Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

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WarmHeart
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Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by WarmHeart »

Hi,

I've asked elsewhere with no response, so I thought I'd try this board...

I own 3 external drive docks and only 1, a Thermaltake BlacX eSATA/USB 2.0 Docking Station pictured, works with my TVS-471. Unfortunately, it is only USB 2.0. The other two docks that don't work are USB 3.0.
41pmuzFu29L._AA160_.jpg
I've read elsewhere in this forum that others have problems connecting USB 3.0 drives to their Qnaps. So, can anyone please tell if your USB 3.0 docks works with your TVS-x71 device (or other Qnap device) and what brand you have?

The Qnap compatible list on their website, surprisingly, doesn't list any USB 3.0 docks (they have enclosures but not docks). As you know, the TVS-x71 don't have an eSata connection so we're stuck with USB 3.0 only for high speed.

Thanks!!
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Idlewizard
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by Idlewizard »

Mine works great with my QNAP (TS-569L) and it is Sentey LS-6210. I suspect Sentey isn't a particularly established brand name and it's one step above a white box. I chose it for the flat design and being on sale, but have no complaints.
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by P3R »

WarmHeart wrote:The Qnap compatible list on their website, surprisingly, doesn't list any USB 3.0 docks (they have enclosures but not docks).
Apparently the maintainer of the list doesn't seem to be familiar with the difference between a dock and enclosure so I would recommend that you take a closer look at the products listed. This is one example I found when I googled Icy Dock MB981U3-1SA, listed by Qnap as an enclusure. :wink:

Also, I have an old USB 2.0 enclosure that offer easy tool-less disk exchange and it's almost as simple to work with as a dock so even an enclosure may be used with rotating disks if it's a clever design.
RAID have never ever been a replacement for backups. Without backups on a different system (preferably placed at another site), you will eventually lose data!

A non-RAID configuration (including RAID 0, which isn't really RAID) with a backup on a separate media protects your data far better than any RAID-volume without backup.

All data storage consists of both the primary storage and the backups. It's your money and your data, spend the storage budget wisely or pay with your data!
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by schumaku »

An enclosure is a dock with a cover. Does it matter?
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by P3R »

schumaku wrote:An enclosure is a dock with a cover. Does it matter?
If used for rotating backup disks, it does matter when it's complicated (like when tools are required) to change disks.
RAID have never ever been a replacement for backups. Without backups on a different system (preferably placed at another site), you will eventually lose data!

A non-RAID configuration (including RAID 0, which isn't really RAID) with a backup on a separate media protects your data far better than any RAID-volume without backup.

All data storage consists of both the primary storage and the backups. It's your money and your data, spend the storage budget wisely or pay with your data!
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by schumaku »

Docks are (in my opinion) tools to handle HDD for support, maintenance, troubleshooting ... not as a HDD holder for rotating media ... lack of HDD protection.

But that was not what I was referencing before...does the title matter? If yes, ... we can talk to QNAP to change the text used in many languages.
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by P3R »

schumaku wrote:Docks are (in my opinion) tools to handle HDD for support, maintenance, troubleshooting ... not as a HDD holder for rotating media ... lack of HDD protection.
I think they're low cost, convenient and works well in reasonably secluded environments in low volume SMB/SOHO-applications. Some kind of separate protection case for transportation/storage is of course required.
...does the title matter?
No. As long as all product types are listed in the same list, External Storage Device is fine.

The problem is within the actual list, where there's no way of telling which product is not a dock and not an enclosure. In addition, the external disks (not supporting media rotation) aren't consistently and clearly differentiated from the other types of external storage devices on the list.
RAID have never ever been a replacement for backups. Without backups on a different system (preferably placed at another site), you will eventually lose data!

A non-RAID configuration (including RAID 0, which isn't really RAID) with a backup on a separate media protects your data far better than any RAID-volume without backup.

All data storage consists of both the primary storage and the backups. It's your money and your data, spend the storage budget wisely or pay with your data!
WarmHeart
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by WarmHeart »

Idlewizard wrote:Mine works great with my QNAP (TS-569L) and it is Sentey LS-6210. I suspect Sentey isn't a particularly established brand name and it's one step above a white box. I chose it for the flat design and being on sale, but have no complaints.
Thanks all! I ordered the Sentey LS-6210 and will provide feedback if it works. I liked the $20 price tag and high Amazon ratings! :)

