USB 3.0 Expresscard...

[bobdolee]

New Mac Driver for Sonnet Card: August 30, 2011

A new Mac driver was posted. Maybe this improves performance?

http://www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php?cat=417&expand=_a13_a3&action=b569#b569

 

[Brows]

Does anyone have any updated info on this, I'm looking at doing this. Do the new drivers solve anything?

 

[johnnyturbouk]

^ bump


also very interested in the sonnett solution for usb3

 

[ilak2k]

Did the mistake of buying Lacie USB 3.0 Express Card 34

Got the Lacie USB 3.0 Express Card 34 and now i can only use the Lacie USB 3.0 Drives. Should i try the Sonnet USB 3.0 drivers on my Lacie and see if it works. Is there a universal USB 3.0 Driver or some patched kexts that can make the Lacie usb 3.0 work?

 

[Ktech11]

I suggest purchasing the CalDigit SuperSpeed Express Card for USB3.0 that works with other companies products. Works with PC and Mac.

http://www.caldigit.com/avdrive/Card_laptop.html

Great reviews and they sell directly in the UK/EU now

K

 

[jamessnell]

My inner Steve Jobs can only stand to use my ExpressCard slot with cards that don't add a massive disgusting deformity to my machine. This card is the only suitable candidate I've seen thus far, though they don't refer to any OSX support. http://www.siig.com/usb-3-0-single-expresscard-34.html

Please link any other such cards that have confirmed OSX support.

-Edit-
This has potential, even though it is disconcertingly cheap: http://www.amazon.com/ExpressCard-3...F8&qid=1345620622&sr=8-5&keywords=expresscard

 

[tommydamani]

Sonnet

This twin 3.0 USB Sonnet express 3/4 card does not and has never worked as a 3.0 all it's given me is 2.0 speed. I'm using a WD 500GB 3.0 portable drive.

I have the early 2011 MBP 2.2 model.

I've tried the drivers online and nothing has gotten it to work

 

[tommydamani]

Lacie is BAD NEWS

Got the Lacie USB 3.0 Express Card 34 and now i can only use the Lacie USB 3.0 Drives. Should i try the Sonnet USB 3.0 drivers on my Lacie and see if it works. Is there a universal USB 3.0 Driver or some patched kexts that can make the Lacie usb 3.0 work?

I was also fooled to buy the lacie express card. Their service is absolutely **** and their drive was delivered faulty. I'm from Australia but was living in Malaysia and was in emails with lacie to purchase their drive + expresscard. They never told me they had an outlet in Malaysia even though i asked them. They continued with the Australian sale without even telling me i will not have warranty if i proceed as i'm purchasing it from Australia and having them send it to me in Malaysia. You think they would've told me about the warranty being voided? NO you think they would've told me there was a store in Malaysia? NO you think they would've told me if i buy it from Malaysia i will have warranty? NO. I hate lacie. I went crazy in the emails and demanded to speak with the manager. So then the manager at the australian head office said these exact words: "it's not our fault, we don't have to tell you anything" I filed a complaint against their company to consumer affaires under "misleading & deceptive conduct"

At the end i had a damaged drive, their expresscard would not even work with my other drives (only usable with lacie drives), they scammed me into buying from an overseas store (because the email rep was too stupid to inform me they had a store in Malaysia) and they didn't care to fix any of it.

STAY AWAY FROM LACIE

You cannot define a company when everything goes right. You define a company when something goes bad and see how they respond to it.

Lacie are dirty, cheating, lying trash.

 

[LaCieTech]

to tommydamani,

My name is Michael.

I apologize for the service you received from our support personnel and I'd like an opportunity to resolve this. If you could make a ticket on our site in the USA at http://www.lacie.com/mystuff and in the subject line request that the ticket be transferred to Michael Naegeli. Once we're in touch in private we can work out an email or phone system that works for you, I don't want to exchange private information on the forum.

There were a couple points I wanted to clear up now though. We don't have a LaCie branch in Malaysia, there may be vendors or resellers who carry our products but there is no LaCie office.

Taking the drive out of the country it was purchased from does not void the warranty. If you bring your drive to a country we don't operate out of we only ask that you work with us on getting the defective unit to us.

