Firewire 400/800

[jeromego]

Not sure if this is the right section. But my question is, I'm using firewire 800 connection right now for my Ext HD. I'm aware that you can link another firewire HD to the existing one I have. Can I link a firewire 400 to it or does it have to be another firewire 800? thanks.

[MaxxuM]

I don't think it matters, but I've never tried crossing them in the same chain. Does your FW800 device have a FW400 port in addition to a FW800? If it doesn't then the question is moot. If this is on an iMac then it probably shares the same controller - which means even if you had them hooked up separately they can still impact each other. Thus, there would be no speed difference. If both are active then speed will be split between them. A down side would be that if you have tree devices in the chain then if the middle one was not powered then the last one of course would not work either.

[jeromego]

I don't think it matters, but I've never tried crossing them in the same chain. Does your FW800 device have a FW400 port in addition to a FW800? If it doesn't then the question is moot. If this is on an iMac then it probably shares the same controller - which means even if you had them hooked up separately they can still impact each other. Thus, there would be no speed difference. If both are active then speed will be split between them. A down side would be that if you have tree devices in the chain then if the middle one was not powered then the last one of course would not work either.

Thanks Maxxum. Yes, I now have the WD my book with firewire 800 connected to an iMac. So, if I buy a device that's FW400 i can just plug it in at the back of my ext HD,, right?

[MaxxuM]

Pretty much. It just passes the signal through the device. Just use the FW800 first in the chain.

[jeromego]

Pretty much. It just passes the signal through the device. Just use the FW800 first in the chain.
that's great. thanks again.

[Damian75]

Yeah you can mix and match you can run FW 800 aka 9pin from your computer to your drive and if the drive has 2 800 ports you can run a 800 to 400/ 9 to 6 pin cable to another drive if it only has 400 just don't do it the other way around as your 800 drive will on run as 400 is you head spinning yet :)

[cory1848]

So would this work for say and external storage drive, lets say 2TB drive, and the daisy chain another large drive in the back of the first for for Time Machine back up?

[Damian75]

So would this work for say and external storage drive, lets say 2TB drive, and the daisy chain another large drive in the back of the first for for Time Machine back up?

Put simply yes