A FireWire hub allows for multiple IEEE 1394 devices to be connected to a computer, often with USB ports and the ability to function as a repeater or facilitate network connections. The IEEE 1394 standard has various types and requires at least one port to function. Daisy-chaining devices is common and FireWire can create a LAN without external hardware.
A FireWire® hub is a computer peripheral that can increase the number of IEEE 1394 interface devices that can be connected to a computer. Many FireWire® hubs also include Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, allowing you to connect even more devices. It is often possible for a FireWire® hub to function as a repeater, allowing many hubs or other devices to be daisy chained together. Another function these hubs can provide is to facilitate network connections, as it is often possible to create a local area network (LAN) over FireWire®.
The IEEE 1394 standard was introduced in 1995 and is commonly known by brand names such as FireWire®, i.LINK and Lynx. These brands typically all represent the same underlying technology, connectors, and transfer protocols. A FireWire® hub typically allows you to connect or daisy chain any IEEE 1394 device with the correct socket. There are several types of IEEE 1394, including 1394a-2000 and 1394b-2002. Some FireWire® plugs use six circuit connectors, while others use four or nine.
Many computers have only one IEEE 1394 port, while others have none at all. A FireWire® hub typically requires at least one IEEE 1394 port to function. Hubs that have both FireWire® and USB connections typically require one of each to be connected to the computer. If a computer does not have an IEEE 1394 port, the solution is usually to install an expansion card that includes the feature. A FireWire® hub can then be used to expand the number of IEEE 1394 devices that can be connected to the computer.
A common feature among FireWire® devices is the ability to daisy-chain them. There is an upper limit to the length of a FireWire® cable, although many devices, repeaters or hubs can be daisy-chained to increase this length. Multiple hubs can increase the physical distance of a device from the computer it is connected to. Likewise, multiple hubs can often be chained together to greatly increase the number of devices that can be connected simultaneously.
FireWire® is usually able to create network connections without using any external router hardware. This can usually be achieved by simply connecting one computer to another using IEEE 1394 ports, depending on the capabilities of the operating system (OS). You can use a FireWire® hub to increase the number of computers that can be connected to that network.
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