3rd party drives will work with our PCI card as well, the distinction is that any non-LaCie USB 3.0 drives will mount as USB 2.0. This is because our drivers only recognize certain chipsets and not all other hard drive manufacturers use those same chipsets.

Please let me know when you have the ticket on our site so I can contact you.

 

[steiney]

Hello all,

I just stumbled across this thread after having purchased the AKE Expresscard USB 3.0 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=macrumors-20&creative=9325&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FExpressCard-34mm-Adapter-Dual-Port%2Fdp%2FB0045BLP1S%2Fref%3Dsr_1_5%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1345620622%26sr%3D8-5%26keywords%3Dexpresscard).

To answer anyone who is wondering if it works on a Mac, the answer is no. I tried two different USB 3.0 drivers and was unable to get it working. The Mac recognizes the card in the slot, but won't operate it. Power does pass through it, however and the disk in my external drive did spin.

The other problem is, the USB drivers that I installed made my system boot time much longer and changed some thing on my profile, e.g. some of my menubar icons that were not displayed came back. The wallpaper I had selected changed to a stock image.

I can't seem to figure out how to uninstall whatever I installed, so it seems I am stuck with it. If anyone has any ideas how to uninstall the USB drivers I installed, I would be happy to hear them!

Thanks in advance,

steiney

 

[Menneisyys2]

Hello all,

I just stumbled across this thread after having purchased the AKE Expresscard USB 3.0 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=macrumors-20&creative=9325&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FExpressCard-34mm-Adapter-Dual-Port%2Fdp%2FB0045BLP1S%2Fref%3Dsr_1_5%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1345620622%26sr%3D8-5%26keywords%3Dexpresscard).

To answer anyone who is wondering if it works on a Mac, the answer is no. I tried two different USB 3.0 drivers and was unable to get it working. The Mac recognizes the card in the slot, but won't operate it. Power does pass through it, however and the disk in my external drive did spin.

The other problem is, the USB drivers that I installed made my system boot time much longer and changed some thing on my profile, e.g. some of my menubar icons that were not displayed came back. The wallpaper I had selected changed to a stock image.

I can't seem to figure out how to uninstall whatever I installed, so it seems I am stuck with it. If anyone has any ideas how to uninstall the USB drivers I installed, I would be happy to hear them!

Thanks in advance,

steiney

BTW, did you try the one at https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/8901161/ ?

 

[rev.b]

So, is there ANY USB 3.0 expresscard that works in a MBP? I could really use one in my '11 17".

 

[steiney]

Menneisyys2,

No, the one I bought has two USB 3.0 ports. There's a link to the Amazon.com page for it in my post. The one in the picture you linked to looks like it only has one USB port. Mine is made by the same manufacturer though.

rev.b,

Not to my knowledge. I wish there was. I have a 2007 MBP, so it would be really nice to have a faster USB port.

 

[johnnyturbouk]

hopefully some workarounds soon:

(1) TB to usb 3 - whenever this happens i will love this adapter

(2) TB dock, a couple of options - ridiculously overpriced atm!

(3) working USB express card

i think the expresscard 34 market is quite niche, it would not be economically viable for ass production of such a card.

PS to rev.b i thought the cadligit card works without issues in ML

 

[steiney]

I checked out the CalDigit one, and several others in that price range. In hindsight, the fact that the one I bought was $7.00 and all the other solutions are priced around $50-100 should have been an indication that it I shouldn't have much hope of it working. I didn't even bother to send it back once I determined it wouldn't work with Mac. It seemed like such a good option though because it fits flush against the body of the mac. All the others have a bulky thing that sticks out the side of the Mac, looks ugly and inhibits movement, etc.

My MBP is too old for Thunderbird, so those first two options don't help me at all, unfortunately.

 

[rev.b]

i think the expresscard 34 market is quite niche, it would not be economically viable for ass production of such a card.

PS to rev.b i thought the cadligit card works without issues in ML

There are a lot of USB 3.0 expresscard in the market, what is missing is a working OS X driver...

