Which External Hard Drives Work for You?

[don_juan_el_guapo]

I've read a few posts on using a USB hub with a non-powered EHD for the plain fact that a USB EHDs are cheaper. Which ones have you all found work? I have a the 722VIP and I will be switching to a hopper.

 

[ChadT41]

none are supported...just keep that in mind

 

[thomasjk]

Powered Western Digital 1TB.

 

[navychop]

I believe all the 1TB and smaller will work thru a powered, and most up to 2TB and a few up to 3 TB. I recommend more, smaller drives so WHEN one dies, you don't lose so much.

 

[KAB]

Pony up the little extra money for a self-powered drive.

 

[jerryez]

Amazon product ASIN B00E3RH5W2

 

[TheKrell]

Mine are all 1.5TB WD My Books.

 

[sremick]

Pony up the little extra money for a self-powered drive.

Where are the self-powered 2.5" external USB drives?

 

[harshness]

I've read a few posts on using a USB hub with a non-powered EHD for the plain fact that a USB EHDs are cheaper.

If you add the cost of a powered hub, I'm pretty sure you've blown away any savings and then some.

I challenge you to find a portable drive that is decidedly cheaper than the desktop version. I acknowledge that the prices have come much closer in recent weeks but I don't think portable drives offer considerable savings.

 

[harshness]

Where are the self-powered 2.5" external USB drives?

They are rare indeed if any exist. Portability and wall warts are not usually considered in the same breath.

 

[Elkview]

I've read a few posts on using a USB hub with a non-powered EHD for the plain fact that a USB EHDs are cheaper. Which ones have you all found work? I have a the 722VIP and I will be switching to a hopper.

I use a Seagate 2TB powered I got on Amazon for about $70.

 

[TheKrell]

If you are determined to risk it, I've found bus-powered Western Digital My Passport drives (the newer USB3 variety) work well. I've tried 500GB, 1TB, and 1.5TB My Passports and all worked well for as long as I tried them.

If you can get them for less/TB than externally powered 3.5" disks, I'd be surprised.

 

[harshness]

I've used both Western Digital My Books and Seagate Expansion drives since the EHD feature was introduced (2008?) and have not had any issues other than a wall wart that went bad on one of the My Books. I think there may be a Maxtor in there somewhere as well.

As a matter of personal preference, I avoid Hitachi, Samsung and Toshiba drives and any of the third party units such as Iomega or Fantom.

Of course the old caveats are still in play for use with the ViP722K:

1. Single spindle (no RAID)
2. Up to 2TB capacity
3. Self-powered

 

[navychop]

I have a RAID 1 array. Works fine. HW RAID is indistinguishable from a single drive, to the Hopper.

 

[bobvick]

I use 2TB Seagate in a powered Rosewill enclosure. I have them on three HWS units, they have worked great for 5 months.

 

[Jim5506]

I have several SATA docks and plug internal drives in them swapping out as needed, keeps drive size down to 250-500 gb range and when a drive craters I loose fewer programs - cheeper than USB drives, too.

 

[harshness]

Works fine. HW RAID is indistinguishable from a single drive, to the Hopper.

Does the ViP722 that the TS currently has view RAID 1 similarly?