Product Description

Belkin Hub with 2 FireWire Ports and 4 USB 2.0 Ports and Cables Ref F5U507uk

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8551 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Belkin
• Model: F5U507uk
• Released on: 2006-06-15
• Platform: Mac OS X
• Dimensions: .93 pounds

Features

• Belkin Hub with 2 FireWire Ports and 4 USB 2.0 Ports and Cables Ref F5U507uk

Manufacturer's Description
Our newest Hub has a low-profile design specifically engineered to stack on top of or below the Mac mini-helping to organize and save your valuable desktop space. The Hub provides four downstream USB ports compatible with both Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 (low- and full-speed) devices. It also features two FireWire ports to connect up to two of your FireWire devices. A single USB and a FireWire port are located on the front of the Hub to give you easy access for quick, temporary connections of USB thumb drives, media readers, small accessories such as the Apple® iPod and iPod shuffle, and more.

Customer Reviews

Connectors do not fit for new Mac mini, Too few firewire ports

The hub looks very nice. It fits perfectly under a Mac mini. However, if you have a new Intel Core2Duo Mac mini, then the cables in the box do not allow you to connect the hub: they are too short. Obviously the position of the Firewire and USB ports had changed from an earlier Mac mini version. I assume that G4 Mac minis should work with these cables.

Also: If you need two Firewire ports permanently, then you should consider a different hub. This hub has one FW port at its back and one at its front. Since you lose the Mac mini firewire port (to connect the hub) you will be left with as many firewire ports on the back of the system as before: 1. You gain one additional port at the front, but I assume this is rather for connecting digital video cameras. Having a cable attached to the front permanently doesn't look great.

More information for buyers!!!
I am sorry but I just don't recognize the problem the other reviewer had I found the cables entirely adequate for the job in hand.This product is great for adding connectivity to a mac mini as ,certainly for the early ones like mine, this is a weakness.
One thing that is missing from the product overview but is in the instructions in the box is that if your mac mini is running USB 1.1 ports the extension ports will be limited to that too. The USB ports are soldered to the mother board on the mac mini so you cannot upgrade them to USB 2!

Firewire lead too short
Beware of buying this if you are using the DVI adaptor for your monitor, since the short firewire lead doesn't connect properly. And there is no way for either enclosed lead to connect if you sit the Hub on top of your minimac. If both leads were about 2 cm longer the problem would be solved.