 Peripherals and FireWire 800 Peripherals to the single FireWire 800 port and preserve the FireWire 800 speed to the computer for the Firewire 800 Peripherals?
You cannot. If devices of different speeds are daisy-chained, the speed of the entire chain will drop to the speed of the slowest device, in this case FW400. A hub won't help.
The workaround is to get an ExpressCard FireWire adapter, and connect one set of devices to that, and the other set to the MBP's FW800 port.

Similar Messages

Mixing Firewire 800 and 400 on an iMac?

I have 2 external FW 400 drives on my late 2011 iMac. I use an 800 to 400 adapter. I've been thinking of getting a new external drive from OWC. The have both 400 and 800. The 800 case has 2 800 connectors and one 400. Does it make sense to mix? Will they all run at the slowest in the chain?
I was thinking of connecting the 800 directly to the iMac using the built-in 800 connection. Then chaining from there using the 400 connection to the other existing 400 external drives. Will I actually get 800 speed on the first drive?
Thanks

I have a mixed group of external drives, and just bought a new OWC Mercury quad interface drive.
The user manual that came with it says:
Note: If you are using FireWire 800 and add a FireWire 400 device to the chain, all devices will be reduced to FireWire 400 performance
I tested this myself, which confirmed it. I set up the following chain, with the first 2 drives connected by FW800, and with a FW400 drive either connected or not connected at the end:
HD ----800-----DRIVE1------800------DRIVE2-------400-------DRIVE3
I booted from my HD and timed the copying of a large file from DRIVE1 to DRIVE2. Although the FW400 drive was at the end of the chain and was never involved in the copying, just having it attached immediately reduced the speed of the file copy from Drive1 to Drive2. The actual speed reduction in practice was about 40%, not 50%.

Mix firewire 800 & 400 hard drives

I am getting a new 21.5". I now have a 20" (firewire 400).
I have a G-RAID2 with 2 800 and one 400 firewire ports. I also have a G-Drive 400 which I use for Time Machine.
On the new iMac, I will connect the G-RAID2 with a 800 cable. But then, should I connect the G-Drive into the 400 port of the G-RAID2, or the 800 port via 6 to 9 pin adapter? Or doesn't it matter?
Thanks...
Rick

Just spent quite a while in the Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro discussion group and the video guru Tom Wolsky (I hope that's the correct last name) has pretty much instilled the fear of the Lord in me with regard to daisy-chaining a Canon HV20 camcorder wiith my external Rocstor FW800 drives.
The safest thing many people say is to connect any Firewire camcorder directly to the computer and not daisy-chain it. Even adamant about removing any other Firewire connections on the same computer using the computers' Firewire ports (Firewire cards okay on Mac Pros) as they share the same Firewire bus. Also strongly recommends turning off Time Machine as well so no interruptions to the time critical importing of video. That means on the iMac, I'll temporarily remove the Firewire hard disks and import to the internal iMac drive. I don't want to risk screwing up the video import or worse, the external hard drives...

Mixing firewire 800 and 400

I have an older iMac (3.06 GHz Intel Core i3). I currently have 3 external firewire 400 drives daisy-chained to it. I use a 800 to 400 adapter on the back of the iMac to convert from 800 down for my drives. I was just looking at OWC and considering a new external. Just wondering if it would be worth my while to pay extra to get a USB3/firewire 800 enclosure instead of a 400. If I hook up the 800 directly to the iMac, then use the 800/400 adapter off the extra port on the back of the first drive to run the other 4 400 drives, will I be getting the 800 speed from the first drive, or will it be downgraded to 400 (speed of the older drives). If I was starting from scratch, it wouldn't be an issue, but since I don't want to loose the other 4TBs+ on my other drives. Hope someone knows the answer. I've heard conflicting stories on how this actually works.
Thanks

Just wondering if it would be worth my while to pay extra to get a USB3/firewire 800 enclosure instead of a 400.
If you think you'll ever upgrade you Mac I'd get the FW800/USB3.0 model so it will be usable at it's intended speed with the new Mac.
OT

How to connect an external harddrive with firewire 800 to a macbook with firewire 400?

