Belkin FireWire 6-Port Hub (F5U526-APL)

by Belkin

Product Details

• Item Weight: 7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006BHCEK
• Item model number: F5U526-APL
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,753 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #30 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Networking Products > Hubs
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 2, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Belkin FireWire Hub (F5U526-APL) delivers six peer-to-peer FireWire ports and supports data throughput of up to 400Mbps for fast, efficient information sharing. Ideal for use with FireWire-compatible devices including DV camcorders, FireWire storage devices, printers, and PS2 consoles, the Hub also acts as a FireWire repeater, so you can place devices up to an additional 15 feet apart.

FireWire 6-Port Hub At a Glance: Supports transfer speeds of 100, 200, and 400Mbps Provides six 6-pin FireWire ports Self-powered and bus-powered modes Repeater feature provides an additional 15 feet between FireWire peripherals Backed by a lifetime warranty

Connect up to six FireWire peripherals to your computer. View larger.

Connects Six Devices for Easy Data Sharing and Head-to-Head Gaming
The Belkin FireWire 6-Port Hub delivers efficient file sharing with data transfers to and from your iPod, external storage drive, DV camcorder, printer, scanner, and other FireWire devices using its six 6-pin FireWire ports. This configuration enables you to connect up to six FireWire devices to your computer or each other.

Beyond its no-nonsense handling of big file transfers like batches of high-resolution photos and HD videos, the FireWire Hub can also be used to connect multiple PS2 devices for head-to-head gaming.

Supports Transfer Speeds of 100, 200, and 400Mbps
The speed and dependability of FireWire technology keeps downloads, uploads, and game information moving seamlessly. The FireWire Hub features maximum transfer speeds of up to 400Mbps to optimize the performance of your latest, fastest accessories, but it's also compatible with older devices that have transfer speed capacities of 100 or 200Mbps.

Two Convenient Power Modes
Depending on your power needs, the FireWire Hub operates in either a self-powered mode that preserves the battery in your laptop, or in a bus-powered mode that eliminates the need for an extra open outlet--reducing the potential for cord tangles. In addition, when devices are connected to the FireWire Hub using FireWire cables, they can draw power from it for simplified system setup, device operation, and recharges.

Repeater Feature Extends Operation Distance for Versatility
The included FireWire repeater feature on the FireWire Hub extends the potential operation distance between your computer and your devices (or between two devices) by up to 15 feet (4.5 meters), which gives you more freedom in organizing devices in your office or media and gaming space.

Maximum System Compatibility with OHCI Support
For easy setup and hassle-free compatibility, the FireWire Hub supports the Open Host Controller Interface (OHCI) standard, so it can be used by the OHCI FireWire drivers that come with all modern operating systems.

The Belkin FireWire 6-Port Hub is backed by a lifetime warranty.

What's in the Box
FireWire 6-Port Hub, power adapter, and manual.

Belkin Firewire Hub
F5U526-APL	Ports	6 Firewire
	Power Mode	Self- or bus-powered

Product Description

The latest innovation from Belkin delivers six, peer-to-peer FireWire ports that support data throughput of up to 400Mbps. Our new FireWire 6-Port Hub connects seamlessly with your FireWire DV camcorders, web cams, FireWire storage devices, scanners, printers, and other DV-compatible multimedia devices. The Hub also acts as a FireWire repeater, so you can place devicesup to an additional 15 feet (4.5 meters) from other connected FireWire peripherals. Connecting devices to the Hub using 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire cables enables them to draw power from the Hub, for even easier setup and operation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works fine, light as a feather, February 18, 2007

By 

C. Schlarb (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belkin FireWire 6-Port Hub (F5U526-APL) (Personal Computers)

I write this review only because the negative reviews almost made me not buy the Belkin FireWire Hub. Alas, the options for such a devise are few and far between and unless you want to order something (instead of picking it up at the store) you have even fewer choices.

So, reluctantly, I picked this up and LO! on my Intel MacBook it was 100% plug and play. No software, no freezing, nothing but sweet FireWire action.

At this very moment I have a LaCie DVD Firewire drive, SeaGate 300GB Firewire drive, MOTU 8Pre Firewire Interface and a Canon DV Recorder all plugged in with one more port to spare. I was having trouble daisy chaining all of them before and so far (a few hours) everything has been running great. If I have any trouble I'll update this review.

My only critique is that the hub is so small and light weight it sort of need to be pinned down, otherwise it'll go where ever the wires take it. Just FYI.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small & Compact, XLNT Performance, Belkin Liftime Warranty=5-Stars****, January 18, 2007

By 

Wavey Davey (Southern CA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belkin FireWire 6-Port Hub (F5U526-APL) (Personal Computers)

There are literally only a couple of choices for a product like this if you're a Mac owner, so, in spite of all the negative reviews of the product I decided to take a chance and buy it anyway considering the fact that I have several other Belkin components, and use their new UPS's on 3 of my Macs, so at worst I'd have to return it. Upon opening the new box, I was amazed at the size: it's TINY! 6-ports (really 5 because one is for your Mac's FireWire cable to connect the device) in a powered FireWire hub that's only 3"x2"x3/4" plus there's a power supply connector on it also. Amazing design! I'm using it with a Dual Core G5 PowerMac that's my main production machine in my studio, so it connects these FireWire devices: 2 external hard drives, an external DVD+/-RW optical drive, my PC110 Sony HandyCam, and my Epson FireWire scanner. I've never used all 5 items at the same time, and wouldn't recommend doing anything like that anyway, but using 2 or 3 of them at the same time presents no issues...everything works nominally without a degraded FireWire bus/performance. I have the hub sitting on top of the G5, and the power source for the hub is connected to my Belkin 1500VA UPS, just in case there's a power outage and I'm in the middle of something important using the FireWire devices. After using the hub for about 6 months, I can't find anything negative to comment about it. And like most Belkin products, it has the Lifetime Warranty, so I have no worries should it fail at some point: they'll replace it if that happens. So here's a 5-Stars***** [...]: I highly recommend the FireWire 6-Port Hub to Mac owners, and have found, over a long period of use with multiple devices, that it works better than I expected. And if you appreciate great design, it's a tiny device that won't clutter up your workspace. Like all the Belkin products that I own, this one works fantastic, and you're assured of product satisfaction with their LifeTime Warranty on the hub and power supply. Way to go Belkin, and thanks for making such a great product!

69 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Careful what you wish for, January 8, 2006

By 

BubbeAlison (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belkin FireWire 6-Port Hub (F5U526-APL) (Personal Computers)

I bought both the 7-port USB hub and the 6-port Firewire hub to work with my iBook. Needed more ports. No problem with the USB hub. I attached the Firewire hub, then attached my new Iomega external hard drive, and had a near-disaster which took me a full day to recover from. Turns out my new hard drive is not supposed to be plugged into a hub. No warning from Belkin about that possibility, and a warning from Iomega deep in the CD that came with the drive. So, MAKE SURE YOUR COMPONENTS ARE HUB-COMPATIBLE. That's the little lesson I learned.