Multiple external hard drives solution?

cosgrove80

I have a few hard drives lying about at the moment. I was wondering what would be the best way to keep them all together.

I don't really need/want a file server and I don't necessarily need to swap the disks regularly. Basically I want a case that would hold say four harddrives that I could connect to the pc using firewire usb effectively using it as a giant memory stick if you know what I mean.

Only starting my search so I'd appreciate a few suggestions.

Chunks

I just bought an external HD and a case for it from here

THis might get you on the right path although I don't think I can see a case that holds multiple drives

SwampThing

Are they all the same size drives?

RicardoSmith

http://www.mapower.com/pdut_cat.asp?LineID=7
http://www.firewiremax.com/3dudrenfi800.html
http://www.directron.com/dualenclosures.html

cosgrove80

SwampThing wrote:

Are they all the same size drives?

Yes, they're all standard 3.5" drives.

Looking at the the links (thanks RicardoSmith) this:

http://www.mapower.com/Product.asp?CateID=16&LineID=7

is the type of thing I want. Although I think I need brackets fot the HDs to fit the 5.25" slots

Putting together a PC with an Antec Sonata case soon so I want something that is quiet (and matches colour ).

Haven't gound any uk sites selling them yet and ebay yielded nothing but early days.

Are these my best option do you think?

RicardoSmith

Well you could RAID them. I think you can RAID on Firewire too. You could put them in seperate enclosues and use a USB hub or just daisy chain SCSI or FW. The power cables would be messy. If your not going to move it a lot then one of these multi bay units is probably the best route. Tidier. Dunno about quiet though. These things are usually designed for server rooms and cooling is the priority.

http://www.span.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1425

Searched for "Multibay enclosures UK"

stevenmu

cosgrove80 wrote:

I don't necessarily need to swap the disks regularly.

Would that mean you could just buy a regular enclosure but leave it open, whenever you want to change disks just unplug the enclosure from your PC, stick in the other disk and hook it back up ?

cosgrove80

RicardoSmith wrote:

http://www.span.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1425

Searched for "Multibay enclosures UK"

What is this "search" you speak of? . Thanks

Would that mean you could just buy a regular enclosure but leave it open, whenever you want to change disks just unplug the enclosure from your PC, stick in the other disk and hook it back up ?

That would be one way of doing it. When I said I wouldn't be swapping them regularly I meant I wouldn't need those hotswappale harddrive brackets. Will just be leaving them in the casing not taking them out or bringing them anywhere.

Basically I have 2 HDs sitting on the desk and I want to put them in something. I'm starting After Effects work so I want lots of storage.

Looking at it I guss the cheapest/easiest way would be to buy two or three single enclosures and just swap the cable around.

kaimera

usb hub > connect them all.

RicardoSmith

kaimera wrote:

usb hub > connect them all.

Thats what I do.

Maplins also do a cable that connects IDE to USB2 directly. No enclosure nothing. You just use a bare drive. Can't find a link to it at the moment.

cosgrove80

USB hub is probably the way to go alright. I just want to keep cables to a minimum but I guess you can't have everything

RicardoSmith wrote:

Thats what I do.

Maplins also do a cable that connects IDE to USB2 directly. No enclosure nothing. You just use a bare drive. Can't find a link to it at the moment.

If you just use a bare drive how do you keep it safe?

heggie

and power it ?