Firewire External HD connection
in [Dell]
|
Prev: WTB: Windows 7 Professional Upgrade Dell DVDs with unactivated COAs included in a SEALED package
Next: 667 MHz memory?
From: Christopher Muto on 20 Mar 2010 10:40 Robert L. Altic Jr. wrote: > Hi William, > > I switched ports for the WD external drive that is working and both > ports work with it. I am thinking that it must be the cable that is > the problem. The other drive works fine with USB. I didn't try the > cable that is currently in use on the second drive. I'll do that the > next time that I boot up. For now, I guess I will continue to use the > second WD external as a USB. Thanks for the help. Oh, one other > thing, the cable that I was trying to use has IEEE 1394 stamped on it. > That is a firewire cable correct? It has the correct plugs on the > ends. Best, Bob > > > > > On Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:43:04 -0700 (PDT), "William R. Walsh" > <wm_walsh(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > >> Hi! >> >>> Are both firewire ports supposed to be active? >> Yes. Both Firewire ports ought to be active and usable with no further >> action required. >> >> It's likely that the port which does not work has simply gone bad. >> Multiple Firewire ports are handled by the one controller (inside the >> computer) so that's all you would see installed. >> >> There are a couple of things that can happen to break Firewire ports: >> >> 1. Firewire ports are fused. The fuse is supposed to reset itself but >> it may not in the face of a sufficiently catastrophic failure. >> >> 2. Firewire cables can be plugged in the wrong way round by mistake. >> Power and data wires get swapped by doing this, and the usual result >> is damage to either the device (most likely outcome) or the port and >> PHY (inside the computer) to which it is connected. (I didn't believe >> it either until I'd done it! And then there was a Fire at the end of >> the wire.) >> >> Maybe it never worked? >> >> You can daisy chain Firewire devices, but anything beyond six or seven >> devices on one port may be problematic, especially with longer cables. >> (Shorter cables usually work fine.) If you don't have that many >> devices, you will generally be OK as long as your cables are good and >> work normally with just one device. >> >> William sounds like it is indeed a cable problem, or a problem with the port on the wd drive. why not try the suspect cable with the working wd drive and vice versa to pinpoint the problem before wasting time/money on a new cable. or buy the same type of cable here... http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10301
From: Robert L. Altic Jr. on 20 Mar 2010 14:33
Hi William, Sounds like a plan. I see that the cable is a 6pin to 6 pin, I have checked the drive and the computer and both are 6 pins. I'll switch cables when I boot up next time and see what happens. I think it may be a bad cable or the port on the WD drive might be bad. I am pretty sure that both ports on the computer are ok. Thanks again...Bob Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:40:42 -0400, Christopher Muto <muto(a)worldnet.att.net> wrote: >Robert L. Altic Jr. wrote: >> Hi William, >> >> I switched ports for the WD external drive that is working and both >> ports work with it. I am thinking that it must be the cable that is >> the problem. The other drive works fine with USB. I didn't try the >> cable that is currently in use on the second drive. I'll do that the >> next time that I boot up. For now, I guess I will continue to use the >> second WD external as a USB. Thanks for the help. Oh, one other >> thing, the cable that I was trying to use has IEEE 1394 stamped on it. >> That is a firewire cable correct? It has the correct plugs on the >> ends. Best, Bob >> >> >> >> >> On Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:43:04 -0700 (PDT), "William R. Walsh" >> <wm_walsh(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi! >>> >>>> Are both firewire ports supposed to be active? >>> Yes. Both Firewire ports ought to be active and usable with no further >>> action required. >>> >>> It's likely that the port which does not work has simply gone bad. >>> Multiple Firewire ports are handled by the one controller (inside the >>> computer) so that's all you would see installed. >>> >>> There are a couple of things that can happen to break Firewire ports: >>> >>> 1. Firewire ports are fused. The fuse is supposed to reset itself but >>> it may not in the face of a sufficiently catastrophic failure. >>> >>> 2. Firewire cables can be plugged in the wrong way round by mistake. >>> Power and data wires get swapped by doing this, and the usual result >>> is damage to either the device (most likely outcome) or the port and >>> PHY (inside the computer) to which it is connected. (I didn't believe >>> it either until I'd done it! And then there was a Fire at the end of >>> the wire.) >>> >>> Maybe it never worked? >>> >>> You can daisy chain Firewire devices, but anything beyond six or seven >>> devices on one port may be problematic, especially with longer cables. >>> (Shorter cables usually work fine.) If you don't have that many >>> devices, you will generally be OK as long as your cables are good and >>> work normally with just one device. >>> >>> William > >sounds like it is indeed a cable problem, or a problem with the port on >the wd drive. why not try the suspect cable with the working wd drive >and vice versa to pinpoint the problem before wasting time/money on a >new cable. or buy the same type of cable here... >http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10301 |