How to connect HDDs to USB?

[Tellurian]

I have five SATA hard drives. I need to connect them - all five at the same time - to a MacBook Pro. What's the best/cheapest way to do this, please?

I bought some cheap SATA-to-USB adaptors from eBay. Each one has its own mains power supply. I thought I could simply connect the HDDs via their respective adaptors to a basic (unpowered) USB hub, but it didn't work at all, and didn't work even with a single HDD connected, even though I was able to connect the HDD to the MacBook by plugging it directly into the same USB port the USB hub was connected to, for whatever reason.

A USB hub manufacturer advised me to look at a powered 10-port USB hub it makes, but advised me that the hub could only accommodate three HDDs. I have no idea why this is! Surely if the HDD has its own power supply, and the hub has its own power supply, then what's the problem?

Please help me with this!

[RodneyYouPlonker]

This is a very good brand of products and worth checking out:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Inatec...CA0&uact=5

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Also have a look at these guys they are quite expensive but they actually work unlike a lot of other brands that are pretty terrible:

https://www.sonnettech.com/home.html

[Tellurian]

This is a very good brand of products and worth checking out:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Inatec...CA0&uact=5

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Also have a look at these guys they are quite expensive but they actually work unlike a lot of other brands that are pretty terrible:

https://www.sonnettech.com/home.html

Thanks. I just found a similar device cheaper than the Inateck version, which is linked below. It's a promising option, but really I'd like a cheaper option that incorporates the adaptors I've already purchased. I'd also like to understand what's going on, and why my original idea/system didn't work.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FIDECO-Docking-...08291CB6J/

[RodneyYouPlonker]

Well I'm just telling you which brands are the ones that work.  You can believe me that in the past I've tried different brands for products and had some shocking results.  The Inateck stuff is good because as far as I understand it's German made which is the reason why it works.  Whatever you do stay well away from Startech they are shockingly bad all their stuff I would say 95% belongs in the bin it's terrible.

Sometimes the cheaper option is no good as you have to find yourself going back again to buy another product as well as the cost of the product you bought in the first place that didn't work so even more money wasted.  Inateck and Sonnet and you're all good, other brands I would take at your own risk be prepared to find they fail and had a whole range of problems...

[Tellurian]

Well I'm just telling you which brands are the ones that work.  You can believe me that in the past I've tried different brands for products and had some shocking results.  The Inateck stuff is good because as far as I understand it's German made which is the reason why it works.  Whatever you do stay well away from Startech they are shockingly bad all their stuff I would say 95% belongs in the bin it's terrible.

Sometimes the cheaper option is no good as you have to find yourself going back again to buy another product as well as the cost of the product you bought in the first place that didn't work so even more money wasted.  Inateck and Sonnet and you're all good, other brands I would take at your own risk be prepared to find they fail and had a whole range of problems...

I hear you. Many thanks.

[waregim]

I also have had no luck with the SATA 'connectors'. It seems most are garbage really designed for XP, and with no working drivers for later systems.

I have a couple of docks here. the latest is a dual dock nearly identicial with :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tccmebius-TCC-S...B08291CB6J

While like the one in the link it is also a dual drive, the one in the link appears to have the drives sit deep into the case.

This is not good.

The newer faster (mechanical) drives, especially the lower priced server drives generate alot of heat. They really need a fan of some type, and the larger the surface exposed, the better.

Also a good idea to make sure the hdparms are set for the drive, as many, if not most docks will not spin down overnight.
https://www.freeminded.org/index.php/201...ot-in-use/

[Tellurian]

I also have had no luck with the SATA 'connectors'. It seems most are garbage really designed for XP, and with no working drivers for later systems.

I have a couple of docks here. the latest is a dual dock nearly identicial with :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tccmebius-TCC-S...B08291CB6J

While like the one in the link it is also a dual drive, the one in the link appears to have the drives sit deep into the case.

This is not good.

The newer faster (mechanical) drives, especially the lower priced server drives generate alot of heat. They really need a fan of some type, and the larger the surface exposed, the better.

Also a good idea to make sure the hdparms are set for the drive, as many, if not most docks will not spin down overnight.
https://www.freeminded.org/index.php/201...ot-in-use/

Thanks for this. Prior to switching to Mac, I had several HDDs connected to a PC - hanging-out of a broken systems case, and I never noticed any overheating issues. I use several encased external HDDs, and these also have shown no obvious overheating problems.

[waregim]

Grab a copy of HDSentinel at TPB - it will monitor HDD drives as well as spot many problems.
And fix most problems with the 5th 'testing' configuration, which non-destructively low-level formats and repairs most software type errors.

A note with USB connected HDs:
Try to avoid multiple simultaneous reads *and* writes. I have had issues with an older Seagate, and seen the issue addressed in other forums by pros.

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@RYP
The old adage "You get what you pay for" , sadly often no longer applies.

Pricing is based on 'targeting models' , not quality/bill of mateirals .

A common technique these days is to produce the same item under different 'price points'.
Some folks will not buy items at low prices, assuming low quality. Others will shop according to lowest price.

Chinese electronics are often a single product marketed under different brands, with prices varying often by a magnitude. Sometimes with no brand at all. Often they are actually good quality.

For Hard Drives these days, I tend to stick with server based Hitachi (WD) low cost drives. Rated at hundreds of thousands of hours, they are highly recommended in the industry. Their downside is *heat*, as servers are typically aggressively cooled. Unlike consumer quality where thermal characteristics are often ignored.

[waregim]

Ideally a drive should stay under 110F.

I have had a server class drive go to 140F under test (without fan).

HDSentinel at TPB is a good util for monitoring temps. And even setting hdparms in Win.
Linux has desktop widgets that will use the sensors service.

[Tellurian]

Thanks for your replies, waregim.