firewire playing up - please advise!

[sach16]

hi yall,

i have a dell laptop which i connect to an rme fireface (audio interface) via firewire 400. I have noticed that the connection is unstable - if I move the lead around a bit (at the laptop end), the connection drops, which almost ruined my last gig - in particular, if i push the lead up slighty.

I have tried another lead so it's the connection. I was wondering - is this kind of instability common for firewire 400 or is it a loose/bad connection in my laptop firewire input and so i should have it repaired?

if its just the way firewire 400 is, should i look into a firewire 800 xpress card - is 800 more stable? (i remember reading somewhere that 400 was instable and 800 much better.. but i cant be sure, maybe i imagined it...)

many thanks!

sache

 

[sach16]

anyone?

if someone could just telll me if their firewire does this (lose connection if you push the end upwards slightly when connected), then i could work out what to do....

thanks

 

[crosstudio]

i'm having the same problem with my 4-pin on my dell, so i'm buying a 6-pin expresscard to get a more stable connection.

 

[VSpaceBoy]

You should still always use stress relief on the connection regardless. Its not designed to get bumped and bruised. Something as simple as a loop attached to the back of the laptop to run the wire through would help alot.

 

[tnjazz]

I never had a problem with the 4 pin connector on my Windows laptop when I was using it for mobile work. The cables I used always fit very firmly and I could move it up and down (within reason of course!) without any issues. So a bump here and there would not cause any harm.

Sounds like your jack is loose, or maybe slightly deformed to allow the cable to move more than it should.

 

[sach16]

thanks for the replies guys!

spoke to dell and get this, even though i have the 4 year extended warranty, and this laptop's almost new they say things like firewire connection are not covered and are considered wear and tear, so it'll cost me £300 to replae the motherboard!

i guess dell laptops are cheap for a reason....

ah well, i'll have to get a firewire xpress card...

hey vspaceboy - could you please explain exactly what you mean - would could i buy that would secure the firewire connection better?

i think dell firewire ports are badly designed, - there's some space in the firewire connection that seems susceptible to damage - my brother's laptop has no such problem...