How do I hook up this firewire port?

[Alex Franke]

My mobo doesn't have firewire, so I got a firewire card. It has an internal port, which is nice, if I could only connect it to the firewire port provided on the front of the case. But it don't fit. The case expects a firewire header on a motherboard. The firewire card only provides a standard firewire plug. There must be a converter somewhere, but I can't seem to find one.

Any ideas? Thanks!

[gsmittle]

You need a bigger hammer....

g.

[leehljp]

Alex,

The connector with the "1394" on it does not look like any firewire connectors that I have ever seen. Even googling 1394 connectors, I don't see anything like that. I have seen 3 different ones and have converters for two, but I have not seen anything like the one you have pictured.

To me, the fact that the firewire card is IN the computer slot means that it should be operating and all is needed is to plug a cable directly into the port of the card.

I have had several different HD cases that had firewire ports and nothing inside or outside looked like that.

[rjwaldren]

That's for a motherboard header. It's likely that you have similar looking connectors going to your front panel usb ports, if any. It's odd to have an internal connection on the card like you show in the photo, it implies that the cards maker probably sells a front panel addon or it's intended for a specific case.

Give the make/model of the card and motherboard, I might be able to point you in the right direction.

[Alex Franke]

That's for a motherboard header. It's likely that you have similar looking connectors going to your front panel usb ports, if any. It's odd to have an internal connection on the card like you show in the photo, it implies that the cards maker probably sells a front panel addon or it's intended for a specific case.

Give the make/model of the card and motherboard, I might be able to point you in the right direction.

Yes, that's exactly right. My description wasn't very clear I guess. The gray cable is part of the case and is attached to a firewire port on the front of the case (a very conveniently location). The ports on the back of the firewire card do in fact work fine, but they're inconveniently located -- I'd like to be able to use the port on the front of the case.

You're right, there are USB ports on the front that lead to an almost identical connector that plugs into the USB header on the mobo. The front panel USB ports are hooked up and work fine.

The motherboard is a GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L (with no firewire header). The case is an Antec Sonata II (which would support a mobo firewire header if it had one), and the firewire card is a... uh... darn good question. Let me see if I can figure that one out!

Edit: Okay, the Firewire card is a SYBA PCI to Firewire 1394a 3+1 ports controller card Model SD-NEC-4F. It must have picked it up at a local computer store because it wasn't in my newegg.com order history!

Another edit: Kind of funny -- if you go to the firewire card manufacturer's product page and click on the link for the user manual, you get an "under construction" dialog. Doh!

[LCHIEN]

I tihink you're out of luck unless you are willing to splice a firewire std. connector onto the cable. or remove the Firewire connector form the plug-in card and solder cut the Mobo connector off and solder to the card. Either way you have to identify the wires and pins, which should be available on the internet but you will have to be handy with electronics connector termination practices as a good electronics technician. Or know someone who is.

Maybe you should just be happy you have one or two connectors on the back that work fine.

[crokett]

Maybe you should just be happy you have one or two connectors on the back that work fine.

That's what I'd do. I used to mess with hardware once upon a time and I don't think you will find the cable you are looking for unless you make it yourself.

[JSUPreston]

Here ya go!
http://www.xpcgear.com/pinhead2fire.html

Be real careful how you hook it up. You will most likely need the manual for the case. Most likely, the case follows the standards that I believe Intel established. I know I had no problems with my Asus motherboard in my CoolerMaster case.

[Alex Franke]

Here ya go!
http://www.xpcgear.com/pinhead2fire.html

Be real careful how you hook it up. You will most likely need the manual for the case. Most likely, the case follows the standards that I believe Intel established. I know I had no problems with my Asus motherboard in my CoolerMaster case.

Woohoo! That looks like it!

[Alex Franke]

Turns out that nearly every firewire card that has an internal port has one that is not compatible with the cases. (It's not a header like what is found on the motherboards. Google turned up a bunch of peopl ewith the same problem, and there were even several comments re this on the newegg.com reviews of my firewire card.

Just as I was thinking, "There's obviously a need here that needs to be filled," and planning my start-up business in the "firewire card with internal header connector" market, I happened upon a couple of other options. I'll post them here just in case anyone else happens to be searching the forum with the same obscure problem.

Both of these cards have internal header connectors. The first one is even less expensive than the adapter cable!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815124034
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...6089&CatId=109

Anyway, thanks for all your help, guys!

[JSUPreston]

I almost always buy from NewEgg. I've bought from Tiger several times over the past 15 years. Never been happy with them.

[rjwaldren]

Hmmm... To be honest I wouldn't even have thought about firewire not being there when I was recently shopping for a P35 board. 4-dual internal usb headers and no firewire?

This looks to be what you need, I'm not vouching for the retailer, it just was the first thing I found on a google.

http://www.frontx.com/cpx509.html

After shipping it might not be much different than just getting a different firewire card with the correct header. The Antec cable should be correct for whatever you find. I've never had to re-pin anything from them, I can't say that for other cases though.

On another note, you could just get a firewire extension dongle and connect it to the back. I prefer to be able to leave it connected and tucked out of the way when not in use rather than having it hang off the front of the case.