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IP over Firewire Updated

Posted by pudge on from the scary-sweet dept.

foniksonik writes "Apple released an update to its IP over FireWire software. 'Now the IP over FireWire Preview Release adds support for using the Internet Protocol - commonly known as TCP/IP - over FireWire. ... Using the existing Network Preferences Pane, users can add FireWire as their IP network node to connect and communicate between two machines. ... In all cases, Rendezvous can be used if desired for configuration, name resolution, and discovery.'" Now it is time for YA debate on FireWire vs. Ethernet. Let the festivities commence!

5 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Gigabit ethernet versus firewire by goombah99 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So how is this better than gigabit ethernet which is standard on most macs?
    Is it just another way of communicating that perhaps allows one to avoid a congested/insecure ethernet backbone when connecting two neigboring macs?
    what's the big deal?

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:Gigabit ethernet versus firewire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Well for one thing it'll be more convenient than using Firewire Target Disk mode to move a big file or disk image (IP over FW won't require that one of the participants be rebooted) and for another you could probably construct a small network by daisy-chaining without incurring the expense of GB hub/switches.

    2. Re:Gigabit ethernet versus firewire by SensitiveMale · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Have you prices gigabit ethernet switches lately?

      Have you priced firewire hubs?

      Big difference.

    3. Re:Gigabit ethernet versus firewire by trunc · · Score: 1, Insightful

      A fair comparison would be of a gigabit hub and a firewire hub (even though the price is still probably ridiculously high for a gigabit hub comparatively speaking). There is no packet forwarding or intelligent behavior in a firewire hub as there is in a gigabit switch.

  2. Having both is better by cappadocius · · Score: 2, Insightful
    So how is this better than gigabit ethernet which is standard on most macs?

    I think it is a suppliment for ethernet.

    For instance, by roommate has a laptop and a desktop but only one ethernet port, so he uses IP over Firewire to have both computers on the internet.

    It is also useful if you need to connect two computers but you are already using the ethernet jack on one of them.

    --

    omnia tua castra sunt nobis