Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamically determining a primary or slave assignment based on an order of cable connection between two devices are provided. Embodiments include detecting, by a first device, insertion of one end of a cable into a port of the first device; determining, by the first device, whether a power signal is received from the cable at the port of the first device; if the power signal is received, performing, by the first device, a data transfer operation over the cable as a slave device to a second device that is coupled to the other end of the cable; and if the power signal is not received, performing, by the first device, a data transfer operation over the cable as a primary device to the second device that is coupled to the other end of the cable.