External HDD

[Constantine A. Murenin]

On 07/02/07, rsh <bsdgroup.md at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi
>
> For backup purposes, i need removable HDD, connected through USB or
> Fireware
>
> I'm really impressed by Transcend solution and would like to use their
> Transcend 1.8" Portable HDD 20 GB, USB 2.0
> It takes power directly from USB.
>
> Did somebody have success with this device?
>
> If it is a bad idea, any suggestions for External HDD ?
>
> Thanks

Most USB HDDs should work fine. Unless you specifically want minimal
size and super-super low noise, I'd recommend to go with 2.5" drives.
You can easily get an external 2.5" USB enclosure, and then separately
buy a 2.5" drive of any size you want.

As far as power goes, 2.5" 5400rpm drives from HGST (formerly IBM and
Hitachi) -- 5k100, 5k120 and 5k160 -- should consume a maximum of 5.0
W on startup, so they can be powered from two USB ports (2 * 2.5 W =
5.0 W), something that most enclosures offer.

I have personally used CoolMax HD-211-U2 [0] with Fujitsu MHV2040AT
2.5" 4200rpm drive without any problems for a rather long time, to
boot OpenBSD as well as FreeBSD directly from the USB drive, as well
as to transfer a few files here and there. CoolMax now has better
versions of this enclosure, for example, HD-260B-U2 [1].

[0] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817146034
[1] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817146065