Ethernet to USB hub/switch

October 28, 2016 10:07 AM

I have an iMac where the internal USB controller has gone flakey. It corrupts photos from SD cards, and just recently seems to have messed up my backup drive (also USB). The repair place is suggesting it will cost $800 to replace the logic board (parts + labor). Since everything else works well, I'd like to salvage the machine.

I'd get a new one rather than replace the logic board, but I was wondering if I could get USB support some other way. Does anyone make an Ethernet switch that outputs USB? I can find a ton of devices that do the reverse -- you plug it into the USB port and get Ethernet out, but can't find what I'm looking for. Does it exist?

Other options happily considered as well.

posted by CheeseDigestsAll to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

Which iMac model is it? The model number can be found by choosing Apple menu > About this Mac.

You may not be able to do this with an ethernet switch, but you can definitely do this with a ThunderBolt hub.
posted by mosk at 10:49 AM on October 28, 2016

Best answer: For example, this $70 adapter should work if your iMac has a ThunderBolt port:

https://www.amazon.com/Sonnet-Gigabit-Ethernet-Thunderbolt-Adapter/dp/B00T9LI7CO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1477678026&sr=8-3&keywords=thunderbolt+to+usb
posted by mosk at 11:11 AM on October 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

If you're replacing it with another Mac, your existing one can be booted into Target Disk Mode, which essentially turns your computer into a really big external hard drive that you can then connect to your new system. How you connect it will depend on how old your old machine is - if you've got Thunderbolt, then you use that, but otherwise you'll use the FireWIre connection. If you have Thunderbolt, you just need a cable to run between the two (either a straight Thunderbolt 2 cable, or that with this adapter if you're getting a new MacBook Pro or MacBook). If you've just got FireWire, you'll need a FireWire cable (most likely one like this, unless your machine is really old) and this adapter (plus the TB 3-to-TB 2 adapter if you're going MacBook/brand-new MacBook Pro). Then, you just reboot the old system and hold down T after it makes the normal "bong" noise, and you're off to the races. Once the logo thing shows up (it won't be the normal Apple one), it should show up on your desktop or in Finder.

The nice thing about this too is that if you're staying on the Mac side of things, your new system can automatically move all your data and apps and all that stuff off of your old computer for you. It'll walk you though essentially that first paragraph there when you set it up.

If you're going to the PC side of things, you may still be able to do Target Disk Mode but no idea how well that will work - FireWire was never a big thing on Windows and I don't know if the Thunderbolt connection will work (and you'd need a PC that has Thunderbolt).
posted by mrg at 11:31 AM on October 28, 2016

Take it to an Apple store not some dodgy repair place. They will fix anything for $300 or less, sometimes for free.
posted by w0mbat at 2:32 PM on October 28, 2016

Response by poster: No Thunderbolt port, and Im in Montana, so there's no Apple store.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 10:59 PM on October 28, 2016

As mentioned above:

Do you have firewire? There appear to be many cheap-and-cheerful FW-to-USB devices.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:40 AM on October 29, 2016

Again: Which iMac model is it? The model number can be found by choosing Apple menu > About this Mac.

It could be something like "iMac 6,1" or similar, which will help us figure out which peripheral devices and adapters your iMac will accept.
posted by mosk at 11:11 AM on October 29, 2016

Response by poster: Unfortunately, I'm in one state and the machine is in another right now, so I can't get the model number. I believe it's either a 2011 or 2012 builr. According to Apple that means it has a Thunderbolt port, which may solve the problem.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:06 PM on October 29, 2016

Response by poster: Back home. It's a iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) or iMac13,2. It has a Thunderbolt port, so I ordered the adaptor suggested by mosk.

Sadly, the same glitch shows up there, so the corruption must be happening on the logic board, not the USB controller itself. I wish Apple had introduced new iMacs last week, I'd rather not get a new machine and then miss out on whatever comes in the next few months, but I may not have a choice.

Thanks for your suggestions.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 1:05 PM on November 2, 2016

Sorry the ThunderBolt->USB adapter didn't solve the problem. That sucks, although if this is happening despite using a completely different, peripherally-supplied USB port, maybe the issue isn't related to your logic board? Have you tried running the Apple Hardware Test, and if so, does it indicate any issues?

As for other possible remedies, have you tried resetting the PRAM? That will often fix a variety of flaky behaviors related to peripheral devices.

If zapping the PRAM doesn't fix it, have you tried wiping and reinstalling the Mac OS? Very easy to do this if you make a time machine backup first, although obviously harder if you can't trust your backup medium.

Good luck!
posted by mosk at 1:23 PM on November 3, 2016