HDD Docking Stations

[kuru]

HDD docking stations - are they all bad? Reading Amazon reviews leads me to believe that. When they don't outright kill disks, they have problems driving two at the same time. Or the individual disks can't be unmounted, or say: hot-swapped.

Are there any good adapters/docks available? What do you guys use?

 

[spud42]

we use one to test and reformat copier HDD. not sure what brand it is but it has not given any trouble. will find out make and model when i am in the workshop next.

 

[levi]

I use one for backups on my build server. Touch wood, but it's not killed a disk yet. I can mount and unmount disks just fine in Linux, no idea about windows.

Mine's an Inatek USB 3.1 horizontal one with a clip over cover, meaning I leave the live disc I'm currently filling up in there most of the time, just turn off the power supply for the 12V and disconnect the USB3 type-B port. Cost me about GBP25 at amazon UK as I recall.

 

[FBnil]

mine blew up and killed my old laptop harddisk... (inserted correctly only then powered on) another one, same brand worked ok and I was able to do many backup with it.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

Mine (some Chinese make) blew a fuse in my PC's USB ports. I tend to use them via a powered USB hub now.

 

[levi]

Yeah, beware of those that try to power the 12V lines from 5V USB. Or at least never try to stuff a 3.5in disc in them; 2.5in discs aimed at laptops use the slimline or smaller power connector that physically doesn't deliver 12V.

Edit: Found mine It's only USB3.0 not 3.1, must have been some PCIe cards I was looking at around the same time.

 

[kuru]

levi's is the first I see that can't be knocked over so easily. Why aren't they all built like this instead of toaster style?
I'd pay good money if I could get one like this, made from metal, and with two bays.

 

[Hellfleck]

I use a few of these : https://www.icydock.com/goods_cat.php?id=120 and so far no problems

 

[spud42]

that link is to HDD cages not a dock..

 

[Hellfleck]

that link is to HDD cages not a dock..

ah yes I should have elaborated some more there ... personally I prefer the cage / dock combo because 2.5" drives are flimsy and we just keep them in cages

these solutions are made from metal (nice build quality btw.) but the important point about them is that they are SATA / SAS not USB which is more reliable from my experience, sometimes a driver can kill the whole USB stack (I have a 5 slot external housing that reliably kills the USB stack on Linux under heavy load)

when I have to be mobile I use a simple SATA / USB adapter which so far actualy never made problems either, the extra plastics for those so it can be called a dock is waste though

on the dock side you can get these things for 2.5" and / or 3.5" with or without cages e.g. https://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=300

not using this one (or even seen it before) but https://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=152 is a dock with eSata (and USB)

 

[levi]

If you're in a hurry, then I've repurposed backup discs by putting one on a spare SATA cable and power plug coming from the motherboard/PSU and the source one in the USB caddy. Took a while to re-encrypt and copy the 1TB of data across over USB2.0, but both drives ran perfectly fine. I've never come across a hard disc that won't spin up balanced somewhat precariously on top of the tower, and SSDs should be even less worry.

The one I linked is all plastic in the cage and rails that the cage slots into (ABS I suspect, so quite rigid). For my purposes it's durable enough, but I can see why some might prefer all metal.