Additionally, if you connect a Firewire device to a USB 3 or higher port with an adapter, you can get the full speeds of the device. Overall, using an IEEE 1394 to USB adapter is a great option for occasional use or if you do not need the full data transfer speed. Therefore, it is typically best to connect your hub to a USB 3 port (sometimes marked with blue), Firewire port or other high-speed I/O port.
However, it is important to note that all the devices connected to the hub will share the data-transfer bandwidth of the single built-in port. However, adding new ports to a laptop is typically more challenging even if it is possible.Īs mentioned, another option is to connect a hub that will allow multiple devices to be connected to a single built-in port on your computer. A small number of laptops also have ways to expand their input/output ports with new USB, Firewire or other options. If you are using a desktop computer, you can add new ports using an expansion card. Thus, if possible, it is typically best to use devices with compatible ports. So, unless you are using a USB 3.0 or higher port, you may not get the full data transfer capabilities of the device. For example, if you connect a Firewire device to a USB port using an adapter, you will be limited to the data transfer rate of the port (up to 12Mbps USB 1, up to 480Mbps for USB 2 and up to 20 Gbps for USB 3). Using an adapter is typically the simplest way and least expensive way to deal with connecting a Firewire device to a USB port or vice versa. Either can work for your needs, although dongles are significantly more common. Like the Firewire to USB adapters, adapters for this are usually dongles or full wires. Plus, if you have an unused Firewire port, this can be a great way to put it to good use. While the Firewire standard cannot handle as many devices as USB (up to 63 versus up to 127), this is typically not a major limiting factor for most use cases. In some cases, people like to connect USB hubs to Firewire ports. Therefore, being in a situation of needing a USB port but only having a Firewire port is unlikely. This is simply because most computers have more USB ports than they have Firewire ports (if they have any of the latter). It is much less common to use a USB to Firewire converter.
If you are unsure, make sure you are plugging into a USB port, not a Thunderbolt one (often marked with a small thunder icon). Depending on the port and the adapter, plugging into Thunderbolt may not work. However, sometimes DisplayPort uses the Type-C connector. If you have a Firewire to USB adapter that has a USB Type-C connector, keep in mind that some modern computers have non-USB ports that use the Type-C connector. If you own a Firewire device, such as a camera, you should consider getting an adapter. This is a very easy way to connect your devices and requires minimal technical knowledge (all you need to be able to do is identify which port is which). These have the Firewire connector on one end and the USB connector on the other and can connect the device straight to the computer. Some are designed as Firewire to USB cables. Thus, the most common use case for an adapter is to connect a Firewire device to a USB port.Īdapters are typically dongles, small devices with a short wire that plugs into the USB port and an integrated Firewire port. It is significantly more likely for a computer to have USB ports and potentially Thunderbolt ports than it is to have a Firewire port. USB has enjoyed significantly wider adoption than Firewire. Both technologies support Plug-and-Play and hot-plugging (hot-swappable). If you cannot purchase a Firewire® to USB adapter, using a hub allows you to use devices that are compatible with either technology. The combination hub is actually two separate ports combined into a single form factor for convenience there is no conversion between Firewire® and USB taking place when you use one of these hubs. This type of device has two ports in a single hub, which may be either external or internal one port is used Firewire® and one for USB, allowing either type of device to function. A Firewire® to USB adapter cable for transferring digital video (DV) is available from at least one manufacturer, but it can be expensive and difficult to find.Ī USB cable to the left of two Firewire® cables.Įven if you don't have a Firewire® to USB adapter cable, it doesn't mean that your Firewire® devices are useless if you have a USB port, or vice versa. The two technologies are not integrated, meaning it is not possible to connect a USB device to a Firewire® port directly.
Firewire® ( IEEE 1394) and USB (Universal Serial Bus) are two separate high-speed bus technologies that allow multiple devices to be connected to a computer.