FS: Drobo II (FW 400/800, USB2) 4 hard disk storage robot

[Peter Stockwell]

I've decided this is too noisy, and also overkill for my situation. I'm looking for 250€ excluding the disks. I can include the disks at a price to be negotiated (4 * 500Gb giving 1.3Tb of effective storage).


Now sold!

[The Vinyl Adventure]

is it a nas?

[Peter Stockwell]

No, it's not a NAS, it's direct storage. You can turn it into a NAS by adding the droboshare.

The essential difference between a NAS (Network attached Storage) and DAS (Directly attached storage) is that a NAS is a file server, it has a processor that manages access to the files. Whereas a DAS is storage that you computer manages the access.

A NAS has an IP address on your home network and can be accessed independently of your main computer and is linked to Network/router by an RJ45 cable. Whereas the DAS is going to be attached by a Firewire or USB cable and the file structure is managed from within your computer.

Hope this helps

cheers

[Peter Stockwell]

This was originally asked in a PM, but I thought it useful here:


How does your FS item differ from a freestanding hard drive? I have an external hard drive (Western Digital Media something or other) which is totally silent, has USB and Firewire connections (2 of each) plus built in multi card reader, capacity 250 Gig (I think), with it's own PSU and it cost, relatively, peanuts compared with your asking price. I use mine for back up and storing all my mp3 and FLAC files that my PC based foobar plays for me.


Functionally ? None.

What you get is a sophisticated data storage machine that is capable of being upgraded (more capacity) on the fly and can run with 1,2,3 or 4 disks of different capacities and speeds. In fact, I've decided to downgrade to a single disk solution for back up with another disk to store my ALAC files. If a disk fails you lose no data, the disk can be replaced on the fly.

The current UK price for a Drobo, via amazon.co.uk is £305. In france I'm seeing 500€ or more.

Thanks for asking the question.

[twelvebears]

Can I just add that I have V1 Drobo, and provided you can place it somewhere the noise isn't an issue (it's not THAT noisy, but you wouldn't want it in a quite listening room. Mine is next door in the living room with TV, Mac etc), I think they are an excellent solution for large amounts of data storage where you want to protect from disk failure.

Mine started off with x2 500Gb drives and now has x4 1Tb drives and upgrading was a doddle.

If I had the cash spare I'd definately take it Peter, but alas no. :(

Will see if I can think of anyone who might want it.....

[The Vinyl Adventure]

No, it's not a NAS, it's direct storage. You can turn it into a NAS by adding the droboshare.



i will look into that, there are so many different specs on these things i get confused. it needs to be compatible with twonky media server?

[Ali Tait]

What outputs does it have on the back? Can you just plug it straight into your dac? Guess you need a Caiman or similar with usb?

[Peter Stockwell]

What outputs does it have on the back? Can you just plug it straight into your dac? Guess you need a Caiman or similar with usb?

It's a big disk drive, it can't do anything by itself, you either have to hang it off a computer or a droboshare. You can't plug it in to a Dac, no even a usb device.

It's a data storage device, designed to use multiple disks, without the limitation of standard RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks), which is that all the drives have to be identical, but in the process if say, you have 4 500Gb drives, you end up with 1.35Tb of usuable data, the remaining 650GB is used for data protection, so that youcan pull out a drive and put anew one in its place without any data loss.

Hope this helps

[Peter Stockwell]

i will look into that, there are so many different specs on these things i get confused. it needs to be compatible with twonky media server?


If twonky can run on you computer then you are fine, I think there's a drobo app. for twonky that would run on the droboshare, but I don't know.

[Ali Tait]

So I could connect the Drobo to my laptop and use the laptop to send a signal to the hi-fi? Or buy a Droboshare and connect to the hi-fi from that? Or do I need to buy a Squeezebox or similar?

[Peter Stockwell]

So I could connect the Drobo to my laptop and use the laptop to send a signal to the hi-fi?

That's the way to do it at present. Although, I think there's a dobo app, called firefly as an iTunes server, but you'd need the Droboshare for that.

In any case, the drobo and the disks are sold :) .

Just pending packing and payment.

cheers

[Ali Tait]

So what do you use cable wise from laptop to hi-fi? Mine is an ageing Dell.. not that many sockets on it.

[Peter Stockwell]

Well, the cheapest is to use a 3.5mm stereo jack to two RCAs. After that it depends, if you have SPDIF out then you can use a dac, or use a usb dac. Or you could use an airport express, etc, a squeezebox, loads of choices

[The Vinyl Adventure]

linn majik ds :eyebrows:

[Ali Tait]

Well the long-term goal is a Modwright Transporter,but I just want to get up and running for now,so laptop and Caiman it shall be!

[Peter Stockwell]

Well the long-term goal is a Modwright Transporter,but I just want to get up and running for now,so laptop and Caiman it shall be!

That sounds like a good choice.