Firewire port acts like a USB port - should it?

[koinhelgo]

I've got a computer that is supposed to have a firewire (13394?) port and a USB2 port on the front.
The ports look very similar and I have plugged in a USB flash drive to the firwire port by mistake. Now this recognises the flash drive and I can use files on it. I have an external USB 2 hard drive and when I connect this to the firewire port it comes up with the message "you are trying to connect a high speed USB device to a slow port - try another hubs port", however it does then read the files on the drive all-be-it slowly.
I don't have a firewire lead to check out the firewire port with my camcorder but basically should this be happening and do the two ports normally look almost identical.
Regards

[SLICK RICK]

You should not be able to connent a usb cable into a firewire (1394) port. They are 2 different connections.

[Cobra]

FireWire is IEEE1394.

How did you manage to insert a USB plug into a FireWire socket? They are different shapes, and it is impossible to insert the USB plug. I've just tried it.

Could you clarify what happened please?

Thanks!

Cobra

[Conquest10]

The ports look very similar

USB and Firewire ports do not look alike.

[Cobra]

USB on the left, FireWire on the right. Sorry about the state of my ports!

You have to admit that they do look extremely similar to someone inexperienced with computers, especially if viewed from a funny angle.

What I don't understand is how a USB plug was insterted into a FireWire socket when the rounding-off of one end should prevent it.

Let's wait for an answer, and take it from there. There has been a mistake in the wording, methinks.

Cobra

[holistic]

They ARE the same !! Yes they are, black & plastic !
Looks like you are confused with the 4 pin varity.

USB powered & non powered
Firewire (powered)
Firewire (4 pin - not powered - typical video camera)

The trying to connect a high speed USB device to a slow port message is because you are plugging a USB2 device into a USB1.1 port.
Is the port on a 'header' or directly off the motherboard. I have seen machines with front USB ports only being 1.1 and not 2.0.

][

[koinhelgo]

Ok folks thanks that clears it up really.
I've now had a look at the back of my PC and see a 1394 firewire port there (labeled) -yes this one is rounded at one end!
When I bought my pc the companies web site said that it has one firewire port and one USB2 port routed to the front casing. It does have one USB2 port routed to the front but I guess the other port on the front is a USB1.1 port and I have been kind of ripped off - not knowing what a firewire port looked like I didn't know the difference til now.
So that explains why I can connect a USB device to both ports - I can't understand why there is a USB 1.1 port on the machine let alone routed to the front.
Oh well yet another thing I am unhappy with about my new pc.
Regards

[Cobra]

Ahhhh - so you were told that it had a FireWire connection on the front and not knowing what it looked like, you mistook one of the ports for FireWire! I wish companies would give one sheet of paper with their PCs to tell the end-user what port does what...

Glad you got it sussed, anyway. Will you be taking the PC back and asking them to sort it out? Make sure that it is actually meant to have USB2.0 and FireWire on the front panel, and that it isn't one of these optional extras.

Cobra