usb 1394 network between XP OS'

[mikesw]

When I go to "Network Connection" I see a device for the 1394. Thus, I assume I can

setup between two XP OS' computers an internet connection via the USB ports on each

computer. I understand I can create a USB to ethernet bridge, but am unsure if the

data going across the USB wire will be in TCP/IP format or some other format such as UDP

or regular ASCII text. Also I'm don't need the ethernet hardware part so the USB IP network

traffic comes in but doesn't go over to the ethernet port but may be routed to a wireless connection,

another computer on the same USB port via the HUB or bridged over to the second USB port and

sent to another (i.e. USB LAN) computer via the 2nd HUB.

Thus, is it possible to transfer data across these USB 1394 network connections so as to

transfer data between XP computer systems in IP protocol format? Am I required to use a USB

file-transfer cable so that the two computer power supplies are isolated from each other due to the 5 volts

on each USB cable end which will damage the computer power supply? Will the XP OS

network stacks allow IP addresses to be assigned to each end of the USB cable and can I

use a regular USB file-transfer cable to send IP traffic vs. having to use some other

data transfer mechanism whereby IP data network traffic is sent via the file transfer cable?

MSoft's site isn't clear if what I'm asking can be done and there aren't any howto's on this.

What about having a USB network cable going to a 4-port USB HUB and another HUB port being used

to send the IP data to the computer A,B,C? Or should I use a USB file-transfer cable on the other

HUB USB port of the hub to prevent power supply damage? Is it possible to use the USB hub as a

splitter such that each computer has it's own file-transfer cable between itself and one port on

the hub and each would have a unique IP and the remaining port (port 1) would serve as the controller and

would send data to the computer USB port 1 hence acting like a USB IP router. The same applies to

the same computer that contains a 2nd USB port known as (USB port 2) below with it's own USB HUB.

											  
computer  USB port 1 [USB router] <------> USB HUB <----->file xfer ----> [USB Network]computer a
												  |
												  <------> file xfer -----> [USB Network] computer b
												  |
												  <-------> file xfer -----> [USB Network] computer c

computer USB port 2 [USB router] <----->USB HUB <-------........			  computer d
												   |
													<------........		   computer e
												   |
													<------.........		  computer f

Moreover, then use Microsoft XP OS to bridge the two USB ports on the computer that acts like a "USB router" so that

IP network data can be sent i.e. from computer A to computer F etc.

[oldgoat43]

I could be terribly wrong, but isn't 1394 a Firewire port?

Please clarify!

goat

[nmX.Memnoch]

I could be terribly wrong, but isn't 1394 a Firewire port?

Yes, it is.

I've never done it, but supposedly you can use Firewire to connect two or more computers in a 400Mbit/s network (or 800Mbit/s if you have 1394b). There is no such thing as a Firewire hub so if you had more than two computers then they would each need more than one Firewire port. You'd go from computer A to B then computer B to C, so on and so forth.

By the time you pay for a bunch of long Firewire cables you could've just purchased a small switch and CAT5 (or even CAT6) cables though. You'll probably get better performance with doing it that way as well.

[nitroshift]

By the time you pay for a bunch of long Firewire cables you could've just purchased a small switch and CAT5 (or even CAT6) cables though. You'll probably get better performance with doing it that way as well.

Definitely!

[mikesw]

I stand corrected on the 1394 device.

I'm still interested in creating a network using USB devices and multiple computers in this fashion with i.e. the

two ports on the same computer being bridged so that each port would look like a separate LAN.

Each USB LAN then would have a USB HUB and xfer cable connected to another computer with

TCP/IP running between it all to act like a network. In the old days, two serial ports between computers

could be connected together in null modem configuration with PPP s/w to do the file xfer via TCP/IP.

If one had multiple serial ports per computer, then one could create multiple direct path networks.

I'm just applying the same concept to USB ports, but each port could have multiple USB ports to talk to.

In the old days, the serial port method was the poor mans network, although the USB one may not be today.

Update: I read via MSofts documentation that one can't do bridging between USB ports/devices and other

hardware. Thus, one could attach a USB-to-Etherenet cable to the USB HUb and use a cross-over cable

to the network port of computer serving as the router and then do any bridging that's needed from there.

Edited March 29, 2007 by mikesw