Migration Assistant from 2006 Mac Pro to 2013 iMac. Which cable to use?

[StephenCampbell]

I'm going to be getting the Haswell iMac and will need to transfer 1.7TB of stuff from my Mac Pro to the new machine. I'll want to use Migration Assistant to transfer the startup disc (about 300GB), and then just get access to my secondary storage drive and copy the roughly 1.4TB of stuff from there onto the iMac as well (I'll have the 3TB fusion drive).

I was thinking of getting a Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptor. Is that the best option? I would need to get a FireWire 800 to 800 cable from OWC, and then the Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adaptor from Apple. Is this the route you'd go with?

Thanks!

 

[MacUser2525]

I'm going to be getting the Haswell iMac and will need to transfer 1.7TB of stuff from my Mac Pro to the new machine. I'll want to use Migration Assistant to transfer the startup disc (about 300GB), and then just get access to my secondary storage drive and copy the roughly 1.4TB of stuff from there onto the iMac as well (I'll have the 3TB fusion drive).

I was thinking of getting a Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptor. Is that the best option? I would need to get a FireWire 800 to 800 cable from OWC, and then the Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adaptor from Apple. Is this the route you'd go with?

Thanks!

No I would go with an USB enclosure for the drive(s) in the Mac Pro or even faster option do it over a network connection with a gigibit switch/router connecting the machines. Oh and I think you have typo and meant 400 to 800 FW cable from OWC.

 

[StephenCampbell]

No I would go with an USB enclosure for the drive(s) in the Mac Pro or even faster option do it over a network connection with a gigibit switch/router connecting the machines. Oh and I think you have typo and meant 400 to 800 FW cable from OWC.

Well no I meant 800 to 800, because the adaptor is only available in Thunderbolt to Firewire 800... so why would I connect that to a slower Firewire 400 port on the Mac Pro?

I don't want to have to buy another item (USB enclosure). And as far as the router, I've never experienced fast transfer speeds between machines using ethernet cables... is this really a good option?

Would the Firewire 800 method work?

 

[flynz4]

Well no I meant 800 to 800, because the adaptor is only available in Thunderbolt to Firewire 800... so why would I connect that to a slower Firewire 400 port on the Mac Pro?

I don't want to have to buy another item (USB enclosure). And as far as the router, I've never experienced fast transfer speeds between machines using ethernet cables... is this really a good option?

Would the Firewire 800 method work?

If you have an on-going use for FW... then by all means get the adapter. However, if it was to just transfer 1.4 TB of data one time... I'd let it rip over ethernet overnight.

/Jim

 

[MacUser2525]

Well no I meant 800 to 800, because the adaptor is only available in Thunderbolt to Firewire 800... so why would I connect that to a slower Firewire 400 port on the Mac Pro?

I don't want to have to buy another item (USB enclosure). And as far as the router, I've never experienced fast transfer speeds between machines using ethernet cables... is this really a good option?

Would the Firewire 800 method work?

Yeah brain fade I somehow had the idea that that model only had the 400 on it. I get 80MB/s sometimes higher over the network connecting my two macs here via a gigabit connection.

 

[toddzrx]

I was thinking of getting a Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptor. Is that the best option? I would need to get a FireWire 800 to 800 cable from OWC, and then the Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adaptor from Apple. Is this the route you'd go with?

No. I'd just use an ethernet cable hooked up directly between the machines. I would imagine you have one available? Cheaper to buy one of those than the adapters you're considering.

 

[Saltymac]

I'm going to be getting the Haswell iMac and will need to transfer 1.7TB of stuff from my Mac Pro to the new machine. I'll want to use Migration Assistant to transfer the startup disc (about 300GB), and then just get access to my secondary storage drive and copy the roughly 1.4TB of stuff from there onto the iMac as well (I'll have the 3TB fusion drive).

I was thinking of getting a Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptor. Is that the best option? I would need to get a FireWire 800 to 800 cable from OWC, and then the Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adaptor from Apple. Is this the route you'd go with?

Thanks!

It sounds like you have got the transfer process under control.

 

[blanka]

Yeah, both machines have gigabit. It will outperform Firewire 800 and is way cheaper. Don't let a slow router mess up though. In case the router does not support wired gigabit, use one mac's wifi to connect to the router, and then extend the network over ethernet and cable directly between the macs.
Of course you can also have the mac's make a local network on the direct cable.

 

[toddzrx]

It sounds like you have got the transfer process under control.

Not really. He'd be better off just connecting both Ethernet ports with a Cat 5 cable. It's both the fastest method and the cheapest. I've done this a couple of times after buying a new Mac and it works like a champ.