P3R /Schumaku - Yes, it would be nice if the external drive compatibility list differentiated between drives, enclosures, and docks. We're all encouraged to have external / offsite backups and, as mentioned, for SOHO etc., simple docks (or tool-less enclosures) are generally the easiest to rotate media. Every few years I upgrade my drives, and then use the old ones for offsite backups (transported & stored in those plastic drive boxes).
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Moogle Stiltzkin
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by Moogle Stiltzkin »

i'm using a USB 3.0 hdd/ssd dock which works fine with my qnap :}
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WarmHeart
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by WarmHeart »

WarmHeart wrote:
Idlewizard wrote:Mine works great with my QNAP (TS-569L) and it is Sentey LS-6210. I suspect Sentey isn't a particularly established brand name and it's one step above a white box. I chose it for the flat design and being on sale, but have no complaints.
Thanks all! I ordered the Sentey LS-6210 and will provide feedback if it works. I liked the $20 price tag and high Amazon ratings! :)

P3R /Schumaku - Yes, it would be nice if the external drive compatibility list differentiated between drives, enclosures, and docks. We're all encouraged to have external / offsite backups and, as mentioned, for SOHO etc., simple docks (or tool-less enclosures) are generally the easiest to rotate media. Every few years I upgrade my drives, and then use the old ones for offsite backups (transported & stored in those plastic drive boxes).
11/27/15- Update: The Sentey arrived and the good news was that my TVS-471 recognized it as a USB 3.0 external drive. The BAD NEWS is that doing both backups (using backup station) and copies (using file station) I had data write errors in which the operations failed. If I copied a few files it worked, but if I copied large directories (100gb+) they failed at some point. I tested with different drives and had the same result. When I swapped back to my Thermaltake BlacX using USB 2.0, the same hard drives and large copies/backups worked fine (albeit much slower).

So, dear forum readers, is the problem with the compatibility or the TVS-471 USB 3.0 ports? I attached the Sentey to a notebook using USB 3.0 and found I can copy large directories with no problem using Windows, so the problem is not with the dock (although it will go back to Amazon since it doesn't fit my need).

Moogle- which USB 3.0 dock brand do you have?
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Idlewizard
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by Idlewizard »

The BAD NEWS is that doing both backups (using backup station) and copies (using file station) I had data write errors in which the operations failed. If I copied a few files it worked, but if I copied large directories (100gb+) they failed at some point. I tested with different drives and had the same result.
My Sentey dock appears in Windows as "AS1053E", which should stand for the ASMedia 1053E SATA to USB bridge chip - it's possible they've revised something. Considering you also have several docks that don't work at all though, it does sound like an issue with your NAS.

I have recently had my own problems with this category of products. It has come to my attention that a 2.5" external enclosure + drive I have corrupt data. I'm still trying to figure out whether it's the generic enclosure, the 2.5" hybrid drive, or the combination of the two. This is not related to QNAP or your issue, but it does reflect on the danger of trusting generic, low margin hardware with your data. I will probably end up tossing that device and getting a WD Passport.
WarmHeart
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Re: Compatible USB 3.0 External Drive Docks

Post by WarmHeart »

Idlewizard wrote:
The BAD NEWS is that doing both backups (using backup station) and copies (using file station) I had data write errors in which the operations failed. If I copied a few files it worked, but if I copied large directories (100gb+) they failed at some point. I tested with different drives and had the same result.
My Sentey dock appears in Windows as "AS1053E", which should stand for the ASMedia 1053E SATA to USB bridge chip - it's possible they've revised something. Considering you also have several docks that don't work at all though, it does sound like an issue with your NAS.

I have recently had my own problems with this category of products. It has come to my attention that a 2.5" external enclosure + drive I have corrupt data. I'm still trying to figure out whether it's the generic enclosure, the 2.5" hybrid drive, or the combination of the two. This is not related to QNAP or your issue, but it does reflect on the danger of trusting generic, low margin hardware with your data. I will probably end up tossing that device and getting a WD Passport.
Idlewizard, thanks. To complete my testing I've decided to try the IcyDock model that is on the compatibility list and previously highlighted. If that doesn't work - then I'll engage tech support and have them confirm functionality with the TVS-471. In the end it may be my USB 3.0 ports but I thought to be fair I should try something that QNAP claims is compatible first.

Frankly, I find so many bugs with QNAP's software/hardware that its hard to determine what goes wrong where. For example, I find that if I format a external drive using QTS via HD Station, the HD Station crashes! I had a problem with a erratic wireless keyboard / modem connected to USB 2.0 ports and found the solution to be putting a USB extension cord to bring the USB dongle away from the NAS-- I guess that there is radio interference otherwise. And then QNAP's software updates are like playing russian roulette :ashamed:
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