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Can you have 2 external drives with USB hub on Foxsat HDR?


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Old 22-12-2010, 19:33
Jonboy59
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My external HDD is now almost full, and so I'm considering adding a second by using a USB hub so that both can be connected through the rear USB port. Both HDDs would be portable units, and so rely on the Foxsat to power them.

I seem to recall seeing sometime ago that this has been done successfully, but thought I should check before I take the plunge.

Has anyone else implemented this configuration successfully?
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Old 22-12-2010, 20:33
GaseousClay
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The stb will support a maximum of 4 additional devices at a time (HDD + USB1 to 4) any more connected and the box tells you it cannot read usb device and to use a supported format. However you may come across issues on drives that require power from the stb, although using the front and rear usb ports should support a dependant device each.
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Old 22-12-2010, 22:37
grahamlthompson
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It's only possible to access one usb connected drive at a time but you can switch between them. For instance you can't directly transfer files from one usb device to another if that's what the OP wants. You can select to replay from or copy from any connected usb drive to the internal hhd but not not not without using the internal drive as a copy to/from storage device.
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Old 23-12-2010, 07:52
SWIZZ?
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It's only possible to access one usb connected drive at a time but you can switch between them. For instance you can't directly transfer files from one usb device to another if that's what the OP wants. You can select to replay from or copy from any connected usb drive to the internal hhd but not not not without using the internal drive as a copy to/from storage device.
Graham,
Would these files transfer/copy more quickly if both were connected via a PC running Linux, than if copying from USB to HDD, while connected to a Foxsat HDR ?

David
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Old 23-12-2010, 09:52
grahamlthompson
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Graham,
Would these files transfer/copy more quickly if both were connected via a PC running Linux, than if copying from USB to HDD, while connected to a Foxsat HDR ?

David

Yes they will and even faster still if you use esata. You can speed up transfers though if you tune to an off air station like bbc4.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...b#post46550989
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Old 23-12-2010, 10:27
germanycalling
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My external HDD is now almost full, and so I'm considering adding a second by using a USB hub so that both can be connected through the rear USB port. Both HDDs would be portable units, and so rely on the Foxsat to power them.

I seem to recall seeing sometime ago that this has been done successfully, but thought I should check before I take the plunge.

Has anyone else implemented this configuration successfully?
I have four external drives connected to the rear socket with a hub. All of the drives I use have external power. The only downside is two of the drives I use have power saving firmware inside. If I press "media" whilst one of those drives is asleep then the screen goes blank for about 10 seconds until the drive in question spins up to normal speed. Thus I have leant to switch them off when not in use!
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Old 23-12-2010, 10:55
Jonboy59
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Thanks to everybody for their comments - they're much appreciated. I will probably risk another portable device and if it doesn't work I'll consider purchasing a powered hub. if all else fails I can always use it as another back-up for my PC
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Old 24-12-2010, 00:39
SWIZZ?
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Yes they will and even faster still if you use esata. ..........
If I understand this ESATA ruse correctly it extends the internal lead to the outside of the sat box, so that the lead can be connected to whichever caddy you choose. But this still doesn't enable snappy copying, HDD to HDD.

Is there such a thing as a "piggy back connector" that effectively forks each wire going to the internal HDD ?

It seems just possible that this could let the HDR "see" two drives as one larger drive, one internal & the other external.

Or perhaps I've started too early on the Xmas spirit.

David
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Old 24-12-2010, 09:27
grahamlthompson
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If I understand this ESATA ruse correctly it extends the internal lead to the outside of the sat box, so that the lead can be connected to whichever caddy you choose. But this still doesn't enable snappy copying, HDD to HDD.

Is there such a thing as a "piggy back connector" that effectively forks each wire going to the internal HDD ?

It seems just possible that this could let the HDR "see" two drives as one larger drive, one internal & the other external.

Or perhaps I've started too early on the Xmas spirit.

David
I have a couple of cradles that has esata as well as usb. This can be connected by a sata cable to my laptop or desktop. The desktop has two external esata ports so using these I can rapidly copy between the two 1TB drives used on my hdr (Both are external in cradles)

I doubt very much if you can do the 2 drives looking like one stunt.
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Old 24-12-2010, 10:41
REPASSAC
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I have a couple of cradles that has esata as well as usb. This can be connected by a sata cable to my laptop or desktop. The desktop has two external esata ports so using these I can rapidly copy between the two 1TB drives used on my hdr (Both are external in cradles)

I doubt very much if you can do the 2 drives looking like one stunt.
I would suggest anyone using an ESATA connection to install SATA AHCI drivers and then enable this feature in your BIOS if it supports it. This will make the drive hot swappable (most RAID drivers also support this). You will then be able to eject the drive as well as being seen when plugged in.

I would say SWIZZ has no chance with connecting two drives to the HDR SATA connection - you would simply be sending the same control signals to two drives and receive signals back from them. Not recommended at all.
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Old 24-12-2010, 16:19
SWIZZ?
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I doubt very much if you can do the 2 drives looking like one stunt.
I would say SWIZZ has no chance with connecting two drives to the HDR SATA connection - you would simply be sending the same control signals to two drives and receive signals back from them. Not recommended at all.
I'll take those as no then.

I will try the other parts of each of your replies after I've done enough backing up to try a Linux installation on my PC. Or found a version that runs from CD.
I recently partitioned a drive with gparted, from CD, but its copy facility was greyed out.
David
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Old 24-12-2010, 17:23
grahamlthompson
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I'll take those as no then.

I will try the other parts of each of your replies after I've done enough backing up to try a Linux installation on my PC. Or found a version that runs from CD.
I recently partitioned a drive with gparted, from CD, but its copy facility was greyed out.
David
This is nice and user friendly with a windows like gui

http://www.slax.org/get_slax.php
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Old 25-12-2010, 12:52
SWIZZ?
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This is nice and user friendly with a windows like gui

http://www.slax.org/get_slax.php
Thanks Graham, & Repassac, for your help.
& have an incredibly merry Xmas.

David
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