Review: Adaptec's Speedy Port Lineup
Don Bradbury looks at the DuoConnect USB 2.0 and Firewire Combo PCI Card
| Product | DuoConnect |
|---|---|
| Company | Adaptec |
| Web | www.adaptec.com |
| Price | £110 |
| We like | Simple installation; multiple ports |
| We don't like | BIOS PM interfered with ME shutdown |
| Rating | 9/10 |
| Requirements |
USB 2.0 or Firewire? Which is going to receive support, and which should you add first to your PC? The answer could be both. While Firewire (AKA IEEE 1394 or iLink) has taken much of the steam out of Intel's USB marketing strategy with its 400 megabits/sec data speed - mainly because they got in with it first - the advent of USB 2.0 and its even higher 480 Mbps means both types of devices will appear, so you may need both types of port.
This Adaptec PCI card covers both bases. With simple hardware and software installation procedures, and with a goodly lineup of ports of each type - 4 x USB2 (one internal) and 3 x Firewire (one internal) - it should see most PC users through the next few years of high speed peripherals connectivity.
Installation
The card needs to be popped into a spare PCI slot . When you switch on the computer, Windows (98SE, ME, 2000, XP) detects the additional hardware during the boot process (the test PC was running Windows ME) and automatically finds the correct drivers on the Adaptec CD for the host controllers. I found this part of the process totally painless.
There's a mini power connector on the card which you can hook up to a spare power cable in your system box (or buy an extension). That optionally supplies bus power for the Firewire ports, though the Adaptec literature points out that Firewire peripherals should use individual power supply units in any event as Firewire may not have sufficient power capacity.
When installation is complete you should see entries in Device Manager for the Texas Instruments OHCI compliant controller and the Adaptec AUA-3121 PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller among others.
The Adaptec CD also bears useful bonus software in the form of MGI's VideoWave video editing program as well as Sonic MyDVD 3.0 for converting your home movies into DVD menus. Then you can burn your finished collection onto CD-R or DVD-R media to play back on your computer. Apple QuickTime and Adobe Acrobat Reader are also on the CD.
One problem
I have to report that on the Windows ME test machine, shutdown was compromised by the presence of this PCI card or its drivers. The machine went into Restart mode instead of finishing shutdown. I downloaded the latest (14 Nov 2001) driver for USB 2.0 off the Adaptec web site but that didn't help. In fact I had to delete the device in Device Manager and reinstall it to get USB 2.0 transfer speeds back. Simple over-write, as suggested, dropped connection speed dramatically, probably to USB 1.0 protocol. The shutdown problem was resolved by going into the BIOS and disabling Power Management's 'PME Event Wakeup' and 'Modem Ring On/Wakeup On LAN'.
You'll need
266MHz or faster CPU, 64MB of RAM, a spare PCI slot, and a CD drive of course, as well as one of the Windows versions mentioned. Digital video editing really needs a 350MHz or faster CPU, 128MB of RAM, a DV camcorder, and 250MB of disk space for software plus space for recordings.
The kit includes:
The PCI card, one six foot Firewire 6 to 4 pin cable, a hardware installation guide, driver and software CD, a user guide, and links to key websites.
In conclusion
Adaptec's DuoConnect USB2.0 and Firewire combination PCI card is a high speed port user's delight. Easy to install and set up, and with plenty of ports for your current and future gear, it is a reasonable buy at £110. Just watch out for Power Management settings in your BIOS if you encounter problems.
Bear in mind that if you opt for only one high speed port type, you can buy USB2 cards for around £40; Firewire-only cards are also less expensive.
