Thunderbolt<->Firewire Adapter Issues

[Fred Moore]

There have been quite a few reports of problems with Firewire drives
connected to Macs with the TB-FW dongle. Here is part of one posted
today on Macintouch by Samuel Herschbein
<http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/macbookpro/index.html#d29oct2013
"...Since my MacBook has no FireWire or Ethernet, I use Apple's
Thunderbolt adapters. Both adapters have problems being recognized. The
Ethernet usually works, but the FireWire usually requires either
multiple unplugging and plugging or a restart. I've tried various
sequences of connecting the FireWire adapter to the Mac, the drive to
the adapter, and powering the drive on. When the drive is unrecognized,
checking System Information doesn't show any FireWire devices
connected...."

This could be a major concern for those of us with large arrays of FW
peripherals. Might be a persuasive reason to choose a Mini, which has a
real FW port, over an iMac. Does anyone here have experience or insight
with this problem?

[David Empson]

Post by Fred Moore
There have been quite a few reports of problems with Firewire drives
connected to Macs with the TB-FW dongle. Here is part of one posted
today on Macintouch by Samuel Herschbein
<http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/macbookpro/index.html#d29oct2013
"...Since my MacBook has no FireWire or Ethernet, I use Apple's
Thunderbolt adapters. Both adapters have problems being recognized. The
Ethernet usually works, but the FireWire usually requires either
multiple unplugging and plugging or a restart. I've tried various
sequences of connecting the FireWire adapter to the Mac, the drive to
the adapter, and powering the drive on. When the drive is unrecognized,
checking System Information doesn't show any FireWire devices
connected...."
This could be a major concern for those of us with large arrays of FW
peripherals. Might be a persuasive reason to choose a Mini, which has a
real FW port, over an iMac. Does anyone here have experience or insight
with this problem?

Not yet, but I expect to start relying on a TB-FW adapter in a couple of
days, and will report back once I have some experience with it. I have a
new Retina MacBook Pro in transit, and several Firewire hard drives,
including my primary Time Machine backup drive. (I also have some
Firewire bus-powered 2.5" drives that I will be testing.)

I'm hoping I'll be able to leave the adapter semi-permanently attached
to the Firewire cable on my Time Machine drive, and plug it into the
computer each weekday while I'm at work.

My TM backup drive also has USB 3, so I'll also be trying that. I've
heard similar horror stories about reliability problems with USB 3,
particularly when the computer goes to sleep. Even if USB 3 works
reliably, I'd prefer Firewire (via Thunderbolt) so I'm not tying up a
USB port, since I sometimes need both of them for other peripherals.

At some, I'd like to get a Thunderbolt docking station. The Caldigit one
is due to be released next week. Its only disadvantage for my needs is
the lack of a Firewire port, but it has a second Thunderbolt port so it
should work with Apple's adpater.

http://www.caldigit.com/thunderboltstation/

I'm tempted to pre-order one, but I think I'll wait until I see a
review.

Its claimed advantages over the Belkin one are price, HDMI port, faster
USB 3, and its USB 3 ports can supply a reasonable amount of power.

The only disadvantage I can see (compared to the Belkin one) is lack of
a built-in Firewire port.

The Matrox one is no use to me - no Firewire and no second Thunderbolt
port.

The SonnetTech one (still vapourware) has potential but probably too
expensive. It would also be overkill as I already have external optical
drives.

[Lewis]

Post by David Empson
http://www.caldigit.com/thunderboltstation/
I'm tempted to pre-order one, but I think I'll wait until I see a
review.
Its claimed advantages over the Belkin one are price, HDMI port, faster
USB 3, and its USB 3 ports can supply a reasonable amount of power.

That looks like a very nice device for $200, *IF* it's up to its
claims. I've found USB3 'hubs' to be pretty much universally crap so
far.

Post by David Empson
The only disadvantage I can see (compared to the Belkin one) is lack of
a built-in Firewire port.

Yeah, that is a bummer.

[Ed Anson]

Post by Lewis
I've found USB3 'hubs' to be pretty much universally crap so
far.

I have been using a Plugable brand 7-port USB 3.0 hub and have been very
pleased with it. It provides a decent amount of power, and it just works.

BTW: It replaced a Belkin dock, which I returned because the USB did NOT
work reliably.

[David Empson]

Post by David Empson

Post by Fred Moore
There have been quite a few reports of problems with Firewire drives
connected to Macs with the TB-FW dongle. Here is part of one posted
today on Macintouch by Samuel Herschbein
<http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/macbookpro/index.html#d29oct2013
"...Since my MacBook has no FireWire or Ethernet, I use Apple's
Thunderbolt adapters. Both adapters have problems being recognized. The
Ethernet usually works, but the FireWire usually requires either
multiple unplugging and plugging or a restart. I've tried various
sequences of connecting the FireWire adapter to the Mac, the drive to
the adapter, and powering the drive on. When the drive is unrecognized,
checking System Information doesn't show any FireWire devices
connected...."
This could be a major concern for those of us with large arrays of FW
peripherals. Might be a persuasive reason to choose a Mini, which has a
real FW port, over an iMac. Does anyone here have experience or insight
with this problem?

Not yet, but I expect to start relying on a TB-FW adapter in a couple of
days, and will report back once I have some experience with it. I have a
new Retina MacBook Pro in transit, and several Firewire hard drives,
including my primary Time Machine backup drive. (I also have some
Firewire bus-powered 2.5" drives that I will be testing.)

