1394 Firewire networking (400Mbps)

[Becky9]

Just wanted to post this somewhere.

Having read success and failure stories with connecting two XP computers together with firewire we thought we'd give it a go.

Two weeks later its works.

We first bought two cheap Dlink cards - DRF-A3 (also called 500 something in the US AFAIK)

We also bought a 3m 6pin to 6pin lead.

Did it work... nah... got nothing at all.

Then tried a belikn firepath cable. That at least gets an IP, but doesn't want to go any further.

Tried hooking a DRF-A3 to our Sony Vaio with supplied 4pin to 6 pin cable. It works or so I thought, but proves unreliable (SP1 XP solves firewire issue).

Had enough of Dlink card - read up to find its only based on 1995 standards. So we buy lucent cards instead - just as cheap only to try avoid spending a fortune on adaptec or whatever.

Guess what? it now works . Its sounds like an easy solution but I've been pulling my hair out over this for two weeks. THAT I MUST GET IT TO WORK.

So rules of thumb for this - If you want network firewire - NOT ALL CARDS AND CABLES ARE THE SAME. DONT BOTHER WITH DLINK (Unless they have an updated card).

Looked everywhere for someone to say this - and couldn't find it. So here it is.

So now have 400 Mbps network a bit cheaper than a Gigabit! (of course it will cost you less if you don't do all the fafin about we did )

[ochsfamily]

Do you think your trouble had anything to do with the sony computer?

[Becky9]

Hi there

No I don't think so the new lucent card works fine when connected to the vaio - its the dlink card that was the problem

Regards