Connecting a Mac to Your Peripherals and Accessories

Connecting a Mac to peripherals and accessories like printers, scanners, external drives for data storage, displays, as well as our iPhones, and iPads is probably one of most important requirements of a modern Mac computer.

We all take the Internet for granted nowadays, with many homes using wireless networks (WiFi) that provide access to more than one Mac computer.

Small offices use Gigabit ethernet to provide a more secure networking environment and to share printers and files.

Different peripherals require different types of interface. Storage devices tend to use USB and FireWire, whereas connecting a Mac to the internet is easier using either ethernet or WiFi. All of these devices rely on the Mac having a powerful range of connectivity options.

Lets summarise the various Mac interfaces that can be used to connect a Mac to the outside world. It is worth noting that the following methods for connecting a Mac will not necessarily be available on every model, it will depend on which Mac you have.

• Gigabit Ethernet (Wired Networking)
• Wireless Networking (Wi-Fi)
• Universal Serial Bus (USB)
• FireWire 400
• FireWire 800
• Thunderbolt
• Mini DisplayPort
• High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

You need to check the technical specifications for full details. For example the MacBook Air does NOT have Firewire, Gigabit Ethernet or the memory card slots seen on other Macs.

Lets take a look at each of the above connectivity options in a bit more detail. There is a section below for each interface listed above, with links to more in-depth articles and specifications where it is appropriate.

Gigabit Ethernet (Wired Networking)

Gigabit Ethernet is used for connecting a Mac to what is called a wired network.

This is normally found on business premises where the cables have been specially laid through the offices.

But you can also use this type of networking in your home to connect to peripherals that have networking capability. You can connect your Mac to the Internet via a Network Router/Modem using a single Ethernet cable.

One thing to note is that Mac computers that have Gigabit Ethernet will need a special Ethernet cable, which you will need to buy separately.

Ethernet cables come in different lengths as well as different types e.g. twisted or straight through. You need to determine which type you need before you buy your cable!

Wireless Networking (Wi-Fi)

Image courtesy of Apple

There are more and more homes around the world that have more than one Mac computer. If you take my home as an example, we have a 20" iMac, a 21.5" iMac and my 13" MacBook Pro. All of these computers are linked to the Internet via wireless networking.

As well as the Mac's we also have a combined printer/scanner and our faithful Time Capsule for backing up our systems, again all connected via our wireless network.

The Airport Extreme wireless network adaptor is probably one of the most frequently used Mac interfaces. It is ideal for connecting a Mac to printers, routers, scanners and maybe even Apple TV. You can stream music, videos and photos all around your home or office.

Interestingly, the Airport Extreme comes in two versions. The first is integrated into your Mac, so you have immediate wireless networking out of the box using the standard 802.11n Wi-Fi protocol.

The second version, shown above, is an external peripheral which has a number of Mac interfaces built-in to it, including;

• One Gigabit Ethernet WAN port for a DSL modem.
• Three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports.
• 802.11n wireless networking.
• One USB port for connecting to peripherals, like printers.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

The USB is possibly the most well known of the Mac interfaces available to you. If you have moved to a Mac after previously being a PC user then you will already be familiar with the USB port.

The USB port, or Universal Serial Bus to give it it's full name, is very much the standard interface for connecting a Mac to printers, scanners, external hard drives and many, many more peripherals.

All current Mac computers have between 1 and 5 USB ports. This allows you to easily connect your Mac to the latest Mac accessories.

FireWire 400/800

The FireWire logo

Out of all the Mac interfaces available the FireWire has got to be my favourite. Why? Well is was originally developed by Apple! So must be good!

Firewire was originally developed by Apple in 1986 and although seen on the PC it is far more widely used in the Mac World for connecting a Mac to camcorders or external hard disks.

Firewire currently has two versions. Firewire 400 and Firewire 800, with the number meaning the data speed in mbits e.g. 400 Mbit/s and 800 Mbit/s.

There is no doubt that Firewire is a powerful interface. The table below gives an overview of which FireWire port is on which Mac;

FireWire is a powerful interface which can be a bit confusing when trying to work out how to connect different standards together. We have written a dedicated page all about the Mac FireWire port, which answers many questions about its use.

Intel Thunderbolt Technology

Image courtesy of Intel

I love it when Apple do something that is a first! Today Intel announced its Thunderbolt technology, the result of development by both Intel and Apple.

The good news didn't end there because Intel, themselves, announced that Apple is the first customer to use the Thunderbolt technology, on the new MacBook Pro! Nice one!

On the sameday Apple then confirms the news by announcing the new MacBook Pro family. During 2011 the Thunderbolt technology has been added to the Mac mini, iMac, and the MacBook Air family.

Thunderbolt is a very powerful interface allowing a huge range of peripherals to be daisy chained together including external hard disks and displays.

If you want to know more have a read of our article that covers the new Intel Thunderbolt technology in more detail, with a look at available accessories.

Mini DisplayPort

The original DisplayPort standard was created by the Video Electronics Standards Association in 2006.

It was intended to be a royalty-free interface for connecting audio and video peripherals e.g between computers and displays, or a home theatre system.

Image courtesy of Apple

The DisplayPort was envisaged as a modern standard that would gradually, over time, replace the older DVI and VGA interfaces.

In 2008, Apple announced the Mini DisplayPort which it would license for no fee. As a result, in 2009 VESA announced that the Mini DisplayPort would be included in the upcoming DisplayPort 1.2 specification.

So which Macs have the Mini DisplayPort? and, What use is it if they do have it? Two important questions!

Taking the first question - all of the latest 2010 models of the Mac, from the Mac mini and MacBook, through to the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro, all have the Mini DisplayPort.

Lets address the second question. You have a Mac and you want to connect an external monitor via the Mini DisplayPort, what are the options?

The easiest option is to connect your Mini DisplayPort directly to the Apple 27" LED Cinema Display. You get a superb display that includes USB ports and all of the leads you need.

But it is equally possible that you already have an external display from your PC days, or you simply want to spend less on a display!

No problem, simply get a suitable adapter for your Mac. Several options are shown below;

• Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter
• Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

The latest Mac peripheral is the High Definition TV (HDTV). We all like watching videos and movies and the Mac mini now has a HDMI connector.

So why get excited about the new Mac mini HDMI connector?

Well, High Definition TV brings superb clarity and sharp, clear images. So why not stream your own video and photos, or be able to play games with the same stunning images.

The HDMI interface allows the Mac mini to be connected directly to the latest flat screen technology, like the LG 42" HDTV which has HDMI interfaces as standard.

Image courtesy of LG

Imagine streaming your photos and video from your Mac to your TV and being able to get HD quality!

The only drawback at the moment is that the HDMI connector is only available on the new Mac mini. Oh! and the new Apple TV.