Firewire Hub/repeater, how to work with only 1 fw port?? Options

[ulFo]

i am looking for adwise on how to get the most from my macmini setup
since getting the m-audio projectmix and thus being forced to use a firewire hub to split to pm and to lacie external disc, things have been a nightmare (well, not only ...) with repeating kernel panics etc etc and heavy disk crashes and lost files in cubase. before I had the motu828mkII and things worked fine at least when recording 8 tracks which is what I want to do. However now I can only do around 5 tracks before things start mess up. I see the problem is the firwire hub/splitter (its an 3-4year old one ..dont know the specs) and wonder if anyone can recommend a solution that could solve the problem or am I looking for something impossible? I see that there is something called firewire hub/repeater (f.inst from Belkin) on the marked and wondered maybe if that could do the trick?
Thanks in advance and yes I am a dreamer and will continue stay so ....))
ulFo
http://www.notam02.no/nood/

[lepetitmartien]

Can't you chain them without the hub?

mini<=>HD<=>projectmix

Now if the hub is 4-5 years old, I'd look suspiciously at it… i have no experience with FW hubs, but a repeater is an active hub so should be better… now, I'd look about the the return policy if it's still a mess just in case.

I'd tell the guys at M-audio too, if MOTU can make it, they should be able too You can even ask them if they know of a hub working with their projectmix without fuss, they may know.

What's the Hard drive you use? enclosure?

(moved the thread to mac and peripherals, it's more related)