Hello,
I just got the external harddrive "Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex USB 3.0 1TB" with a Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Upgrade Kabel FireWire 800. I have neither a USB 3.0, nor a Firewire 800 on my white macbook (2008). I already know, that it's possible to use USB 3.0 with an USB 2.0 port, but I would like to use it with the firewire to spare the USB port for other devices. My question: Is there an adapter or cable to use the Seagate Firewire 800 with my Firewire 400 port? I don't know, where and what to look for.
I'm glad for any advice.

There are many adaptors, try here

Print to Video does not work with Firewire 800 to 400 cable

I need to print video from a Mac Pro with only Firewire 800 port to a Sony DSR 50 with only Firewire 400 port. I'm using a Firewire 800 to 400 cable and I also tried a 400 cable with a 400 to 800 adapter attached. I'm able to control the Sony deck but I cannot get any audio/video to it.
Anyone else have this problem?

When you've got the deck connected and in fcp you go to view: videoplayback, do you see the appropriate apple firewire option available and chosen? And if you hit command-F12 (show all frames) do you see anything? If it doesn't work, try restarting the computer with the deck remaining on.

I am using IMovie 11 with a new iMac. Unable to import video from a Panasonic PV-GS400 mini-DV camcorder using a Firewire IEEE 1394 400 cable connected to a Firewire 400 to 800 adapter which is then connected to a Thunderbolt to Firewire 800 adapter.

How can I get iMovie to recognize my Panasonic PV-GS400 as a device so I can import video to my iMac? I have a FireWire IEEE 1394 400 cable connected to the camcorder. Since my new iMac has only Thunderbolt ports, I purchased a Firewire 400 to 800 adapter to connect to the cable. I also purchased a FireWire 800 to Thunderbolt adapter to connect to the computer. My camcarder is still not recognized.

I would suggest that you try a 9 pin to 4 pin Firewire Cable along with the Firewire to Thunderbolt adapter.
Those Firewire 400 to 800 adapters do not seem to work well with iMovie.
The 9 pin to 4 pin cables are available at reasonable prices here, for example.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10301&cs_id=1030104 &p_id=3541&seq=1&format=2

"Which Firewire cable should I purchase to connect a late 2006 Intel-based iMac with a 400 port to a Mid 2010 IMac with an 800 port?"

“Which Firewire cable should I purchase to connect a late 2006 Intel-based iMac with a 400 port to a Mid 2010 IMac with an 800 port?”

To connect both iMacs, you need a FireWire 400 to 800 adapter, and a FireWire 400 cable, so you will be able to connect both Macs

Using firewire 400 with 800?

I'm currently using firewire 400 to connect to a hub with 3 ext hard drives. I've ordered a 17 inch MacBook Pro but is there any way to connect a firewire 800 to these disks? Is there a hub that supports both or are they so different that they don't link in any way?

I read on this forum somewhere that if you connect a FW800 device to the FW800 port on the MBP, and a FW400 device to the FW400 port, the FW800 performance will downgrade to FW400 because they share the same bus or something... that kind of contradicts what you are saying Michael, are you sure you can run FW800 and FW400 at the same time without degrading the FW800 to FW400? (it makes sense that you should!!! i was quite surprised when I read it!!).

I have interface M Audio firewire 400 new Mac Pro has firewire 800 Do you think an adaptor will provide the same quality? Will the M audio 400 work with lion and new system? Thanks so much

I have interface M Audio 400 with 400 firewire new Mac Pro has firewire 800 Do you think an adaptor will provide the same quality? Will the M audio 400 work with lion and new system or do I need new software? Thanks so much

If you have a little Firewire adaptor, everything should work fine. It does on my system.

Will a Firewire 800 hard drive work on my MacBook with Firewire 400?