I now have the new MacBook Pro. So far, I've used the TB-FW adapter to
connect a bus-powered drive to do the initial migration. It took several
hours and worked fine. I've tried ejecting and unplugging/replugging it
a few times, nothing seems amiss.

[Fred Moore]

Post by David Empson

Post by David Empson

Post by Fred Moore
There have been quite a few reports of problems with Firewire drives
connected to Macs with the TB-FW dongle. Here is part of one posted
today on Macintouch by Samuel Herschbein
<http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/macbookpro/index.html#d29oct2013
"...Since my MacBook has no FireWire or Ethernet, I use Apple's
Thunderbolt adapters. Both adapters have problems being recognized. The
Ethernet usually works, but the FireWire usually requires either
multiple unplugging and plugging or a restart. I've tried various
sequences of connecting the FireWire adapter to the Mac, the drive to
the adapter, and powering the drive on. When the drive is unrecognized,
checking System Information doesn't show any FireWire devices
connected...."
This could be a major concern for those of us with large arrays of FW
peripherals. Might be a persuasive reason to choose a Mini, which has a
real FW port, over an iMac. Does anyone here have experience or insight
with this problem?

Not yet, but I expect to start relying on a TB-FW adapter in a couple of
days, and will report back once I have some experience with it. I have a
new Retina MacBook Pro in transit, and several Firewire hard drives,
including my primary Time Machine backup drive. (I also have some
Firewire bus-powered 2.5" drives that I will be testing.)

I now have the new MacBook Pro. So far, I've used the TB-FW adapter to
connect a bus-powered drive to do the initial migration. It took several
hours and worked fine. I've tried ejecting and unplugging/replugging it
a few times, nothing seems amiss.

Thanks David and Ed for the real-world data. Please keep us posted if
any glitches develop.

[m***@gmail.com]

I've had rock solid performance and reliability from my Apple FW to TB adapter. BUT! I had purchased the Belkin Thunderbolt express for the FireWire port and the others combined.

Did of you (or anyone out there for that matter) with a Belkin Thunderbolt Express put the FireWire port through its paces in a real world environment of streaming in Video and/or audio? We bought one from B&H Photo (not a bad place for AV solutions right?) and it seemed to work fine in testing of short amounts of video input (from a Blackmagic Ultrastudio Express via a different MBPro Thunderbolt Port) streamed through the FireWire port to an external FireWire 800 drive. But in a real world test (an event I record/video) the drive kept randomly unmounting itself!!

I thought it was just me and it is a semi pro type setup (but that's why we buy this stuff right?) and tested the external drive with an Apple FireWire to Thunderbolt adapter (taking the Thunderbolt Express out of the loop) and it works like a charm. Records hours of streaming live video.

Support at Belkin has been disappointing so far and I'm two weeks into it. At first when I called in, they were all "We'll call you back in 30 mins..." but then called 2.5 hrs later when I couldn't talk to them as I was working in session. Then they asked when I would be available (again very cordial) and I told them via phone and via an email support ticket. Then they proceeded to call me at any other time than when I stated I was available. Always very cordial... But never actually seeming to register my responses to their calls and emails. They even went so far as to ask if the FireWire port on my 2014 MacBook Pro was exhibiting the same problems? Hello!? McFly??!! That's why I had to buy the darn Thunderbolt Express to begin with! So then my emails have been unanswered for days now. Then I see at B&H a preorder page for the Thunderbolt Express 2 (coming soon, blah blah) and with NO FIREWIRE on this one. But now $299 instead of $199.

Good times!

[Ed Anson]

Post by Fred Moore
There have been quite a few reports of problems with Firewire drives
connected to Macs with the TB-FW dongle. Here is part of one posted

FWIW: I have been using the TB-FW dongle for over a year, with no problems.

CAVEAT: I use it only for temporarily mounting backup drives, and
accordingly have not so far put my MBP to sleep with a drive connected.

[t***@gmail.com]

Post by Fred Moore
There have been quite a few reports of problems with Firewire drives
connected to Macs with the TB-FW dongle. Here is part of one posted
today on Macintouch by Samuel Herschbein
<http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/macbookpro/index.html#d29oct2013
"...Since my MacBook has no FireWire or Ethernet, I use Apple's
Thunderbolt adapters. Both adapters have problems being recognized. The
Ethernet usually works, but the FireWire usually requires either
multiple unplugging and plugging or a restart. I've tried various
sequences of connecting the FireWire adapter to the Mac, the drive to
the adapter, and powering the drive on. When the drive is unrecognized,
checking System Information doesn't show any FireWire devices
connected...."
This could be a major concern for those of us with large arrays of FW
peripherals. Might be a persuasive reason to choose a Mini, which has a
real FW port, over an iMac. Does anyone here have experience or insight
with this problem?

The new mac mini does not have a fire wire port. I bought an adapter for my G-Drive external hard drives, firewire and could not get it to work, only a constant dink dink dink. I added the power cord and it started right up. So now I can view my G Drive and down load images with Lightroom/

[Davoud]

Post by Fred Moore
This could be a major concern for those of us with large arrays of FW
peripherals.

For us, yes. For Apple, obviously not. They don't give a rat's knobby
little kneecaps what you and I have, or that we swallowed their line
that FireWire was the wave of the future. "You f***ed up... you trusted
us!" -- Otter to Flounder in Animal House.