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From a technical point of view is there any reason why I wouldn't want to use a FireWire cable to transfer large files between computers?

Is FireWire the best when compared with Ethernet, and USB (2 or 3)?

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You need to clarify what you're asking, is this a question about transfer rate, there isn't much to discuss about the cables themselves... – Nick Josevski Sep 15 '11 at 21:44
I'm not sure if it's off-topic - I have no idea what you're asking! Can you please clarify? The cables are just copper. – Shinrai Sep 15 '11 at 21:55
I edited the question – wizlog Sep 15 '11 at 22:15
Your edit made it even less constructive. From a technical point, both USB and Firewire are just cables. If you want to transfer very large files, use the faster one that you have at hand. I don't really see the discussion value, sorry. – slhck Sep 15 '11 at 22:17
If the FireWire is faster, then why aren't there FireWire thumb drives? there must be some reason, right? – wizlog Sep 15 '11 at 22:19
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closed as not a real question by Shinrai, sblair, slhck, Breakthrough, techie007 Sep 16 '11 at 0:09

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

3 Answers

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Briefly from what I can remember, but you probably will get a better or more complete description:

  • Firewire can do 2 way transfers at the same time and USB not (2 data BUSes x 1 to USB)
  • Firewire devices have to pay royalties (very high in the beginning of their use)
  • Firewire needs less CPU from the device (USB needs bus master while Firewire not)
  • Had several cases of hot-swapping problems with Firewire (due to short circuit between pins when plugging)
  • Firewire uses DMA access (faster) but there is a potential security problem if the connected devices don't use a kind of virtual memory space to transfer data in case a device is compromised or not secure
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What do you mean by FireWires pay royalties? – wizlog Sep 15 '11 at 22:23
@wizlog Hardware manufacturers pay a royalty to Firewire for using the protocol/hardware design. AFAIK though, the same thing applies to USB-device vendors... Also, USB can also use DMA in some cases. – Breakthrough Sep 15 '11 at 22:45
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"Firewire devices have to pay royalties (very high in the beginning of their use)" This. Firewire has quite a few technical advantages over usb, firewire networking for one. USB has been royalty free all along – Journeyman Geek Sep 15 '11 at 23:36
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Look at the following chart for transfer speeds of different devices

USB 3.0 is not on the chart, but it is 10x faster than USB 2.0, so its the fastest, at about 4800 mbps. enter image description here Link to larger image.

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up vote 0 down vote

This is not a real question, and it is going to be closed. I am merely posting this to show you why your question is invalid.

From a technical point of view is there any reason why I wouldn't want to use a FireWire cable to transfer large files between computers?

No. Firewire and USB are two digital serial communication methods, each with a maximum throughput. If this throughput is high enough for your own needs, then it should be sufficient.

Is FireWire the best when compared with Ethernet, and USB (2 or 3)?

In general, USB3 > Firewire/USB2/Ethernet. Ethernet comes in 1Gb/s and 100Mb/s. Firewire and USB2 are roughly equivalent for transfer rates.

Search on Wikipedia for which method provides the best transfer performance, and refer to your hardware manuals to see which transfer methods are supported on your computer.

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