Hi, I have a MacBook I bought in 2008. The FireWire specs say " Maximum Speed: Up to 400 Mb/sec"
I am considering a new external hard drive (the Iomega MiniMax) and want to use Firewire for this one. The specs for the hard drive say: "The MiniMax includes 2 fast FireWire 800 interfaces, a USB 2.0 hub, plus a FireWire 400 to 800 cable."
Will this FireWire 400 to 800 cable allow me to plug my FireWire 400 laptop port to this FireWire 800 harddrive port? It sounds like it will but I wanted a sanity check before I order it.
Thanks.

Yes, that should work just fine.
Matt

Firewire Daisy Chaining With 400(6pin) and 800(9pin)

I am purchasing the new 17"MBP and it is my first Mac in about 4 years(so glad to get back to Mac because of my work)
Anyway, I want to daisy chain two of my HDDs but I have one 9pin cable for my desktop HDD and one 6pin for my portable HDD. Will this still work fine, or should I just buy another 9pin?
They are both Lacie HDDs and both have 9pin and 6pin.
Also, I have been out of the loop for a while, how many HDDs can you hook up together through firewire without problems. Could you technically hook more up through Firewire 800(saying that all drives are hooked up through 800)
Thanks for the help!

Please see this posting... it was targeted for another topic, but I am sure this response also applies here!
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=8922899#8922899
Cheers!
—tonza

I currently have a MAC Mini, which has 1 Firewire 800 port. I have a 1TB external hard disk that runs at Firewire 400. Can I insert another external hard drive that runs at Firewire 800?

Here's the deal. Currently running SL 10.6.8 on a MAC Mini. Planning for eventual upgrade to ML. Have a 1TB external hard drive partitioned into two volumes, one volume for Time Machine and one volume for SL which I periodically update using Superduper. Thus I always have a point-in-time bootable backup on the external hard drive.
The MAC Mini supports Firewire 800. However, booting from my current external hard disk is pretty slow, since it only supports Firewire 400. I am considering buying an Iomega MiniMax which supports Firewire 800. Then, I would use the MiniMax as my bootable backup volume, and relegate the older hard drive to Time Machine.
So, question #1 is, can I daisychain the new MiniMax between the MAC Mini and my existing external hard drive? My expectation is that the new Mini Max would run using Firewire 800 and that the existing hard drive would run at Firewire 400 speed as it does today. If it doesn't (e.g., daisychaining in the Firewire 400 external disk with the MiniMax Firewire 800 external disk ends up running the whole leg at 400), my resolution will be to run the existing hard disk off an available USB port and have just the MiniMax running at Firewire 800.
Why am I going to all this trouble? That's question #2. I don't trust upgrades; they always break something. When I upgraded from 10.5.x to 10.6.x, the web directories got renamed, and all of my web apps 403'd until I figured out what happened. Plus, I have accounts for other family members, and in order to ensure their ability to use the computer during my upgrade process, I need to have the ability to fall-back quickly to a known-stable version of OSX. So what I'm trying to do is insulate myself from problems by partitioning the MiniMax into two volumes, taking a Superduper image of my current installation on the Mac Mini to MiniMax external drive volume 1, then upgrading to ML on the MAC Mini, and take a SuperDuper image of that to MiniMax external drive volume 2. Then, if the upgrade results in problems I can't resolve immediately, I can simply reimage the MAC Mini from MiniMax volume 1. BUT ...
... I've read that the ML installation creates a "service and support" partition that is different than the startup disk. I'm concerned that I won't be able to reimage the hard disk in the MAC Mini once I upgrade it to ML because of the partitioning changes it introduces on the startup disk. Theoretically, I +should+ be able to use the disk utility on my SL system to repartition the disk in the MAC Mini prior to reimaging it from my backup, but I'm considering the possibility that the new partition may be of a type that the SL disk utility cannot identify, and might therefore be unable to delete or even detect. So I'm hoping someone else has been down this road and can advise me. Even at Firewire 800 speeds, booting from an external disk is still going to be slow, so I want to be able to restore my SL image to the MAC Mini hard disk.
A little background on me. I work for a major disaster recovery provider. I used to have a Mac PRO G5, which I got used, and the first thing I did with it was install a second hard disk, SuperDupe an image from the first disk to the second, and made sure I could boot from the second. THEN I started using and customizing the MAC. I really feel vulnerable with the MAC Mini, since it only has the single internal hard drive - sort of like going out in public dressed only in a long T-shirt. So my whole thing is, I ABSOLUTELY MUST BE ABLE TO PUT THINGS BACK THE WAY THEY WERE before I do the migration to ML.
Obsessive-cumpulsive? Yep. Anal? You got it. That's why I'm in the DR business.

