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/

[ulFo]

cant chain them i.e. disc is lacie w only one fw input and so is the project mix - macmini has only one fw port

ulF


ill try get a new hub but before I do I am waiting to see if anyone else has any experience on with any hub/repeater they have used

if not I guess best solution is to install 7200 rpm disc in macmini and drop the external enclosure

thanx for your reply