Caldigit card does have advertised support for OS X, but I couldn´t live with that thing protruding from my MBP.

I just bought this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360409401722?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648 as those Gmyle cards were reported to work with other third-party drivers here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1396655/

 

[steiney]

I just bought this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360409401722?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648 as those Gmyle cards were reported to work with other third-party drivers here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1396655/

That express card you just bought looks identical to the one I bought except the brand name is different.

I guess since you just ordered it you don't know if it works on your system yet?

Which drivers were you referring to specifically in the other MacRumors thread you linked?

 

[rev.b]

That express card you just bought looks identical to the one I bought except the brand name is different.

I guess since you just ordered it you don't know if it works on your system yet?

Which drivers were you referring to specifically in the other MacRumors thread you linked?

Depending on the chipset, there are reports of Oyen or Caldigit drivers working with those "Gmyle" cards. See last post.

 

[steiney]

I just went to the post you were referring to and installed the appropriate CalDigit drivers for my system. Still at the same spot. I get power flowing through the expresscard but not data or even the computer recognizing the disk.

Oh well. It's pretty frustrating because it's like it half-works, but not enough to be of any use. I'm definitely glad I only paid $8.00+free shipping!

 

[bakuteh]

Success with FL1100 Chipset based USB3.0 Express Card

I ordered this a while back, and it arrived today. I inserted it to my MacBook Pro 17" (Early 2011) running Mountain Lion (10.8.2) and plugged in my 2TB Western Digital Passport (USB3.0) and it worked!

I didn't need to do anything to get it working. Tested it with AJA System Test and got 82.0 MB/s write and 82.6 MB/s read. Checked the System Profiler and saw my hard disk (My Passport 0748) listed under "USB Super-Speed Bus"!

This is so exciting as I have previously failed getting it to work with the Lacie USB 3.0 express card. I played around with different kext files and it would work for a while, but never stable.

Hope you guys can get it to work as well!

 

[johnnyturbouk]

I ordered this a while back, and it arrived today. I inserted it to my MacBook Pro 17" (Early 2011) running Mountain Lion (10.8.2) and plugged in my 2TB Western Digital Passport (USB3.0) and it worked!

I didn't need to do anything to get it working. Tested it with AJA System Test and got 82.0 MB/s write and 82.6 MB/s read. Checked the System Profiler and saw my hard disk (My Passport 0748) listed under "USB Super-Speed Bus"!

This is so exciting as I have previously failed getting it to work with the Lacie USB 3.0 express card. I played around with different kext files and it would work for a while, but never stable.

Hope you guys can get it to work as well!

To clarify, which kext did you use with the that particular expresscard?
Thanks

 

[bakuteh]

To be honest, I can't remember as it was quite a while back ago. However, that was when I was still running Lion.

However, I did not need any additional kext files with Mountain Lion (10.8.2). I just plugged the card in and it worked!

 

[rev.b]

Any news about working drivers for those Gmyle BC628 cards?

I could kill for having that nicely integrated 2 USB 3.0 ports on my MBP...

 

[johnnyturbouk]

finally working usb 3 expresscard
buffallo expresscard 34, nec chipset + go-flex 1tb portable
caldigit card was £70, c.f. buffalo card = £20

i got the buffallo tech 2-port usb3 expresscard, handily came with usb2 power thing which draws extra power into card

installed the caldigit mac osx 10.8 drivers
downloaded multibeast 5.2.1 from tonaymac86 site
used pacifist to extract usb3 caldigit file, ran install on pacifist and it overwrote the caldigit usb3 kext
(dont ask me why one needed to download the original driver from caldigit, but this was the only was it worked)


reboot

all working fine (just cant load with express card, major kernel panic)
can how-swap my drive in/out the usb3 ports

tested seagate go flex
usb 2 read 14mbs/ write, 19 mb/s read
usb3 80 mb/s read, 76 mb/s write
downloaded 4 gb file in 90 seconds ! scorching (tool 8 mins in usb2)

This method will work for any of the nec controllers:
buffalo, lacie, caldigit - all have the same nec controller

 

[johnnyturbouk]

usb 3 with go flex adapter and owc 128gb sad