External Back-up Drive Recommendations

Case (add your own IDE HDD) with external switching power supply (for a 3.5" drive) and fan should cost maybe $30 or $40. USB2.0/Firewire is a bit more. There are more eSATA types coming on the market now.

There are also nice complete name-brand products like this one:

We just purchased a fire rated safe which claims to protect magnetics against fire damage (Curie point). Since we are backing up onto tape this may help.

I've been buying LaCie *firewire* drives for many years and have been well served. Also, I recently bought a LaCie DVD Burner (also firewire), and it is the one HP puts in their computers.

My only USB2 drive is a shirt-pocket 80G, which I packaged after my G# 500 computer went boom. I like it too, but only when used in a USB2 port. In a USB port it's a mite slow.

Anyone need an assortment of SCSI drives?

Don

There are many network attached storage (NAS) boxes that are Preferably over a well encrypted WLAN so it can be tucked away in a "quiet

The WLAN ones are less common, but certainly out there... e.g., the D-Link DSM-G600.

---Joel

I think the drive preference is all yours! I have a couple of 250G external hd's. The oldest is an "I/O Gear" and the newest is an "Ultra" brand. Both have the option to use either a fire wire or a usb connection. The fire wire option on the I/O Gear unit has dropped out of ready a few times while the USB option has worked without a problem.

I suspect the problem is related to hardware overruns (just a gut feel) but keeping the outboards on the USB gives no problems. The rest of the machine is: ASUS N78X-E MB, AMD 2000 CPU, C: 60G HD, D:250G HD, E: CD/DVD/RW, F:

56X CD; Misc stuff on USB ports, XP PRO SP2. The system stays up 24/7. Formatting etc on the externals is messy enough that I am inclined to bring them inboard for the process.

I have not been entirely successful in cloning my 60G C: to a 250G YET. I have some critical apps that will keep me conservative until Feb 1.

BTW, "Cables To Go" has a power pack/usb connection WITHOUT the case that looks interesting...It would appear that you could put multiple drives in one box.

How come we cannot daisy chain USB's? John Ferrell W8CCW

I've been using Maxtor and a homebrew version. Both are Firewire. They're turned off unless I need to backup. I've been avoiding Maxtor drives since they had problems a few years back. One thing I don't like about my Maxtor external drive: they have some hidden info on the drive that prevents you from installing a generic drive in their enclosure. A real hassle when you need to get info off an old drive in the closet or replace a busted drive. I don't know if other external drive makers do the same.

I like DYI external drives.

Cost about $60 for the enclosure. Add $$ for a drive you stick in there . I've been using Samsung hard drives for the past couple years, however, there are other drives that fairly reliable, quiet, and run cool.

I usually end up modifying external drive cases to improve air flow. Knock out parts of the grill at the fan exhaust and drill a few extra holes in the front panel. That has dropped internal temp by 10 to 20 deg.

On a last note, I've just started playing with SyncToy

Allows you to backup or sync two directories. It's free. You create backup "jobs". Sort of a GUI version of RoboCopy, but much easier to use.

--
Mark

That would be the "nerd way", buying the box and then a separate HD. Nothing wrong with it but I was hoping for something ready to go out of the box. Also, with some of these companies and their plastics parts I became a bit careful after electrolytics failures and things like that. It would be nice if SMC came out with something. They are in the router biz anyhow and their stuff, at least what I got here, is almost industrial grade. Metal case, integrated PS, no wall warts or any of that, nothing gets hot.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

I have been using a 40GB version of this. Just USB but neat. Fits into shirt pocket. Smart disk Firelight

greg

I guess the price goes down, more GB

Ah here it is...

On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:42:54 GMT, Joerg transparently proposed:

Ximeta Technology NDU10-250 250GB

or just buy their netdisk enclosure and use your own drive.

Netdisk Office 120 has a built in 8 port ethernet switch. Bit more money for less storage.

Seems to be priced right, under $200. Not WLAN though but at least it can be hooked up to the LAN. Got enough CAT-5 on the spool to install another run to wherever it's parked.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

Just a warning-- I bought one of those dual USB2.0/LAN boxes and had to return it. No warning on the outside of the carton, but to use the LAN connection the HDD had to use FAT32 rather than NTFS (which was okay over USB) and to add insult to injury, there was a 32G limit (again, for NAS only, not USB).

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it\'s the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com

Hmm, wonder why that is. No such limits when two PCs are accessing each other's hard drives over the LAN.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

We use a NAS for a hard drive with an ethernet connection. It servers as an FTP server too. This method allows our customers to send their data to use for processing.

The drive is also mapped in as a destination for backup data. Later, the backups are copied to a secondary USB drive across town.

HNAS1 from Hawking Technology < $90 plus a PATA drive of your choice.

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what\'s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money"  ;-P

Yum! Yum! Yum!

And I thought Seagate would be first.

-Le Chaud Lapin-

There is one thing that i look for; a fan in the case (or at least a mounting point for one). Then put a top quality fan in it.

--
 JosephKK
 Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.  
  --Schiller

because USB it's not really a bus, it needs hubs to switch the signals to the apropriate devices.

there's no reason why you couldn't put mutiple usb-ide adaptors and a usb hub in a box.

if you means why you can't have master and slave IDE drives on a single USB device that's probably a software issue, AIUI the 1TB USB drives have two 500G disk drives inside them with RAID-0 done in the usb adaptor.

Bye. Jasen

A decent parabolic reflector antenna will get them 14 dB gain and they can be 7dB further away.

Bye. Jasen