USB Bridge connection
I have a tablet and a desk system, both running Windows 8.1. I often
need to copy a file(s) from one system to the other. I have them on the same network but finding the files and transferring them is slow and not always convenient. I have been told that using a USB Bridge cable would work and have looked at many. Most seem to be designed in transferring all file and setting from an old to a new system or synchronizing files between systems. What I simply want to be able to do is select one or a group of files and transfer them from one system to the other. I would appreciate any recommendations as to which cable I should get. |
USB Bridge connection
On 2014-03-11, Marv wrote:
I have a tablet and a desk system, both running Windows 8.1. I often need to copy a file(s) from one system to the other. I have them on the same network but finding the files and transferring them is slow and not always convenient. I have been told that using a USB Bridge cable would work and have looked at many. Most seem to be designed in transferring all file and setting from an old to a new system or synchronizing files between systems. What I simply want to be able to do is select one or a group of files and transfer them from one system to the other. I would appreciate any recommendations as to which cable I should get. If you don't mind wifi speeds, then get a copy of the free "ftpdmin" for your desktop; it is a ftp server that only works in/on the lan; no docs but just type ftpdmin to see what is available & remember to do a ctrl-c to kill it after use. For the tablet, an ftp client like the free version "andftp" or even the ftp plugin for total commander for the tablet; don't know if either will work with a non-android tablet. win8 on the tablet should have a builtin ftp client.... I use that for getting files from the desktop to my tablet without having to drag out the usb cable. |
USB Bridge connection
R. C. White wrote:
Hi, Marv. My only experience with using a cable to transfer files was not good at all. While there were other drawbacks,- mostly because I had not done that before, the main problem was speed - more specifically the lack of speed. Maybe modern cables are faster, but the one I used a decade or more ago was painfully slow. My suggestion would be for you to use that network or a USB (USB3, if possible) thumb drive (aka flash drive, pen drive, among other names). Others here may have more recent experience and can chip in with more up-do-date advice. RC -- R. C. White, CPA San Marcos, TX Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010) Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3522.0110) in Win8.1 Pro with Media Center At that time, there were USB1.1 and USB2.0 transfer cables. The USB1.1 designs would do 1MB/sec and are perfectly useless. The USB2.0 ones, do ~30MB/sec best case. The sellers were careful to not describe the inferior ones in too much detail. In some cases, they pulled the "USB2 compatible" scam, meaning it didn't run at USB2 rates, but USB1.1 works with USB2 computers, so you could pretend. It was just a scan to get you to buy the inferior cable. One of the chip manufacturers had to stop, after another company slapped them with a patent suit. That got rid of one of the suppliers. I expect the remainder are USB2 now. But it's something worth verifying. I don't know if any company has deep enough pockets to make a USB3 version. If you buy one of these cables off Ebay, you'd want to check the description carefully. And the weird thing I discovered here, is the device has a Class value of 0xFF, implying no standard class. Either the chip pre-dates the invention/standardization of the class, or there is no standard class for the thing. It would be so unlike Microsoft, to write a driver for something which isn't an official standard. http://prolificusa.com/files/ds_pl25A1B_v1.0B.pdf The device works, via a mailbox method. At least, that's how it used to work. Host --------------------------- Mailbox ---------- ---------- Mailbox --------------------------- Host Each host thinks it is talking to a peripheral. The protocol is not designed or intended to be "host-to-host". Each host thinks it is following a host-to-peripheral situation. USB was not designed with host-to-host as a protocol possibility. In the above designs, files are just "magically appearing" in the mailbox, from their partner across the way. Electrically, this device violates some assumptions about how USB would be used, and about device grounding. If I was using this 6 foot transfer cable, I would be careful to run the two computers off a common electrical ground. If you worked in a warehouse, with AC plugs on either side of the building, you would not want to run the two PCs from either side of the building, and then join the boxes with one of those cables. If there is a potential difference in the grounds, then amps of current can flow through the ground conductor in the cable. You might also see a spark fly off the tip of the USB connector. In the case of USB peripherals, the peripheral maker is careful to break the possibility of this happening, by not having a safety ground connection on the wall adapters. Two computers would each have safety ground, and there could be a ground potential loop between the two PCs. Ethernet cables are transformer coupled, which is why there's never a grounding problem with those. I don't think the Easy Transfer cable is opto-isolated or anything. Paul |
USB Bridge connection
On Tue, 11 Mar 2014 17:56:39 -0400, Marv wrote:
I have a tablet and a desk system, both running Windows 8.1. I often need to copy a file(s) from one system to the other. I have them on the same network but finding the files and transferring them is slow and not always convenient. I have been told that using a USB Bridge cable would work and have looked at many. Most seem to be designed in transferring all file and setting from an old to a new system or synchronizing files between systems. What I simply want to be able to do is select one or a group of files and transfer them from one system to the other. I would appreciate any recommendations as to which cable I should get. I use Dropbox to transfer files. When I'm working on the tablet and I want to transfer one or more files, I 'drop' them onto the Dropbox icon and I continue working for a while. Later, when I move to the laptop and check the Dropbox folder, there they are. Works the same in the opposite direction, of course. |
USB Bridge connection
On 3/11/2014 10:00 PM, Paul wrote:
R. C. White wrote: Hi, Marv. And the weird thing I discovered here, is the device has a Class value of 0xFF, implying no standard class. Either the chip pre-dates the invention/standardization of the class, or there is no standard class for the thing. It would be so unlike Microsoft, to write a driver for something which isn't an official standard. http://prolificusa.com/files/ds_pl25A1B_v1.0B.pdf The device works, via a mailbox method. At least, that's how it used to work. Host --------------------------- Mailbox ---------- ---------- Mailbox --------------------------- Host Each host thinks it is talking to a peripheral. The protocol is not designed or intended to be "host-to-host". Each host thinks it is following a host-to-peripheral situation. USB was not designed with host-to-host as a protocol possibility. In the above designs, files are just "magically appearing" in the mailbox, from their partner across the way. Electrically, this device violates some assumptions about how USB would be used, and about device grounding. If I was using this 6 foot transfer cable, I would be careful to run the two computers off a common electrical ground. If you worked in a warehouse, with AC plugs on either side of the building, you would not want to run the two PCs from either side of the building, and then join the boxes with one of those cables. If there is a potential difference in the grounds, then amps of current can flow through the ground conductor in the cable. You might also see a spark fly off the tip of the USB connector. In the case of USB peripherals, the peripheral maker is careful to break the possibility of this happening, by not having a safety ground connection on the wall adapters. Two computers would each have safety ground, and there could be a ground potential loop between the two PCs. Ethernet cables are transformer coupled, which is why there's never a grounding problem with those. I don't think the Easy Transfer cable is opto-isolated or anything. Paul My first thought was to setup a connection with USB 3. The tablet has a USB 3 connection, but there are two problem area. One, I could not find a USB 3 bridge cable at my computer store or on the web. Two, I would have to add a USB 3 card to my main system. I did buy an inexpensive USB 2 bridge cable but now I understand it is coming from China and will take 15-25 days to get here. I don't have very high hopes for it. I'll give it a try and see what happens. |
USB Bridge connection
On 3/11/2014 11:14 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Tue, 11 Mar 2014 17:56:39 -0400, Marv wrote: I have a tablet and a desk system, both running Windows 8.1. I often need to copy a file(s) from one system to the other. I have them on the same network but finding the files and transferring them is slow and not always convenient. I have been told that using a USB Bridge cable would work and have looked at many. Most seem to be designed in transferring all file and setting from an old to a new system or synchronizing files between systems. What I simply want to be able to do is select one or a group of files and transfer them from one system to the other. I would appreciate any recommendations as to which cable I should get. I use Dropbox to transfer files. When I'm working on the tablet and I want to transfer one or more files, I 'drop' them onto the Dropbox icon and I continue working for a while. Later, when I move to the laptop and check the Dropbox folder, there they are. Works the same in the opposite direction, of course. I took a look at DropBox. I always have some concerns using any kind of external storage. Probably unfounded, but I would be more comfortable with some kind of a direct connection. |
USB Bridge connection
On 12/03/2014 17:57, Marv wrote:
I took a look at DropBox. I always have some concerns using any kind of external storage. Probably unfounded, but I would be more comfortable with some kind of a direct connection. If you can't trust Dropbox like me then how about Microsoft's Onedrive (previously called skydrive)? Or Google Drive? I use both and they are really good to trnasfer files and to distribute files over the net. In your case you want to make sure the file you upload are all "Private" so that they cannot be found over the net except only you can access them when you login. Connecting CAT5 cable is another option if you have a router to create a Home Network. Transferring files these days is pretty easy. -- Good Guy Website: http://mytaxsite.co.uk Website: http://html-css.co.uk Email: http://mytaxsite.co.uk/contact-us |
USB Bridge connection
Marv wrote:
My first thought was to setup a connection with USB 3. The tablet has a USB 3 connection, but there are two problem area. One, I could not find a USB 3 bridge cable at my computer store or on the web. Two, I would have to add a USB 3 card to my main system. I did buy an inexpensive USB 2 bridge cable but now I understand it is coming from China and will take 15-25 days to get here. I don't have very high hopes for it. I'll give it a try and see what happens. There are a limited number of good chip types to use in a design. There's every reason to think the Chinese cable will work. The only reason it wouldn't work, is if they tried to get too cheap with the copper wire in the cable. So more likely to be a physical/mechanical issue, than an issue with the silicon chip. You know how they like to skimp on materials, make things as thin as possible, and so on. Paul |
USB Bridge connection
On Wed, 12 Mar 2014 13:57:23 -0400, Marv wrote:
On 3/11/2014 11:14 PM, Char Jackson wrote: On Tue, 11 Mar 2014 17:56:39 -0400, Marv wrote: I have a tablet and a desk system, both running Windows 8.1. I often need to copy a file(s) from one system to the other. I have them on the same network but finding the files and transferring them is slow and not always convenient. I have been told that using a USB Bridge cable would work and have looked at many. Most seem to be designed in transferring all file and setting from an old to a new system or synchronizing files between systems. What I simply want to be able to do is select one or a group of files and transfer them from one system to the other. I would appreciate any recommendations as to which cable I should get. I use Dropbox to transfer files. When I'm working on the tablet and I want to transfer one or more files, I 'drop' them onto the Dropbox icon and I continue working for a while. Later, when I move to the laptop and check the Dropbox folder, there they are. Works the same in the opposite direction, of course. I took a look at DropBox. I always have some concerns using any kind of external storage. Probably unfounded, but I would be more comfortable with some kind of a direct connection. I see your concern, but I don't use it as external storage. I only use it for transfers. |
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