You may have overloaded the port, following the instructions below it should reset:
+1. Shut down the computer.+
+2. Disconnect all devices and all other cables, except the keyboard and mouse cable(s).+
+3. Disconnect the computer from the power outlet and wait for 3 to 5 minutes.+
+4. Plug the computer back in and turn it on.+
+5. Reconnect the device(s) (one at a time if there is more than one) and test. Test with each port if you have more than one.+
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1317?viewlocale=en_US

Firewire Hubs For Use With A New Firewire 800 External Drive

I currently have 3 HD daisy chained to one of my Firewire ports. I have an older Firewire iPOD with a dock that is attached to the other Firewire Port.
I need more storage capacity so I am planning to get 1 Tetra La Cie - this model. I have had excellent experiences with LaCie.
(LaCie 301442U d2 Quadra Hard Disk 1TB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (Aluminum).
I would be using the new HD as a Time Machine Device and possibly as backup for my music library which is currently on one of the external HD's and backed up to a second HD.
I don't have available ports.
Are there Firewire Ports which would be functional?
Should I be considering some other sort of configuration?
This is an iMAC 24" bought in October 2006
Thanks

My music library is housed on an external hard drive so Time Machine can't be used since it requires an operating system on the source files...
That's not true. You can back up files and folders on an external drive using Time Machine, as long as they are not on the same volume as the Time Machine archive. You just go to System Preferences +Time Machine+ pane. Click on the Options button. All external drives are on the +Do not back up+ list by default. Remove the external drive (with your iTunes files) from this list of things excluded from backup.
If don't want to include everything on that external drive, put the folders you do not want backed up on the +Do not back up+ list. What I've done for my external FireWire drive (which is my primary data storage volume since my internal is only 160GB) is create two main folders. They are called Documents and +Documents (not backed up)+. They serve as an extension of the user account folder on the internal drive. Files and folders I want backed up go into Documents. Files and folders that are non-critical go into +Documents (not backed up)+. So then, the external drive volume gets removed from the +Do not back up+ list, so that Time Machine backs it up. But I put the +Documents (not backed up)+ folder back on the +Do not back up+ list so that only the Documents folder gets backed up.
If you do daisy chain off the FireWire 800 port, be sure to put the 800 drive first on the chain. Putting the 400 drive before the 800 drive will reduce the speed to the 800 drive to 400 speed.
perhaps the beach ball I often get when working with iTunes is a product of the speed of the data being accessed on the external hard drive.
My +iTunes Music+ folder is on an FireWire 400 external drive. I do not notice any issues with iTunes accessing the files. That drive is attached directly to the iMac's port with no daisy-chaining behind it. If the free space gets low, the files and remaining free space will get more fragmented, and that can also cause such issues.

Connecting Canon HV30 to New Macbook pro with firewire 800

I just received new Macbook pro 2.8 that only has 9 pin firewire 800 connectivity. My previous IMac accepted my Canon HV30 HD video through 4-6 pin firewire 400 with ease, the new laptop will receive the video through 4-9 pin cable but the video color is severely distorted and unusable. Is there a problem with firewire 400 to 800 transfer compatibility?

Yeah, FW400 is compatible with FW800. Only need to find the conversion cable with the correct connectors.Try getting that first and connecting the two, to see if the Mac recognizes it and enables capture. Else visit the camera maker's site to check if they are providing Mac-specific software.

Mixing FireWire 400 with FireWire 800

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