ethernet HD enclosure

[1s1k52]

I have a bunch of 3.5 HD laying around. Some of which have never been in a computer. I already have a 20.00 USB 2.0 enclosure on one. I currently have my router in a centralized location in my home which can have a network drive placed next to it.

Do they make a decent enclosure to place a HD I already own for networking backup? I am searching around google now and thought I would ask. Thanks in advance.

[cb1000rider]

Yes, they make enclosures of this type... Actually most external drives are exactly that - a hard drive and an enclosure.
Make sure you buy the right enclosure for your drive type - EIDE, SATA, SAS, etc.

[1s1k52]

Not all have an Ethernet connection though. I was seeing if anyone here has used an enclosure with an ethernet attached vs an external with ethernet

[uthornsfan]

http://m.newegg.com/ProductList?Keyword=synology+nas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Buy a synology NAS.

[cb1000rider]

I missed the ethernet requirement. Yea, you're looking for a "NAS" enclosure that supports your drive types. If you have multiple drives of the same type, you can do RAID arrays.

Another alternative is to replace your router with one that supports a USB connection for storage. This may be less expensive than buying the NAS enclosure.
The NAS will be faster than your USB enclosure in most cases.
Last, if you do get a NAS, you can get one that allows you to chain your existing USB drives - effectively putting it all on the network for you.

[n5wd]

Not all have an Ethernet connection though. I was seeing if anyone here has used an enclosure with an ethernet attached vs an external with ethernet

I've had a dozen of external hard drive enclosures over the years as various computer power supplies have given up the ghost, but I don't know that I've ever seen one with an internet connection. USB, firewire, SATA, yet... but not Ethernet.

[cb1000rider]

It's not really an "internet" connection. It's a connection designed for use on your local network. Yes, you could pipe it through to the internet.
NAS = Network Attached Storage

So instead of plugging it in when you want to use it, it's always on your network. You can map a drive to it.
It's typically faster and more expensive than USB storage.

[1s1k52]

http://m.newegg.com/ProductList?Keyword=synology+nas

Buy a synology NAS.

Holy mother of god that thing has a price tag on it lol!

[1s1k52]

ok stupid question # (infinity symbol placed here) Are all drives raid capable ? what if the rpm are different speeds ? Is it as easy as formatting the drives and placing them inside? thats a rather large price tag, at least the ones i saw 174.00 and up to not be lazy! lol

[cb1000rider]

ok stupid question # (infinity symbol placed here) Are all drives raid capable ? what if the rpm are different speeds ? Is it as easy as formatting the drives and placing them inside? thats a rather large price tag, at least the ones i saw 174.00 and up to not be lazy! lol

Generally speaking, to do various RAID levels, expect to use the same make and model of drive. Some raid software will allow disparate drive types to be put into a RAID array, but you do end up wasting more space than normal.

RAID setup generally involves putting the drives in, booting into what will be a local-network website (in this case) and then formatting the drives into a specific RAID configuration before you can use the storage.

For long term storage, I tend to buy fairly large drives that have slower rotational speeds. I believe they tend toward less heat and fewer RPM-based failures. I don't care about speed, as long as it's fast enough to stream across network.

[1s1k52]

I have 3-4 500 GB Seagate Sata drives 5400 rpms

[uthornsfan]

http://www.freenas.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you have an old computer. You can make your own NAS with FreeNAS. Didn't have to be very powerful.

[1s1k52]

http://www.freenas.org/

Do you have an old computer. You can make your own NAS with FreeNAS. Didn't have to be very powerful.

nope all laptops that are used to frequently to keep stationary. I had 3 desktops I was given to try and recover but they were so old I tossed them earlier this week which prompted this excursion.

[uthornsfan]

Those drives are pretty worthless unless you put them in some form of RAID array. The 5400 spindle speed is going to kill you unless you are just using it for archival purposes and then the age will make you wary because the likely hood of failure is pretty high. If you have 3 of them I would recommend using them in RAID5 so you get a little bit or performance and some redundancy.

Either pony up the cash for a Synology (Best NAS for the money IMO) or find an old crappy computer and buy a SATA RAID 5 PCI card.

[1s1k52]

Those drives are pretty worthless unless you put them in some form of RAID array. The 5400 spindle speed is going to kill you unless you are just using it for archival purposes and then the age will make you wary because the likely hood of failure is pretty high. If you have 3 of them I would recommend using them in RAID5 so you get a little bit or performance and some redundancy.

Either pony up the cash for a Synology (Best NAS for the money IMO) or find an old crappy computer and buy a SATA RAID 5 PCI card.

I may be buying a crappy desktop to keep in my garage anyways so maybe I will go that route. What do you mean by age? Maybe I should have mentioned these drives are almost brand new? nothing has ever been on them really. I acquired them practically still in the package about a month ago. I get what you are saying about the rpms though. I will look into that card. Thanks for the info.