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USB Bridge connection



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 11th 14, 10:56 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Marv
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 44
Default 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.
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  #2  
Old March 12th 14, 01:39 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
R. C. White
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,058
Default USB Bridge connection

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


"Marv" wrote in message ...

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.

  #3  
Old March 12th 14, 02:38 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
lew
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 282
Default 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.

  #4  
Old March 12th 14, 03:00 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,275
Default 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
  #5  
Old March 12th 14, 04:14 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Char Jackson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,449
Default 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.

  #6  
Old March 12th 14, 06:52 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Marv
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 44
Default 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.
  #7  
Old March 12th 14, 06:57 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Marv
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 44
Default 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.
  #8  
Old March 12th 14, 07:17 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Good Guy[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,354
Default 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

  #9  
Old March 12th 14, 08:03 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,275
Default 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
  #10  
Old March 14th 14, 04:58 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Char Jackson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,449
Default 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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