Mac Mini as input to Mac Pro via Gigabit Ethernet...

[Tyson Birmann]

Entertaining the idea of using a mac pro as a "hub" of sorts. Using it for Thunderbolt drives and USB3 devices. I realize the speed is slower than thunderbolt... but lets face it, the average thunderbolt drive is only as good as the drive it is hooked to. For single drives (shuttle drives for client... etc.) the Gigabit speed should be fine.
I've decided if I'm going to stick with the MP.... I need to at least get access to TB and USB3 drives. I'm not worried about the speed as much as the ability to use the drives that clients buy before asking if I can use them.
Anyone done this?
Any tips or speed expectations if so?
Thanks ya'll!
Tyson

 

[Mike Isler]

What about Thunderbolt networking? Mac Pro has 3 Thunderbolt busses. Can always connect the Mac Mini via TB to the MacPro, and run Ethernet over Thunderbolt. It'll be faster than Gigabit.
What's the point of the Mac Mini in the first place, though?

 

[Rudy Lehfeldt-Ehlinger]

If I understand correctly your trying to prolong the use of your Mac Pro and not have to acquire a nMP. If you are just doing this to dump to a local raid or something along those lines no reason it shouldnt work fine, though I wouldnt recommend doing it for editing off shuttle drives. I effectively use iMacs for the same purpose, as my mac pro doesnt have TB or USB 3 works fine... thought I havent tried it over a Gb network should work the same albeit a little slower.. if you are using it to dump to a local raid I would set up the raid as the shared disk not the shuttle drives as it will save you time in the long run.