Alesis Multimix 16 (again!)

sorry guys i realize most of you have been down that road and already have a thread dedicated to this but im new and registered just so i could communicate with some of the top heads here!

I just purchased a Alesis Multimix 16 firewire today and i was planing on running it on my Mac Book 2GB RAM and either using the Cubase till i up graded or Logic.... Problem!
my Mac isn't picking up the hardware!, i have all the drivers (received on the accompanying disc and downloaded new upgrade drivers from the Alesis site!) I have the firewire cable connecting the two but the laptop just isn't picking up any hardware or connection for that matter!

most of the posts i read here were for PC users and im sure ill encounter some of those problems later but to be honest i would love to be even that far right now!
i have tried everything and my head is fried!!! if anyone who has encountered such problems could get back to me i would forever be in debt...

please they me its the firewire cable!! ha ha ha....